The classical dance form of Kathak is an ancient art form, dating back to the 4th century BC. It reclines on the timelessness of its poise, gratuity to storytelling, discipline and the marvel of music. If Indian culture and its heritage resembles a complex and intricate tapestry, perhaps Kathak, in it, is the dominant streak of the scarlet thread which runs around with its blooming aura – that is how significant Kathak has been, both to the people and the country’s civilisation. Dr. Rajkumar Ketkar ji, the 75-year-old Kathak dancer and teacher, has given 60 years of his life to Kathak. In an exclusive interview with Dr. Ketkar Ji, we sat and listened to his musings on this immersive art form, which has extended itself potentially from its ancient origin to the dynamic contemporary period. 

The Guru-Shishya Parampara: The Beginnings of Dr. Rajkumar Ketkar Ji

Dr. Rajkumar Ketkar Ji, born in the year 1948, shared how at the age of fifteen, he stood mesmerised at Pandit Gopi Krishna Maharaj Ji’s Kathak performance at Bedekar Mahavidyalaya. The performance so profusely moved him that he couldn’t help but fall for it. This was the very beginning of Kathak in his life, which would be accompanied by various other art forms of music and dance in his later years. Pandit Natraj Gopi Krishna Ji is a renowned Kathak Dancer. He has choreographed several dances for the Hindi cinemas and performed not just in India but across the world. Dr. Ketkar ji is currently one of his senior most ganda bandhit disciple. As his first and only inspiration, Gopi Krishna’s rangmanch (stage) ignited an eternal spark within him, making him firm in his decision of wanting to learn and perform in the same way as him.

As a teenage boy, he took the first step towards Kathak through the dance teacher at his school. He suggested that he perform a traditional Kathak set on the stage to gauge his potential to embrace the dance and inspire the audience. Performing a Saraswati Vandana, Ketkar ji shared that on the stage, he tried to perform the same way he remembered from Gopi Krishna Ji’s performance. The dance came naturally to Ketkar ji, and the audience echoed loud applauses at his performance. 

After his first stage performance, he sought Pandit Gopi Krishna Maharaj Ji to request him to be his teacher. He visited his house, whereupon, later, he also got introduced to several other gurus, excelling in other art forms. Dr. Rajkumar Ji had the opportunity to meet Pandit Lachhu Maharaj Ji, Kathak dancer of the Lucknow Gharana, who offered him to learn thumri. He mentions how in earlier times, one had to go to different gurus to learn different art forms, unlike today, when usually a single guru is adept in multiple art forms. A few years later, on the advice of his friend, Ketkar ji trained under Pandit Mohanrao Kallianpurkar Ji of the Jaipur Gharana, who was a teacher at National Centre for performing Arts. This way, he was lucky enough to learn from three gurus, excelling in all the three gharanas of Kathak. The conversation with Dr. Ketkar Ji becomes all the more significant since he narrates from a time period from which not many artists live amongst us today. 

Amidst the conversations around his several Gurus, he emphasises on the Guru-Shishya Parampara, a bond, and a relationship thus built which is based on devotion, enlightenment, discipline and respect. The knowledge and skill imparted by the gurus is indispensable and it is of core value. One of the core essence of Guru-Shishya Parampara is Ganda Bandhan.

The Three Gharanas of Kathak: Inspirations and Aspirations 

Dr. Rajkumar Ketkar ji, at the very beginning of the conversation, mentions the ancient divination of classical dances. Derived from the four vedas: Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda, classical dances like the Kathak are the oldest forms of art in India. Its elements of rasa (emotions), Laya (rhythm), Abhinaya (acting), and body movements have been carefully detailed in the Natyashastra, which again establishes the divinity of classical dances, and how it’s founded on traditional ancient scriptures which have been followed for generations.

While talking about his inspiration, Ketkar ji dwelled on the learnings from Gopi Krishna Maharaj. Natraj Gopi Krishna Ji was an exponent of the Benares Gharana. Under his tutelage, Dr. Rajkumar ji learnt the Benares Gharana style of Kathak, along with collecting stories and histories of the dance form. Forwarding the history, Ketkar ji addressed the challenges and changes that Kathak faced since the many ages.

