Here are some promising artists we’re digging right now
Scroll down to hear the artists featured.
Over the past year, Goa-bred singer-songwriter Febronia Fernandes (who goes by her first name) has been carefully notching up views on her Instagram for her covers and original songs which include “Looking For Someone,” “Come Home,” “Dark Side” and “Table For 2.” The musician’s captivating vocals and intriguing melodies certainly caught our attention, making her an artist to definitely watch out for.
Although Mumbai musician Joel Padikkal has been involved in the country’s music scene for several years, fronting blues-rockers The Tripp and also part of pop duo Joel & Dez, he’s now kicked off a solo project. Padikkal’s breezy voice as well as his clever lyricism make for a fun listen. He’s already penned a couple of songs including the whimsical “Sessions” and is working towards releasing his solo material soon.
Powerhouse vocalist Giselle Pinto is a staple performing at hotels across Mumbai. The singer’s incomparable voice coupled with her strut and pizazz is second to none. Pinto has already garnered plenty of attention for her pop covers, and more recently she’s been entertaining audiences live on Facebook, gathering plenty of praise while doing so.
Photographer and singer-songwriter Blake D’Silva’s music can best be described as jolly and wholesome. The musician’s sensibilities and choice of chord movements on his songs is quite impressive. D’Silva has been performing around Mumbai’s club circuit for a couple of years, entertaining audiences with his quirky covers while he preps to release his own material.
Pop artist Maanuni Desai (who goes by her first name) has built herself quite a following recently from working with Hindi rock outfit Anand Bhaskar Collective to interviewing guitarist Ehsaan Noorani and singer-songwriter Tejas via Instagram live recently for her series ‘Midnight Sesh w Maanuni.’ The vocalist already has the crunchy track “Be Alright” in her locker and has also been collaborating with a bunch of artists on covers, exposing her soaring vocals and dynamism.
Vocal and piano instructor Palak Bheda may not have songs to her name yet, but she’s been proficient around Mumbai’s open mic and jam scene. Not only has she shown her vocal prowess live, but the young musician is also giving back by hosting her own open mic events online since the lockdown was imposed. Keep your eyes peeled to what she has in store next.
Goa-based Rinaldo D’Souza – who also performed with Mumbai blues-rockers The Tripp – has developed into quite a songwriter ever since he moved to the beach state a couple of years ago. D’Souza’s laidback approach and poetic lyricism is what caught our attention recently. In 2017, the musician released his debut solo single, the poignant “Come Over” and is now readying to release more self-produced music.
If you’ve been following Mumbai’s cover scene, the name Astrid Alphonso would ring a lot of bells. The vocalist – who fronts cover band Astrid and the Misfits – is known for her impressive voice and commanding stage presence. As we await for Alphonso to put out her own music, the singer has been busy during the lockdown having artists over on her Instagram live for her open mic series called ‘It’s All Staged.’
Singer-songwriter Nathanael Mookhtiar’s music would fall perfectly into a romance playlist with tracks such as the dreamy “Stay” and passionate “What Love Does to You” under his belt. The singer-songwriter – who also runs event company Tilt – has been gigging nonstop at venues across Mumbai and getting his name out there while also recording his still to be released music.
Mumbai vocalist and filmmaker Sarah Monteiro’s profound vocal ability is definitely one of her strongest points as an artist. The young musician gathers from pop, soul and R&B and has already penned tracks such as “Miss Me,” “The Scene” and “XOXO.” As Monteiro still finds her feet with her music, she’s certainly one to watch out for in the future.
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