English music lovers in India are being treated to back-to-back gigs featuring some of the biggest international artistes. With recent acts by Akon, Dua Lipa and Maroon 5, and a ton of others coming up, including Coldplay, Bryan Adams, Ed Sheeran and Shawn Mendes, a musician who's upcoming India debut has also created buzz is Jorja Smith. “This is my first visit to India and I am so excited to touch down and take it all in. Though I don’t know a lot about the country, I’ve heard so much about its culture. Hence, I’m truly honoured and grateful that I am able to come over and sing. I’m really looking forward to seeing what tunes are people’s favourites,” says the Grammy-nominated British singer-songwriter, who would be performing at the NH7 Weekender on December 15 in Pune.
Known for her raw vocals, Smith has earned global recognition for her collaborations with artistes such as Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Burna Boy. Ask if she follows Bollywood music, and the 27-year-old says, “I don’t know many songs, but I love Maar Daala from Devdas (2002). It’s beautiful. I was mesmerised by the melody.”
Though it’ll be a short visit for her, Smith hopes to explore some local essence of the country. “I need to make a list of what I plan to do, but I definitely have my eye on the famous Iranian bakery, Kayani Bakery (in Pune). I’m not there for long, but I will try to soak in all the culture, music and food,” says the musician, who has popular tracks such On My Mind and Blue Lights to her credit.
Smith’s Wikipedia says her friends uploaded her work on YouTube back in 2016 and that’s how her professional music journey started. Ask what role social media and platforms such as YouTube play in a musician’s career today, and she says, “When I put music out in 2016, it is so different to now. We have so many social media platforms, I have trouble keeping up with it all myself. But, now there’s more exciting ways of getting your music out there and be heard. People are getting even more creative with it
{{/usCountry}}Smith’s Wikipedia says her friends uploaded her work on YouTube back in 2016 and that’s how her professional music journey started. Ask what role social media and platforms such as YouTube play in a musician’s career today, and she says, “When I put music out in 2016, it is so different to now. We have so many social media platforms, I have trouble keeping up with it all myself. But, now there’s more exciting ways of getting your music out there and be heard. People are getting even more creative with it
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