Lucknow, as we might not know, was previously known as Lakshmanpur or Lakhanpur, where Kathak was commonly called “Lakshmanpur ka Nritya.” Originally, Kathak, in Lakshmanpur, had its roots in the temples of northern India, therefore, being predominantly a devotional dance form. With the arrival of the Mughals, Kathak was transformed into a dance for entertainment, incorporating elements of the Persian and Islamic cultures like ghazals. The Mandir Parampara was replaced. Daasis/Courtesans performed Thumri and not the shastriya nritya.

There was also a shift from Kathak being now performed as a group dance rather than solo. Dr. Rajkumar Ketkar Ji especially emphasises on this intervention in Kathak. He says that one doesn’t simply have to learn the dance steps. The learning and understanding of the different granthas of the Natyashastra is equally essential. This means that other elements like music, the rhythmic vocals, the tabla, along with the presentation, the clothing, are equally important. 

So when discussing the Mughal interventions in Kathak, the topic of the western influence on Kathak emerged. With social media and the internet, different cultures have become more visible than before. The fusion and influence of different dances is bound to collaborate and collide with each other. Dr. Rajkumar Ketkar ji’s thoughts on this were simple and direct. He acknowledges that new technology like projectors, smoke machines, lights and sounds, etc. are big innovations and contributions of the west in enhancing the dance production. He also takes his time to appreciate Madame Menaka’s contribution in promoting the Indian classical dance across Europe in the 1930s. Menaka’s troupe performed some 175 shows, which placed India’s cultural heritage in the centre.

However, we should not bear the influences of Western dance on the Indian classical dances. As mentioned before, the parampara, the traditions of the classical dances, distinguish them as pristine, graceful, and authentic. Western influence on Kathak will reduce the dance form to mere entertainment. He mentions how there is a stark difference between the outfits of Western and Indian dances, and while we might not think it crucial, the attire and the get up are integral to the dance performance. Unlike western dances, classical dances are a holistic production, in which music, instruments like the tabla and the pakhawaj, all are tied together in one, and can’t function with the absence of the other. 

Learning all the three styles of Kathak, Dr. Rajkumar Ketkar ji says that what pushes his enthusiasm for the dance form is the desire to incorporate new elements without tampering the traditional quintessential of the dance form. Some of these ‘new’ performances have been when he performed a ballet in Marathi of the play, Dushyant Shakuntalam, in which he danced in the role of Dushyant. Other performances have been the ‘Asht Nayika’ directed by Lachhu Maharaj Ji, or ‘Radhe Piya Pyaari’ in which Ketkar ji played Krishna alongside Guru Padma didi Sharma, who played Radha.

Present and the Past: Bringing Kathak To The Audience

Over the years, Ketkar ji learned other dance forms as well. Every year, especially on the occasion of 15th August, he teaches and choreographs many dance performances. A lot of these are folk dances and Bollywood dance styles. However, in these choreographies, Ketkar ji incorporates Kathak. The devotional dance performances, like Shiva Vandana or Saraswati Vandana are then brought to the forefront. With such creative inputs and diversity of dance forms introduced on stages, he of course, received humble and positive appraisals from the audience and event holders alike, which motivates him to continue this feat. This way he combines the ancient and the contemporary, and keeps the classics alive. 

Earlier the major focus was mainly on the practical part of dance and he faced many difficulties to learn theories while pursuing his graduation from Akhila Bhartiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal. Which is when he was introduced by a friend to Dr Shweni Pandya Ji and Pt. Tirathram Azad Ji who helped him to excel in his theoretical knowledge in Kathak. Further, to spread awareness of theoretical knowledge of Kathak he promoted books written by many known dance gurus to his disciples. Through this he was able to share his voice on Kathak dance – as it is not just practical art form but also entails equal weightage on Shastra Paksha i.e theory.

Dr. Rajkumar Ketkar Ji’s Message to the Aspiring Artists

Dr. Rajkumar Ji recalls how in his childhood he always had a penchant for dance. This might have also come from his mother, who used to occasionally sing. His friends and relatives used to mock him for wanting to learn dance. This mockery, of course, suggested that ‘dance’ wasn’t necessarily seen as a worthy profession and its inherent art wasn’t appreciated for. However, years later, the same friends stood astounded in front of him, deeply awed at his stature now. With a doctorate in Kathak from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal, his known ones could only bow down at the level of the ‘Shastra Paksh’ he has since learnt and adopted. 

