BENGALURU: It’s often said that music can calm you in chaos and heal you in sorrow. The statement couldn’t be truer for KJ Abhishek Nagarkar, who took solace in online karaoke shows after the loss of his child in March 2020. It was also the same time that the country went into lockdown, forcing many to stay indoors.
Today, more than two years after the episode, the Bengaluru-based KJ has completed 270 episodes of his show, Karaoke Evenings with Nagarkar. “We started with five viewers. But a few episodes later, the viewership went up. It soon became a two-way show — we entertained the audience and their response helped us get back to a normal state of mind,” Nagarkar says.
The couple was expecting their first child in March 2020 but an unfortunate turn of events led to a loss. A week later, the janta curfew was announced, giving the family ample time to grieve, as Nagarkar puts it. “The week after, my wife, Preethi suggested we get busy to overcome the agony.
Which is when we decided to go live,” he says, adding, “In no time I was preparing for my 270th show. The feedback from the audience pushes me to perform better. The smiles, applause and the people who sing along make any show a success.”
He goes on to say, “Meanwhile, I realised reinvention is necessary to keep going and that content quality is important for high viewership. Since I was mixing and editing music, I became tech-savvy. I now know what the sound engineer is doing on the mixer.”
During his online shows, Nagarkar was approached by many passionate singers. Which is why he decided to start a karaoke course ‘AnyBody Can Sing’ (ABCS) in which he teaches techniques and helps explore tricks to get better at karaoke singing.
With 270 shows and counting, Nagarkar has come to believe that everything looks impossible until you take that leap of faith. “Each one has their way of coping with situations. Music was mine. There is always going to be an element of risk. There will be competition. But if you believe in something, give it your heart and soul and you will see miracles,” Nagarkar says.