We’ve seen talent being nurtured on reality shows. Some of those candidates go on to win the show and lakhs of hearts. One such success story is Siddhant Sharma, a 22-year-old from Kolkata. Siddhant won The Stage Season 3, the music reality show on Colors Infinity. He, along with the top four contestants of the show, will be in Pune to kick-start their five city tour. Catching up with them, we find out their future plans and what is in store for the audience.
Two years back, Siddhant, a graphic designer by profession, spent most of his time painting and designing posters of obscure metal bands. “Pure love and the growing obsession with music really pulled me out of my professional career and got me into music full time,” he says. He, however, believes that singing cannot be taught. “It depends on the person’s ability to know how to use his voice and how he can modulate it, so that the voice is stronger,” Siddhant says.
When he went to audition for the show for the first time, he was shocked to see that so many people had turned up and realised that it was not one of the usual contests.
Surprisingly, the young singer says that he does not connect with Bollywood music. “It is not that I do not like Hindi songs, but I feel more connected to the Western music more,” he says. He further explains that several Bollywood composers have taken inspiration from Western music and musicians over the years. “They do not want to copy the music, but want to make people aware to what others are listening to. And I believe that language should not be a barrier in the world of music.”
As for The Stage, Siddhant believes that the challenge actually begins after the competition is over. “It becomes a huge responsibility as an artist to not mess anything up,” he says, adding that this is the time to work harder and better so that he can be a part of the music industry with the upcoming and existing singers.
Talking about what’s in store for the future, the singer says, “I am currently working on voice culture and intend to make a documentary on the same so that upcoming artists can understand and learn the concept.”
Last...but not the least
Arish Bhiwandiwala, who was one of the runners-up on the show, says, “Winning is, of course, important but it is not everything.” Arish believes that he has achieved a lot from the show and what counts is the experience. “This fact has definitely made me more determined to work harder to accomplish my goal of being a playback singer,” he says. Arish is working on songs now which he intends to release soon and looks forward to touring in India.
Shaurya Sharma, another runner-up also believes that the platform gave him the boost he needed in his music career. “My music endeavours started off with playing at college gigs but the show has completely changed that,” he explains. After doing the show, Shaurya is getting offers for various gigs, recordings and even jingles. “I am extremely excited to be a part of the tour because now we are all free of the pressure of the competition. This is more about enjoying ourselves,” he says. Shaurya believes that they have successfully completed the journey of being a singer to a performer.
Urgen Yolmo, also a runner-up, says that the show is a part of his life that he is never going to forget. “When I first auditioned for the show, I did not expect anything out of it,” he says. That quickly changed when he made it through the Top 5 on the show. Urgen believes that the entire competition turned into a musical journey for him, one he would never forget. Usually, listeners like a particular song when they can dance to its tune but Urgen, wants to change that through his singing so that they appreciate the lyrical value of the song and understand it in a much better way. “With the tour, I believe this will reach many more people. They will understand the importance of words,” he adds.
“The exposure I’ve got as a singer is crazy,” says the female runner-up, Zoe Siddharth. She says that at this point, you need followers in the music. Her performance on The Stage has definitely garnered her more followers, kickstarting her music career. Zoe believes that the Indian audience is not close to the Western music, mainly because they are not aware of it. Hence shows which revolve around English songs are needed.
ST Reader Service
The Stage contestants will perform at Hard Rock Cafe on March 8 from 8.30 pm onwards