Dr. Ketkar ji himself wasn’t necessarily shown support for pursuing dance and so he understands how difficult it is to survive in a society that would force you to pick practical career paths than the unconventional ones. When asked what would be some tips of advice he’d like to give to the aspiring artists, he first mentioned that one’s approach towards one’s art should be honest. One must understand ‘art’ in its true form. For him, Kathak hasn’t been merely about entertainment. The history and calling of Kathak testifies it to be greater than just a show-and-perform. He specifically asks the aspiring classical dancers to engage in ‘upaasna.’ Understand the art, and art will understand you.

Secondly, if you truly want to pursue your art, then there’s no second option. He believes that if you display passion and honesty for your art form, then you will definitely convince your parents for their support. Lastly, he also appeals to the younger generation to take up the classical arts of India, to study the shastras, the Sanskrit language, and keep the traditional art forms alive.

In a world where everyone is busy with becoming first, it is hard to find someone who slows down on purpose. Someone who marches to the beat of their own drums. Someone who knows the true value of working on themselves. People like these are often considered odd and the society often tries to persuade them to join the rat race. For society, these rare anomalies create inferiority among the rest. And hence society crushes them without realising that these rare anomalies are truly gems that make life worth living. They add beauty to life inspiring and invigorating us to march ahead. These rare gems are none other than artists of this world. And one such rare gem is up-and-coming singer Akanksha Grover.

Akanksha Grover: Her Journey

Born in Faridabad, Akanksha’s interest in music was sparked when she started attending Satsangs and Kirtans with her mother. There she would watch her mother sing and soon enough music started feeling like home to her. But for young Akanksha, the real fire for music began to burn brightly inside her once her brother started getting formally trained in music. At the tender age of 3-4 years, she was enamoured by the power of music and first started learning by observing her brother getting trained. Later on, when his brother decided to stop his musical training, she requested her parents to let her continue. And that’s how her lifelong bond with music started.

Blessed with parents who understood the true value of art, Akanksha had a great support system growing up. But that doesn’t mean life was devoid of any hurdles for this talented singer. Choosing to stick to Ghazals over commercialised genres of singing, means it won’t be that easy for her to make a name for her in this cut-throat ever-changing Indian music scene. So having a financial burden is not uncommon for her. Yet she never loses her determination for her soul lies in singing. 

Following her parents’ advice she decided to give the normal 9-5 job as a music teacher at a school a shot. But she soon realised that was not the life for her. And she literally ran for the hills! She refused to bend to the whims of society and continued her riyaz (practice) and improved herself day by day. Her diagnosis of Celiac disease, the covid lockdown followed by a depressive state only reinforced her decision to run for the hills. The hills rejuvenated her and gave us the melodious Akanksha Grover we know today.

From Panicking To Thriving On Stage

Given that Akanksha is not a big people person, her state of pure anxiety before going live on stage is highly relatable to many of us. But just like Meena from the movie “Sing” all Grover needs is to start singing and then the world around her vanishes into oblivion. All that exists is her voice, the musical notes and the beautiful lyrics that surround her. 

Quoting Smt. Shashwati Mandal (who is also her guru), Kishori Amonkar, Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar, Shobha Gurtu, Prithvi Gandharv and Pratibha Singh Baghel as her musical inspiration, just highlights her golden taste in music. Being a Ghazal singer it is hard to break out in the modern musical scene of India. And that’s where the growing popularity of Baithaks and social media comes to the rescue.

Baithaks: A Charm of Old India

Thanking social media enormously for her success, Akanksha is not one to shy away from showing gratitude to social media for helping her grow so much. Baithaks, or mehfils, are formal venues where indoor recreational activities are entertained. These activities can range from singing to reciting poetries to dancing. They were a huge part of the Indian culture. They were popular for letting the artist take centre stage as listeners conversed among themselves and enjoyed art at its finest. Over time these soon became a part of history. But are now getting revived with emerging Ghazal singers hosting them for their fans. Akanksha Grover and others are at the forefront of this revival.

