The weight of emotional scars is a burden inconspicuous to the outside world that views everything as normal. But that spurious normalcy comes at a price. For singer and songwriter Natasha Sehgal, it came at the cost of a badgered morale. At the same time, she sang the song of compassion to her aching heart that lifted it up from the vicious pits of worthlessness because of the bullying she confronted. Days before she takes stage at The Irish House in Nehru Place, we speak with her about everything that makes and breaks her.
Music makes her whole and in that wholeness she finds validation. “Music has been my healer, my friend, lover and my reason for being. I was fascinated by how it can ease someone’s pain sitting miles away,” she says.
In her most testing time, when she was bullied in middle school, she found solace in music. But the harassment had a rippling effect on her later years. She had no friends and was frequently picked on by her classmates and seniors. Her vulnerability has peaked. “I felt alone. My self-worth had hit rock bottom and I had lost touch with myself.
I carried those wounds with me for years and it took a mountain of self-reflection and emotional endurance for me to find myself again. But I took one important lesson from all of it: the power of words,” she says bringing a look of determination back to her face. She learnt that words had the power to build or tear them down. “I know how it feels when words cut you like knives and I would never want to hurt anyone that way. I don’t remember faces but I remember what they said,” she sighs.
It was perseverance that cemented her self-esteem back to where is original form. Perseverance also helped her to live out her dream of pursuing a career in music. She had a moment of thinking whether she was good enough for the job but because of her tenacity, she reminded herself that she was built for better things.
Sehgal, who was the youngest contender and finalist on reality TV show The Stage Season 2, sees herself best as a pop artist but for the show, you’ll get Rhythm and Blues, and Rock influences. Some of the songs that she’ll perform as part of Natasha Sehgal Collective include No Diggity by Chet Faker, Californication by Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Some of the others are Rolling in the Deep, Set Fire to the Rain and Titanium. Her routines always include favourites of her band members so they feel happy about being a part of a performance.
And on that happy note, she is joined by them to sings song of her hope that power their soul for bigger and greater things. Pop-Rock Hits by Natasha Sehgal Collective, January 24, at 8 pm, The Irish House, Epicuria, Nehru Place.
Quickly then...