'There's no high like performing live'

She's been singing professionally for the past 12 years, lent her voice for commercials for clothing brands, coldrinks, electronic products, etc. As well as doing corporate shows. Besides this, she has also been a part of various bands like Zero, Soul Yatra, Caliche and Three Guys And A Girl. After dabbling with different mediums as singer, Shazneen Arethna is now focussing on her pet project, to perform her songs live at various gigs.
Though Arethna was a part of Zero, for under a year from 2000-2001, she describes it as one of the best experiences saying, ""it shaped her into the musician that I am today."" Besides her, Zero comprised of Warren Mendonsa, Sidd Coutto and Bobby Talwar. As for Soul Yatra, Shazneen teamed up with friend Merlyn D'souza for over eight years primarily doing corporate shows. The duo travelled extensively and Arethna describes her as ""one of India's best Indian pianist and composer."" She was also a part of an all-girl band, Caliche along with Sheryl Balwani and Candy D'souza for three years between 2002 and 2005, doing corporate shows. Her association with Three Guys And A Girl has been the most instrumental for her solo initiative. ""The band, especially Warren helped produce my solo project. Musically speaking, because we know and understand each other so well, there's an awesome camaraderie that gets translated when we jam together,"" says she.
This 34-year-old 'babe' who's passionate about rock music since she grew up listening to it, is one of the very few women singers and performers on the Indian rock scene. ""The amount of experience I have gained performing in bands, doing corporate shows, commercials, etc. is tremendous. Though, I have sung Bollywood numbers, English retro for corporate shows and commercials and commercials, performing live to rock numbers is really 'my thing'. And so, at my moment my current objective is performing live to my music, and my songs that I have written over the years,"" says Shazneen enthusiastically who has been inspired by anumber of artists like Freddy Mercury, Robert Plant, Lenny Kravitz, Sheryl Crowe, just to name a few. ""I feel alive when I perform live. It's like whenever I get on stage, I don't wanna come off. There's no high like performing live,"" she adds. Her former band mates Warren Mendonsa, Johan Pais and Sidd Coutto are teaming up with the lady for her solo project.
Speaking of her association with Three Guys And A Girl, a particular song titled ""Bonkan Bot"" deserves a special emotion. The song is in English, with the Konkani words or rather a phrase Bonkan Bot, comprising the chorus. Shazneen hysterically recollects, ""It was seven years that Bonkan Bot happened. Sidd had written the lyrics and asked me to sing it. I did and it actually sounded great, it was a memorable fun jam session that we had."" In fact, the band liked it so much that they sent it as an entry to the Great Indian Rock Concert and it got featured on the ""Rocktopus"" album.
There's going to be eight original songs in Arethna's kitty, some of which include ""Waiting,"" a song about having patience for the right things to happen in life; ""After,"" a song about the importance of having certain regrets in life without which one wouldn't learn from the mistakes in life; and a fantasy rebellion sequence titled ""Songs For Me"". So is she an angry girl on stage? Arethna clears the air saying that she is not and that she just ""comes alive to the fullest."" Is there an upcoming music albums on the cards? Not that the thought hasn't crossed her mind, Shazneen says that currently her focus is on doing live shows and may be next year there's a possibility of an album featuring her songs.
lisa.antao@timesgroup.com
--
Regards,
Lisa Antao
9819030796
Bombay Times