Udaipur Singer-Songwriter Saleha Paatwala Releases Luminous Debut Single ‘Kismat’

When Udaipur-bred Hyderabad-based singer-songwriter Saleha Paatwala was in the fifth grade, her school music teacher was the one to notice that she had vocal chops. “She told me I had a great voice and that she wanted me as part of the assembly choir,” says the artist. Since then, Paatwala dipped her toes deeper into music by performing at gigs and is now out with her debut joyous single “Kismat.”

The musician began working on the track during the lockdown when the song’s title stuck with her. The acoustic pop track — which includes her vocal harmonies as well as keyboard, guitar and drum parts — blend to create a happy vibe. She says, “The lyrics of my song is all about finding and loving yourself.” Paatwala adds, “We usually look for love and affection from others, and sometimes it breaks us from the inside, feeding our insecurities and mental issues, especially depression.”

“Kismat” also has a lyric video made by Verve Media attached to it. The song was recorded at Hyderabad guitarist-producer Joshua Roy’s home studio, who is also part of Paatwala’s live act. The folks over at Pune’s Gray Spark Audio mixed and mastered the track.

Before the lockdown, Paatwala used to travel 40 kilometers to and from her day job as a content developer after which she would head to venues to perform at gigs. “I had been working for almost 17-18 hours a day, so the lockdown has been a much-needed break,” says the musician. The singer-songwriter has used her time to work on her own material and discover more about her creative side. She says, “Joshua helped me shape my vision by pushing me out of my comfort zone.”

Next on the agenda for Paatwala is two more singles before she plans on putting out an EP in 2021. She says, “I realized during this songwriting process that I have so much to say and now I have found a way to present my thoughts and feelings to the world.”

Watch the lyric video for “Kismat” below: