Introduction
This is the third time we are going back to the state of Maharashtra to find a singer from the heart of the Bollywood industry and represent all the aspiring young singers, actors who live in that big city in hopes to make it big. They all have that dream that one day they will make it to the movie world and become famous.
There is a lot of emails that came in during last year suggesting many profiles for a feature. It was one of our readers who noticed Jayshree Shalini and suggested her profile for consideration. Taking a decision to move on with one profile from about seventy such profiles for consideration was tough.
Interacting with Jayshree was so unique, that she come out as genuine as one could expect with a very unique personality that emanates a lot of enthusiasm in pursuing a singing career. Jay said she loves poetry and loves writing songs for her own music; a very rare quality found in singers from India. Jay is not just an amazing singer but very enterprising and determined to take her career to the next level and work hard towards that goal. We think she deserves a place here where she wants to tell her story of amazing resilience in the face of odds at various junctures of her life.
Jayshree Shalini
The featured young artist this week is Jayshree Shalini, a cosmopolitan girl from the city of Mumbai. Jay was born in Bahrain. At a very young age itself, the tragic loss of her dad turned her world upside down. Her single mom had to come back to India with three little girls (Jay and her sisters) and settle in Mumbai and start from scratch.
Tell us about yourself?
“My father passed away when I was four. It is a pain that my mother had to live with every day. I have very faint memories of him. My mom is a wonder woman for me. Throughout my life, my mom has been my pillar of strength. Even, I am known by her name Shalini. I look up to her a lot for my inspiration.”
Tough times apart, Jay is a working professional (at TATA Sky) with a passion for music. When we sat with her for an interview, it was all that confidence in this young woman that strikes us most. She knew how to stand up for herself and present her case as compelling as possible to get that chance however small that may be. Her story is inspirational and wanted to reward her for the courage to stand against the odds in life and prove to all that she is here to take all that life has to offer.
Jay continued “I started singing three years back on Smule after my sister Rajashree introduced me to this platform. Before all this experience, I used to perform on stages during my college days. Never thought that I would get so much love from the audiences of my social media platform Smule/Youtube/Instagram. It surely was a hell of a ride from being no one to someone.” Jay has a strong social media presence. Here are the links to all her social media handles.” Here are some links to her social media handles.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayshree.shalini/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCorORwWsgZC2WQMd3xst4bQ
Smule: https://www.smule.com/Jayshree_Shalini
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jayshreeram23/
A brief description of your growing up and destiny with music
Jay has a mixed heritage of two different cultures where her mom is from Gujarat and her dad is a Malayali (from Kerala). Jay says she grew up listening to her mother Shalini and aunt Kalpana singing songs, both are amazing singers and are an inspiration for her.
Jay continued “Singing is not just a hobby for me, but a way of life. Constant support from my soulmate Ram and sisters Rajashree, Vijayshree, and Smita can not be ignored. I can proudly say that I come from a musical family, Music is everywhere in my house.”
Are you trained in classical music?
“I am currently getting trained in Hindustani Classical. I am in my third year of Hindustani Singing.”
What are your impressions about the Smule experience?
“Smule is a great platform for budding singers, it helps in getting connected to great singers around the globe and it helps in building up self-esteem and removing stage fright. I also found beautiful friends who are musically inclined and become my family. My friends here are Amar Singh, Nishu Gautam, and Tanmaya Gautam. The kind of love and appreciation I get on Smule is something I cannot describe in words. Smule also gave me a platform to perform where I could sing with great singers like Nikitha Gandhi on stage and interact with Music Producers and Singer Salim Merchant. I have also performed for Raj Kumar Hirani sir.”
Do you think lyrics are important? yes or no why?
“Lyrics are the soul of a song. I myself like poetry much and try my favorite lines of poetry in my singing. Songs are built on lyrics. Music and Lyrics go hand in hand to make a soulful song.”
Living in the heart of the Bollywood industry we want to hear what is your take on India’s pop music and new trends?
“India’s Pop Music is back with the bang after a brief lull. Indian Pop Music faced increasing competition from Filmi Music in 2000, most of the big pop singers started singing for movies. But today, Indian Pop Songs has taken an interesting turn with the “remixing” of songs from past movies with new trendy beats.”
Is classical music important in this era? yes or no? why?
Classical Music is very important as it serves as a solid foundation in one’s career. I think It also can help sing songs in various genres. Training is important be it Indian classical or western. Classical Music helps in increasing creativity and innovations.
What is music to you?
Music is happiness, music is the way of life.
Where do you want to go from here in five years?
“Five years from now I hope to be known for my music in every household.” A very confident Jay right there.
With that note, we are ready to present Jay and her music. Here are some of her independent productions that show a lot of creativity and a career focus. Total professionalism and she know how to present herself when we all talk about an entertainment business. There is a lot to learn from this youngster for singers who want to make it big.
Jay’s beautiful singing and professionalism are evident here. As always Jay is someone who loves the good lyrics. Throughout this presentation, we want to applaude her part of intelligence where she loves good poetry.
This is the poet in Jay that we all love much. She is a singer who reads poetry which is very commendable. Please listen to this beautiful presentation of a beautiful Hindi classic originally sung by Asha Bhonsle.
Dil kya kare – Kishore da’s classic gems
Meri bheegi bheegi si, Another Kishore Kumar classic. Jay’s love for poetry is again adorable.
END NOTES
It was a lot of emails that send to us saying we ignore the reader’s suggestions. This feature is your pick and hopes this did some justice to many many emails that come in week after week. Please write to us and suggest singers of your choice as always.
Jay was a pleasure to work with and we wish her the best of the best in her singing career. It was never-ending enthusiasm that fetched her a place here and knowing her at a personal level was a pleasure. We encourage our readers to visit her profile, follow her and encourage her. Here is a link to her Smule profile.
The great India Singers on Smule Sing 