THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Most of us remember Vidya Vox from her energetic rendition of Kerala’s favourite boat song, kuttanadan punjayile. Standing amidst two Mohiniyattam dancers, she sang effortlessly in both English and Malayalam, with perfect enunciation.
Vidya Iyer’s voice and versatility have always stood out, from the time she appeared in Since Shanker Tucker’s Shruti Box sessions in 2011, alongside her sister Vandana Iyer.
The Youtuber has so far released close to 50 fusion tracks with musicians from all over the world, but Malayalees know her best through the mash-up of ‘Be Free’ and ‘Pallivaalu Bhadravattakam’, which has garnered over 175 million views on YouTube as of October 2019. Vidya performed at Hunnie Fan Fest in Kochi yesterday alongside American singer Sam Tsui and state-based alternative group Madras Mail The Band.
Born in Chennai, Vidya spent her childhood in India until she turned eight, before migrating to the United States. "Growing up, learning Carnatic music and listening to my mom and grandma sing at home nurtured my love for Indian music. I held on to singing Indian music as stress relief throughout my high school years and I’m still in love with it more than ever," says the artist.
When asked if she is more comfortable singing in Indian classical or western styles, Vidya says it is all about the composition, taste and listening. Both genres are equally deep, adds Vidya, who has released two albums so far- Kuthu Fire, and Mad Dreams that was released this year.
Vidya rose to fame on Youtube, with groovy fusion tracks that feature popular English pop songs positioned with familiar Hindi, Malayalam and Tamil tracks. According to her, gaining appreciation on such competitive platforms requires being true to one’s content and style. “People can sense when you’re not true to yourself. It also becomes really hard to sustain with continued passion if you don’t love what you are creating,” she says.
The artist is currently working on her upcoming EP and single. Hunnie fan fest was Vidya’s debut show in Kerala at which she performed a combination of her original hits, classic mashups, and the songs from her latest album. She also performed her two Malayalam fusion numbers.
“Those songs have transcended languages and barriers and it feels like I have come a full circle be performing where these songs were written and shot. It was so much fun. I was excited to be singing and dancing with everyone here,” she concludes.