In order to make today’s audience understand the charm of baithaks and mehfils, Akanksha does her best by fusing both traditions with modernity. By using certain Western instruments in her baithaks now and then followed by an explanation behind the meaning of her song, she ensures her audience feels her music as much as she does when she sings it. By far her memorable baithak has to be the one in Mumbai that she recently hosted. The lovely songs requested by the audience just stole her heart.

A Message For Aspiring Artists & A Remedy For Bad Days

As a free bird who just wishes to sing to her heart’s content, and not compete or get dragged into the rat race, some days can be hard for Akanksha Grover. And that’s when all she does is drive around while blasting her favourite music. This inspires her to record something great like the piece she is listening to. It may not work for everybody but you will only know when you try it!

As a lover of music, there is nothing more disheartening for Grover than to watch young talented artists just copy the work of previous artists. She hopes that today’s artists will take the time to learn the musical notes and svaras. And listen to those old brilliant compositions but produce something of their own for the audience. Her message to aspiring artists is that she hopes they don’t get demotivated by others’ success and focus on themselves as that’s when they truly start improving and things start happening for them.

As Akanksha tirelessly works towards composing; Ghazals and Nazams some by brilliant shayars and some of her original work she prays that she never has to stop singing, for singing is her safe haven in this bustling world.

Teju Jangid, born and brought up in Jodhpur, Rajasthan is a digital artist. With an immense fanbase on Instagram, he is a self-taught digital artist. Currently working as a full-time freelancer, Teju Jangid is proficient in digital illustration, book cover design, concept art and the likes. Here’s a sneak peek into the inspiring journey of Teju Jangid becoming a digital artist despite all the odds in his life.

Since childhood Teju Jangid loved to experiment with colors and come out with some exceptional pieces of work. Recalling the first drawing he made, he says, “The first time I painted was when I was a sixth grader. I made a drawing of Lord Hanuman and took it to school. My friends and teachers appreciated the effort a lot. This gave me a solemn affirmation and I started improving my art skills.” In the initial phase he did not receive much support from his family. Coming from a farming background, Teju Jangid’s father wanted him to join the same and continue the legacy. Paying heed to his father’s advice, he started a job in the sales domain in the main city area of Jodhpur. But the moment he started working, he realized this wasn’t something he wanted to do. He quit the job and came back to his village and started helping his father on the farm. He worked in the fields in the day and practiced art whenever he got a chance. 

Teju Jangid kickstarted his career as a professional digital artist around five years back in the year 2018. He started with making pencil sketches of celebrities and sharing them on Instagram. His journey of success began when the renowned YouTuber Amit Bhadana posted his sketch made by Teju Jangid on his Instagram story. While recollecting some significant instances from his story Teju Jangid says, “I remember I made a sketch of Akshay Kumar’s character as Prithviraj Chauhan before the release of the movie. Akshay Kumar had commented on the post and to this day that whole thing remains inscribed on my mind and heart.” 

Teju Jangid idolizes the great artist Raja Ravi Verma and draws inspiration from him. Though he has never made one, he adores oil paintings to the fullest. He generally finds solace in painting portraits of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, characters from Indian mythological stories and folktales and the mighty rulers of Indian history. He takes pride in being attached to his roots and portraying the same in his art. He says, “In my early days, I used to paint and sketch on paper. The gradual shift from traditional tools of art to modern equipment was a challenging aspect. I learned and thoroughly enjoyed the whole process.” Now he feels like he has got detached from traditional art but wishes to explore it all over again.

Teju Jangid feels that social media, especially Instagram played a key role in shaping his career as a digital artist. Talking about the essence of art in rural India, he believes that rural India possesses a huge respect for art and artists but it is still not considered as a profession there. Being asked about his take on the upcoming generation of artists, Teju Jangid says, “Just two things for the budding artists – DON’T RUSH AND DON’T COMPARE! Don’t chase popularity and money, just focus on polishing your skills, fame, name and money will follow with joy. And don’t compare the first page of your story to the tenth page of someone else’s story. Compete with yourself, look back at your own versions and feel proud of how far you came!”

