PANAJI: Goan musician Kunal Dcosta is optimistic about the future for independent artistes as he takes the leap of faith into music as a career. The 27-year-old singer and song-writer has recently released his debut Hindi single ‘Tum’, which he says is a creation to offer hope in the unprecedented pandemic era.
Speaking to livenewsgoa.com, the Margao-based Kunal emphasised that staying positive in the face of adversity, is the key to happiness.
“Isolation has changed the way we connect and communicate today because of the situation we are in. The song essentially talks about things we miss around us. Even though the listener will relate to these unpleasant times, we want him/her to feel hopeful that someone or something called ‘Tum’ will bring happiness back into their lives. Overall, we wanted a fun, easy to the ears and a relatable song,” explains Kunal, who is also a music educator and works with 9 international schools across Mumbai and Pune.
Kunal’s colleague, producer and Co-Writer of ‘Tum’, Nishat Chadha says: “Each one of us wish to be back to when times were better. When online weddings and birthdays didn’t substitute for the moments that we shared by meeting the people we love in person. Back to the time when you didn’t have to assume if your friend liked your joke because you were not sure whether he was smiling under his mask. That’s the time we are asking to be taken away to in the song, the land of joy and smiles.”
It is uncommon for a Goan to get into the groove to make quality Hindi music, so what’s Kunal’s secret? “Not having a Hindi background was a challenge to put this tune together. However, with a liking for Hindi music, the time and experience in Bombay; really helped me getting better. Moreover, Nishat’s grandmother – Mrs. Priya Chadha really helped us create catchy phrases in Hindi, for the song. We had initially written in English and transcribed it into Hindi. A lot of successful artists today are backed by amazing lyrics writers,” asserted Kunal, who has lent his vocals for Television commercials for popular brands like Havells, Centre Fresh and continues to work with the advertising industry.
Looking back at Kunal’s journey into the Music industry, the ‘Voice of Goa’ title in 2014 proved to be a launching pad. With an experience of over 100 live shows in Goa in the following year, he shifted to Bombay to explore more options as a musician. Kunal took up a job in the PR industry to make ends meet and also learnt a lot for 2 years. Simultaneously, he worked with film production houses and brands where he lent his vocals for various advertisements. Kunal professionally trained at the True School of Music in Mumbai as well to build his repertoire.
“After realising the scope in Music as a career both in terms of opportunity and financial stability, I took the leap of faith,” remarked Kunal, whose primary music influencers include John Mayer, James Bay, George Ezra and Eric Clapton.
With COVID-19 pandemic wreaking hovoc since last year, Kunal faced immense challenges as he strived to make a statement to mark his arrival in the industry. “The pandemic has changed the way we live from a financial, social and technical stand point. Logistically, it was difficult to head to a studio to record music. 2020 was the year, we started working on ‘Tum’ with late night Zoom calls and a lot of time in hand to unlock our creativity both from a writing and producing perspective. Nishat flew down to Goa and then finally went on to record the song at Audio Masters Goa who were kind enough to help us during these tough times. I am looking to create more, tell my story and contemplate a lot more about life and things around before I put up my next single out in this year. Hopefully things get better and everyone is safe,” exclaimed Kunal.
According to Kunal, Goa’s musical talent can go a long way if they believe in themselves as he feels that the times offer great promise. “If you are a singer, song-writer, you need to tell your story. Don’t be shy! Music is a medium of communicating a message in a creative way. An artist needs to contribute to society so people can get inspired, relate and realise they are not alone. Goa has so much untapped talent and a huge future for independent artistes. We are looking at a positive change in the musical palate, where people want to consume new and fresh content. It is a great time to be a creator, given the fact you can always have or create a niche audience,” remarks Kunal, who has dared to think bold and looks set to achieve iconic status for a Goan in Hindi music industry, originally mesmerised by legendary Remo Fernandes.
