Vandana Vishwas – Monologues

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/82051122″ params=”show_comments=false&show_artwork=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Vandana Vishwas – “Des Se Door (Away From Motherland)”
Monologues

Vandana Vishwas was born in India, destined to become a Bollywood singer. Well versed in North Indian classical music, Vishwas is also a talented composer and vocalist whose voice has been cherished since she began singing complex melodies at the age of four. She studied with Pandit Parashuram Sharma and Mrs. Vimal Soni by the time she was six years old. After receiving numerous accolades and landing a contract with All India Radio for nearly ten years, Vishwas reluctantly turned her back on the bustling life of Mumbai due to an unfortunate medical accident which occurred when she was a baby and has been the source of chronic pain in her hip joint ever since.

After going to school to become an architect, Vishwas and her husband Vishwas Thoke (whose first name Vishwas uses as her last) moved to Dubai where they spent five years designing skyscrapers before moving to Toronto. The thriving multicultural music scene in Toronto inspired Vishwas and Thoke to re-immerse themselves in their own music. Vishwas gained immediate attention after 2009’s Meera – The Lover… and she brings the same relentless energy to her upcoming release Monologues, which hits stores January 20th.

“Ever since we came to Canada, we have been listening to every kind of music style. Toronto is a mini world for us. I have taken a special liking for jazz, and it has become a bit of an obsession. It didn’t change my vocal rendering that much, but it has influenced the way I arrange my music. I had never thought I will ever use bass and chords in my songs before; I’ve especially come to love the way bass sounds and feels with Indian melodies.” – Vandana Vishwas

Vishwas’ adventurous arrangements and captivating vocals make Monologues an engaging listen from start to finish. Vishwas co-produced the album with Thoke who pens a majority of the lyrics. The pair put together an assortment of traditional and modern instruments for this record. Saxophone and electric bass groove effortlessly alongside sitar and tabla without sounding out of place. The stellar “Des Se Door (Away From Motherland)” features an intoxicating bass line which thrusts the song from Raag to Raag (mode to mode) in a moving arrangement, while the base melody plays in Raag Todi. These compelling tracks reveal a singer who followed her destiny to become a singer even though it is physically demanding on her. Vishwas’ courage and skill will give her a bigger audience as she adds to the flourishing music scene in Toronto. Vishwas and Thoke will celebrate the release of Monologues with performances in and around Toronto this month with a launch to follow in Mumbai in February. For a taste, sample “Des Se Door (Away From Motherland)” above and check out some tracks on ReverbNation and SoundCloud.