Teju Jangid considers artificial intelligence to be both a bane and a boon for artists. He concludes with a strong statement that AI can never replace humans, it can only accompany and facilitate them. He aspires to grow and develop his own self in the field of digital art and accomplish new horizons.

Mallika Mehta is a singer-songwriter and a performer. As an independent artist, she has released 9 original songs so far. A musician since a young age, Mallika today, is exploring music in all its elements and variants. Apart from the creative talent of penning heartfelt songs, she also sings in languages not one, but five! She’s fluent in English, Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, and Spanish. What else do you think Mallika got the title of ‘Adele of Mumbai’ for? Here’s a peep into the very interesting interview we had with the singer-songwriter!

The Musical Journey Begins: Early life

Mallika started playing the keys at a very young age of four. Her mother had a keyboard, and whatever tunes or melodies were played on it, Mallika could play the same tune without learning or reading the musical notes. This is called “playing by the ear” and was the biggest discovery to her parents that their daughter definitely has the music bug in her. Soon after, her parents gifted her first keyboard. Mallika still, to this day, plays that keyboard.

Since a young age, Mallika has been surrounded with creative energies of music and painting, which she believes has manifested into social media content. She has taken a few lessons in music, one of which was at The Voice Academy in New York. It was an intensive programme which honed her musical skills. In fact, she recorded her first original song, ‘War Solo’ in New York itself. Mallika was 19 when the song came out, but she wrote it when she was 18. Along with music, marketing also piques Mallika’s interests. She has learnt marketing from Harvard and Kellogg University. Talking about digital marketing, she shared that at some stage of life, she’d definitely want to mix the elements of music with marketing.

Mallika Mehta Releases ‘But Tonight I Wanna Cry’

Mallika Mehta’s first EP, ‘Evolve: The Story Of Her’ consists of four singles, including her first single, ‘War Solo’. The EP is a personal, riveting and beautiful story like composition, which Mallika created right from scratch. She also has 3 Hindi singles: Kahan Hai Tu, Kaafi, and Keh Bhi De and 2 other English singles: Way Too Long and Bling & Pictures.

Her most recent single, ‘But Tonight I Wanna Cry‘ is a pop-electronic song which was released on September 21st, 2022. It has already crossed 20,000 streams on spotify! She wrote this song last year in November. Originally, instead of this party-esque song, Mallika conceptualised it as a deep piano ballad, until, of course, she realised she could experiment and explore with something distinct.

The core of the song is about this one moment, one night, when all feelings overpower you and you give in to your tears. Although Mallika weaved the lyrics around the story of trying to move on from somebody, she also told us that many of her loyal listeners and supporters said that for them the song has another personal interpretation. Lyricism is something that Mallika prioritises the most.

A song is spun around the lyrics, and for Mallika, as a songwriter, it is important that her audience relates to the melodies. The seeds of songwriting were planted in her during her school days, when teachers used to give themes and topics to write poems on. More often than not, Mallika would write these poems for a lot of her classmates. Therefore, growing up, she has been penning random thoughts and poetry pieces, and has loved playing with words. Fast forward to today, she’s an exceptional songwriter now.

For this song, Mallika Mehta got featured on the Nasdaq Billboard at the New York Times Square! When asked how she was feeling about it, Mallika replied that the reality still hasn’t sunk in. “Crazy feeling. Beyond a bucket list,” she described.

She Was Crowned The Title Of ‘Adele of Mumbai’

Mallika’s two biggest musical inspirations have been Taylor Swift and Adele since as long as she can remember. A few years back, in 2016, before she had released her songs officially, Mallika had posted a cover of Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’. The cover then got posted on Adele’s official website. It was a proud and an exhilarating moment! People loved how Mallika could match the unparalleled vocal range of Adele. Later, when she released her first original, ‘War Solo’, an international magazine covered her single, and titled the article: “Mallika Mehta: The Next Adele From Mumbai”. Soon after, many media publications started using this title for her and now Mallika is proudly known as the Adele of Mumbai.

