Singer Jonita Gandhi during a recent concert at Phoenix Marketcity, Chennai | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Jonita Gandhi’s first playback track had a Chennai link; It was featured in the 2013 film starring Shah Rukh Khan Chennai Express,
Today, Jonita is a well-known singer in Tamil cinema, having successfully collaborated with composers AR Rahman and Anirudh, among others. Last week, she stunned music fans in Chennai during her performance at Phoenix Marketcity, a gig in which she sang Tamil hits like ‘Arabi Huthu’ and ‘Hey Amigo’.
“Over the years, I have been singing many Tamil tracks. I have always been warmly welcomed here,” says the Indian-origin Canadian playback singer.
Jonita Gandhi took the music industry by storm 10 years ago when she brought out an acoustic cover of the popular ‘Pani Da Rang’ track from the film. Vicky Donor, a rendition that attracted the attention of many including celebrities such as Amitabh Bachchan. Though later she got some Hindi numbers from 2014’s ‘Mental Manadil’ O Kadhal Kanmani It was her introduction to Tamil, a language she would continue to love, and Tamil cinema, an industry with which she would remain closely associated. “It was nerve-wracking,” she admits, remembering that recording. It was not only her first song in Tamil, but also her first for AR Rahman, whom she grew up listening to. “He made me feel comfortable. He encouraged me to sing certain words a little stylistically, and allowed me to infuse my personality into the track.
Singer Jonita Gandhi during a recent concert at Phoenix Marketcity, Chennai | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
She does to this day. In his recent performance at the audio launch of of victory the heir, Jonita danced with composer Thaman for the track ‘Jimmyki Ponnu’. “I actually started dancing at the age of four, but started singing at the age of seven. So yes, the artist in me was always there, but doing all that on stage was a matter of confidence and experience,” says Jonita.
While she’s still not confident enough to have full dialogue in Tamil, Jonita is getting there: she’s penned a few lines in Tamil for the Hindi track ‘Current Laga Re’ ( Circus) recently, and has also worked on the one-minute independent track ‘Hey Ana Parv’. “I wasn’t really great with languages, but I developed it along the way, because a lot of people trusted me. It was more like a discovery, because I realized I had the ability to recognize different sounds. I have a good ear for music,” says Jonita, who is a frequent collaborator with Anirudh on most of his albums. “His (Anirudh) music is very diverse, so I know when I go to his studio, I am going to do something different from my last song. I did a soulful song like ‘Ore Oru’ ( Kolamavu Nightingale), and then, did a fast paced song like ‘Private Party’ ( leader, He really understands his audience, and that is why he has been able to create such a huge hit,” explains Jonitha, who has also starred in a yet-to-be-released Tamil film. Walking Talking Strawberry Ice Cream,