Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
Who is the most stylish of them all?
Neha Nagpal
WHAT IS common between the famed Bangaloreans Neha Nagpal and Vasundhara Das other than their melodious voice?
If you do not know, ask MTV, which says they are "stylish." Teenage pop sensation Neha Nagpal and Karnataka's tourism brand ambassador Vasundhara Das will vie with Sophia, Sunidhi Chauhan, and Ritu Vaidya for the "most stylish woman in music" title. But if you want a Bangalorean to bring home the title, all you need to do is cast your vote in one of the boxes kept at places with high traffic density or in popular hangouts. You can even vote online at www.mtvindia.com
Ceremony
Will the Man Doley girl, Neha, who nurses the ambition of winning the Grammy Award one day, or Vasundhara Das, the Shakalaka girl, make it to the top slot? For the answer, wait for the awards ceremony to take place on October 15 in Mumbai.
Neha, we are told, is only 15 and a student at Jain International School. The vivacious teenager is keen on mastering singing and dancing when her peers are busy flipping through books.
Before Man Doley, Neha recorded her first English album in Britain. She played a demo tape of a few rough recordings of hers at the FM Studios in London. It was her first ever album.
Inspiration
She says she is inspired by Britney Spears and Madonna, so much so that some even call her Bangalore's Britney. Neha once told The Hindu : "I really love Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey and I like Britney's dancing skills and Christina Aguilera's voice." She has been training under Sam for almost a year in western classical, learning different techniques.
And remember how she pooled in Rs. 65,000 to help Chandu, a two-year-old being treated at a hospital here in 2003? She said she was touched after reading an appeal for help.
Singing
Vasundhara Das, who made up her mind to pursue singing as a career when in school, trained under Pandit Parameshwara Hegde of Keherwa Gharana. She carried her interest in singing to college, where she was a permanent fixture on stage and in choirs. Vasundhara's first celluloid break came with the Tamil film, Mudhalvan, for which music was composed by A.R. Rahman. She sang "Shakalaka baby."
Meri Jaan was her first album that gave her a firm footing in the music industry.
In Lagaan, she lent her voice to Rachel Shelley. She has also done two tracks in Aks, to name a few.
By Govind D. Belgaumkar
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
|