The singer had her first solo concert in 2016. She performed more than 50 songs in 4 languages. It was also the year she opened for Kailash Kher. Moreover, she also got to jam with people around the globe through Berklee College of Music (Boston)  wherein she was enrolled for a music intensive programme and received a part scholarship for the same. All of this made her believe that music is definitely going to be a constant in her life.

Mallika Mehta’s Message To The Aspiring Musicians

As an independent artist and singer, Mallika has faced the biggest challenge of making her song heard. However, now with social media that is possible, but it also comes with its share of challenges. Following social media trends, content and updates is a task. However, Mallika definitely revels the fact that she makes and owns her own music.

For the aspiring musicians, songwriters, and singers, the Adele of Mumbai has the message to always remember why they’re doing this, that is, their passion and love for music. Keep putting yourself out there, perform whenever you can, put out your musical content, and get your music heard. If you’re very passionate about your art, you will do well for sure.

If there is one thing that Shefali Das will give you, it’s a sheer story combined with the perfect pitch. It was in 2019, when Shefali put out her first EP, ‘Dear Somebody,’. It consisted of five of her self-written songs, each with a unique story, a unique perception. Yes, she’s both a singer and a songwriter! The musical project of hers received a positive response, and it wasn’t surprising, since Shefali had always put that ‘Shef’s Kiss’ in all her musical endeavours. 

Born and brought up in New Jersey, USA, Shefali was moved by her own desires and passion for music. The least to say, her journey has been enthralling, and quite a chirpy musical one. However, this doesn’t mean she didn’t have her shares of ups and lows. Until 2020, she went by her stage name, Das, under which Shefali also has the song, ‘Tired’ which has crossed 600K streams on Spotify.

Music is personal to her rather than just a commodity for the public. Since her previous profile didn’t resonate with the singer-songwriter on an equal level, she rebranded to a profile more tuned with her. And so emerged a new aura, a new stage name, ‘Shef’s Kiss,’ (there could be no better pun-intended stage name for her!) and we’re quite frankly looking forward to the music that is yet to come in this new refreshing chapter of hers! 

Here’s a deeper dive into Shefali’s approach to music, her lyricism, and a little heart-to-heart on the enigma of art.

Music Is So Much More Than Just Melodies For Shefali Das: Early Life

The beginning of Shefali’s musical journey is unlike others. No, she wasn’t born with the natural inclination towards music, and neither did she take it up on her own. Rather, it was her parents who encouraged her to learn the piano. Just one of many neighbourhood things where the children were supposed to pick one or two creative hobbies and practices. Therefore, by the age of four, Shefali started practising the keys. It wasn’t until that one day at the Church recital, which literally made Shefali the singer she is today.

At the recital, there was a 10-year-old girl who played the piano and sang. The way she was singing, as described by Shefali, “full body facing the audience, broad-chested, feet planted” was something she had never witnessed before. She was dazzled by it. Shefali’s dad straightaway asked the piano teacher to give her daughter vocal lessons, but the daughter wasn’t quite looking forward to it. One thing that Shefali had great difficulty with in her childhood was interacting with people she didn’t know. She wanted to stay hidden from other people’s eyes. Owing to this, her parents tried to get her into several creative and sporty pursuits, and music happened to be one of them. 

The Beginning!

Despite being against vocal lessons, Shefali had to ultimately give in to it, and what came out of it was definitely worth it. There’s something so beautiful in the way Shefali describes the first moments of her very first singing performance. Recollecting those emotions, she said, “I pushed back my shoulders, I took in more breath, I kind of physically took up more space, and then the way that sound reverberated in my chest, the way that it felt in my hips, in my lips, for the first time I felt that it was okay to take up space. It felt good, it felt kind of different. And to this day, the best thing about it is the way that it feels. It taught me that I was allowed to take up space, I was allowed to be heard, in fact maybe, if I was crazy enough to think that maybe people wanted to hear me too,” and thus began Shefali’s new journey.

The school orchestra band provided her with a sense of community and creativity, where she found a sense of comfort and space. Moreover, her dad always had songs blasted on the speakers, which kept her surrounded with disco-pop, classic rock, Motown, and her favorite, Bruce Springsteen. Thus, when asked what fosters her zeal towards music, she simply answered that growing up, there has always been in her the intrinsic desire to be surrounded by creation, to be surrounded by music. She never has and had to question it.

