With a husky deep voice that creates a trill, Shefali Alvares stands apart from the crowd as she croons a couple of smooth jazz songs. On a trip to Hyderabad, the singer delighted her audiences at the Hard Rock cafe on Thursday evening, playing with her band, Distil Souls.
As she makes her way to Mumbai, Shefali catches a few minutes to talk about her journey thus far.
“I’m a 27-year-old singer who’s been singing from the time I was three. I’ve always been surrounded by music since my dad’s a musician too. He runs the band the Joe Alvarez Collective and I was associated with it until my 20’s.
After that, I wanted to be my own and a couple of my friends and I got together, forming Distil Souls.”
Primarily a jazz/blues musician, Shefali has trained under Celia Lobo, well known opera singer/ trainer settled in Mumbai, learning the techniques of singing from her over a period of six years. She also experimented with Hindustani classical for a year.
“I wanted to get a feel for the music, see what it’s like. Celia Lobo helped me improve my voice, its projection and depth.”
The woman is a pool of music genres; she’s tried rock and roll, hip-hop, pop, semi-classical opera, Indian classical, not to mention jazz and has also recorded a few tracks for six Bollywood films.
“I love experimenting and prefer music that doesn’t have a rigid form. Which is why the blues is so close to my heart.”
Her latest Bollywood venture, the track ‘Baatein Shuru’ from the movie 'Mujhse fraaandship karoge' releases today.
“Music in films is also changing. There’s a lot more experimenting going on and people are more open to change.”
Shefali’s music influences make a huge list. Besides her father, it includes Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Jacksons, Javed Basheer and Quincy Jones.
So how does breaking away from a familiar music background feel?
“It took me time to find my own ground. I was always singing with my dad and now I wanted my own style. Initially when my dad was around, I’d get nervous.
But, I’m a lot more confident now. Now, my dad and my younger sister are the only two who can criticise me,” she says laughing.
From singing on her own to forming her own band and singing playback, to most it would seem like she’s done it all. But the singer has a wish list she has yet to realise.
“I want to try an Indian fusion. With a male vocalist and a sitar added to the band, I was thinking of an Indian clasical-western jazz mashup. But not right now. And I would love to collaborate with an artist like Raul Midon or Quincy Jones."
All in good time I guess,” she signs off.