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Being a Canadian resident and an NRI, Jonita Gandhi had spent her entire life in Toronto but it is her great passion for Indian music which brought youthful and pretty singer back to India. Jonita has a complete western accent and is trained in English classical music but it was her candlelight cover of Bollywood songs that claimed her popularity amongst the Indian folks. Her candlelight cover music on YouTube have been a rage and recorded over 2 million views in less than a year. Her passion for Bollywood music is what makes Jonita one of the very few singers from outside India to have made it on their own talent in the industry. A Health Sciences graduate and HBA, has made signing her life. After shifting her base to Mumbai recently, she made a Bollywood debut with one of the highest grossing movies “Chennai Express”. She sure is no novice to music, having been a part of a band back in Canada but the young singer undoubtedly started with scratch in Bollywood. In an exclusive interview with
India Empire’s Assistant Editor Misha Singh, Jonita talks about her journey so far
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You have been brought up in Toronto and have a western accent. How did you manage to get the flawless command over Hindi?
I've been singing Hindi film songs since I was a very young child. Also, my parents speak Hindi around the house. Although we have lived abroad our entire life, we still have a strong connection to our language and culture. My parents helped instill this in me right from the start.
Who do you draw inspiration from?
I can draw inspiration from anything and anyone - I haven't necessarily followed any particular one artist throughout my life. In many ways I draw a lot of inspiration from my father, whose hardworking nature has taught me to keep trying my best.
Your father was a musician and you started singing in his band at a very young age. Was your father the driving force behind your dream to be a singer?
Yes. From a very young age he started to encourage me to learn songs and perform them. I gave my first performance with his band when I was 7 years old at one of his Christmas gigs. From then onwards, he has been instrumental in my success.
You have been a Management student. What led you to realize that you wanted to be a singer?
Growing up, music has always been my passion and my "first love". However I still wanted to complete my higher education and I was a pretty dedicated student. I was interested in sciences and even wrote my MCAT so that I could apply to medical schools. But, realizing that medicine would allow me too little time for my music, I decided to complete a 5-year double degree program instead. I graduated with a BHSc and an HBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. Throughout my studies, my passion for singing only strengthened - to the point where I decided that after completing my degrees, I would pursue it full time and see where it takes me - and here I am!
How has your journey been from Toronto to Mumbai?
I've had a great journey from Toronto to Mumbai thus far. I've been fortunate in that I've met some really great people and have had the opportunity to work with like-minded individuals with immense passion for their work. I do get homesick from time to time but I'm very focused on my work. I travel back home as often as I can afford it, to be with family and work with my colleagues in Canada... but I believe I am a citizen of the WORLD and I will continue to go where my voice takes me. Overall, I must say, I can't complain!
You have taken training in English classical music from Ontario Conservatory of music. How is it different from India classical music?
Western classical singing is completely different from Indian classical. It is a much more structured form of music and singing western classical often involves much more projection and vibrato. For my recitals, I had to sing in an auditorium full of people and be heard without a microphone. Indian music involves a lot more improvisation. Both styles of music have their own unique challenges.
You made you singing debut with Bollywood’s biggest starrer film ‘Chennai Express’. How difficult was it to find the spot in the same?
Chennai Express being my Bollywood debut was a matter of me being in the right place at the right time. I recorded it with no expectations of them keeping my part, and I was thrilled when I found out that my vocals would stay in the final song.
What do you have in mind for the near future?
I'm working on some independent songs and collaborations at the moment. There is no limit to what I want to experiment with and I plan to keep trying new things as I continue to develop my voice. Along with original works, I will be coming out with a couple of Bollywood releases in the upcoming year, God-willing.
You are a singing sensation in India with a huge fan following. How does it make you feel?
That's a generous statement! I'm thrilled to have people who believe in me and follow my work. The greater my following gets, the more I feel motivated to work harder and bring out great music. My fans are a blessing to me and I owe it to them to keep practicing and pushing forward!
You are an inspiration for youngsters settled abroad aspiring to be singers. How do you think you are impacting the Indian diaspora around the world with your talent and art?
I haven't given much thought to that! I think the internet has really made the world smaller and living "abroad" is no longer a barrier to musical collaborations/projects. Several of my collaborations with Aakash Gandhi (88keystoeuphoria) were done remotely. We recorded the audio and shot the videos from different ends of the world, and used the internet to edit it all together. I think people who follow my work have seen that you can make great music no matter where you are, and I'd love to encourage aspiring singers to keep at it and not get discouraged by physical distance. Talent doesn't remain hidden for too long. Use the resources you have—the internet, social media—and get yourself heard!
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