Currently, the singer-songwriter is pursuing her Ph.D. from Yale. It’s a dual programme in Sociology and African-American studies. She also remarked that a lot of new music is in the making which should be out soon!

Music, Social Media And The Transition: The Stepping Stones To Shef’s Kiss Music

As a singer-songwriter, Shefali consumes a lot of media: movies, books, songs, etc. She is not only inspired by musicians like Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Dua Lipa, or the 70s-80s disco pop, which happens to be her favourite genre, but also finds inspiration in architect designers and interior designers. All forms of creativity and art are a source for her to embrace, learn, and grow through it. 

While promoting her first EP, ‘Dear Somebody,’ Shefali turned to social media. Even though she found a community of amazing artists, a great audience and a phenomenal response to her music, the bad side of it overpowered her. She posted song covers consistently to stay in trend, or trying to fit in to the idea of what the people wanted, or the imposter syndrome, all of it took a toll on her. The claws of the internet tainted the relationship she had with music. The social media bug fractured the connection she valued the most. So, she ultimately took a break from music all together. It was also the time of the pandemic. She then concentrated on other creative endeavours like baking, movies and reading books. 

After the break, Shefali knew she had to rebrand herself, and this is when she changed her stage name from Das to Shef’s Kiss. She created a new Spotify profile, and decided to create music for herself, and express her true form, like she had always wanted. It was a turn to a more sustainable way of moving forward. 

Tapping The Lyricism: Shef’s Kiss As A Songwriter

When it comes to lyricism, Shefali recalls her childhood days when she had spent a lot of time in her own head. She’d dump all her feelings and thoughts on a sheet of paper, and then, through this, it became a therapeutic outlet for her. Her lyrics bear a lot of weight, symbolisms, and metaphors. As a songwriter, her lyrics stem not only from personal experiences but also from her surroundings, other people’s stories, the social and political as well.

For instance, her song, ‘Tired,’ narrates a story of a suffocating relationship, one in which someone is not able to live with and without the same person. The song also reverberates the feelings of frustration, isolation, and mental exhaustion of the pandemic. Meanwhile, her song, ‘Forty-five Pt. II’, is a very political song. It’s on American politics and Trump. There are implicit metaphors and powerful feelings of anger, action, and questioning. Lyrics play a crucial part in the essence of the songs and its purpose, and apparently, this songwriter’s pen brings out her personal expressions very smoothly in words. 

Message For The Aspiring Artists

Shefali Das believes that talent is acquired rather than being inherent, however, exceptions are always there. She herself is the living proof of it, having acquired her vocal talents and songwriting. She also adds that creative spirit and desire are innate, but the talent isn’t. A person must have the willingness to create. She also says that we must always interrogate ourselves and question why we’re doing it. Currently, with the 70s-80s vibe back in the mainstream industry, she almost feels vindicated to follow it. But in times like these, she always interrogates why she’s in music in the first place. One must find the balance amid desires and trends, and should always do what makes one feel fulfilled. 

One of the life lessons she has learned, which she has also applied to her music, is when she dropped the idea of pursuing med. Her pre-med high-school days were just her chasing a kind of stability, a common immigrant drive. She was chasing someone else’s expectations. When she came to college, she realised that pursuing medicine really wasn’t sustainable for her. She confessed to her parents about the decisions to switch her major, and it felt like a dam broke. Parents are oftentimes skeptical of unconventional career paths, mainly because of their concerns more than anything. But the best way is to have a clear conversation with them and give them time to understand. 

Expectations!

Shefali Das wants her mind, body, and soul to be involved a hundred percent in whatever she does. When she gave up her previous profile, ‘Das’, which still has 15K monthly listeners, it was like the plane was finally taking off. But Shefali decided to jump off right at that moment, because that direction wasn’t for her. With her identity as Shef’s Kiss now, she has released the song ‘Expectations’, produced by ShiShi. The song echoes the mixed feelings of anger and desperation after a breakup. 

Therefore, for the aspiring artists, the songwriter has one thing to say: just go for it! If it means something to you, then that’s the end of all. Even though money is a big factor, especially in this capitalist world, your own creation and art is what keeps you going.