2 minute read
The Voice That Makes You Love Music All Over Again
from SEEMA Magazine
by SEEMA
INDIE ARTIST CHHAVI SODHANI ON HER LIFELONG FASCINATION FOR MUSIC
NUPUR BHATNAGAR
Her first single, “Banna Re” crossed over 12 million streams on JioSaavn alone. A singer, song writer, lyricist, music producer and poet- Chhavi Sodhani is no ordinary musician. Whether as an independent artist or as a musical duo, “Parindey,” with her sister Pragya Sodhani, her brand of music, as told to Artists Original, “echoes originality and honesty”.
Sodhani had an early initiation into music, which her grandfather and parents loved. They also encouraged both her and sister Pragya to learn it.
“Music was like a religion in our house”, Sodhani said in an interview with Artists Original. At just 7 years of age, she gave her first public performance in Hyderabad and never looked back, recording various children’s albums.
Honored at the “Bachpan Utsav” in Andhra Pradesh as a child prodigy of 11, Sodhani’s has many accomplishments to her credit. Her biggest perhaps is the ‘Excellence in Art’ scholarship she got from Pandit Jasraj, her hero.
Originally from Hyderabad, Sodhani moved to Mumbai to continue her musical training. She found voice at college musical festivals such as Malhar and Umang, among others, and won many awards.
Sodhani became a household name in India as one of the top 12 finalists of “Fame Gurukul,” a reality TV show on Sony TV. She was picked from hundreds of thousands of singers across India. The recognition catapulted her into the league of famous singers, leading to extensive tours across the globe.
Performing live on stage “makes you so connected with yourself”, she said on Artists Original.
When she had to deal with a voice impediment, she explored other avenues and found succor in composing, writing and music production. She feels it was all part of a bigger picture- her destiny – to enable her to become a “wholesome musician.”
Sodhani has created waves as a composer. Recently, at the LA LGBT International Film Festival, she won the “Best Music” award for a short Australian-Indian Film, “Yaman.” With a Pakistani film in the offing, she has many regional films and web series to her musical repertoire.
“Jaag,” Sodhani’s last hit has garnered over 605,000 views on YouTube. It showcases her talent for spoken word poetry, which she is truly passionate about. Speaking of her motivation, she says.
“’Jaag’ is a fluid fusion of music and spoken word poetry,” she says. “I truly believe in the uniqueness of each individual, the need to awaken, to seek one’s own purpose and to unapologetically chase your dreams.”
To listen to more tracks - jiosaavn.com