Jaya tells of her love for music
AS A LITTLE girl, Jaya Govender would sit beside her father as he sang and played the guitar. His passion and love of music inspired her to start singing and at the age of 9 she was already performing in a band.
Recalling the good old days, Govender, 49, of Phoenix, said her dad, musician and vocalist Vassie Govender, was a member of the band Kalivani Orchestra.
“I would wait for him to practise because there was something about his voice that filled our home with joy and laughter,” said Govender, a stay-at-home mom, who sings in fluent Tamil and Hindi.
With her older sister, Loshni Moodley, the pair joined their father’s practice sessions by dancing and singing along with him.
“We did this for fun but one day a family friend heard us sing and asked our dad to allow us to join his band Santana Eastern. I remember feeling excited and nervous at the time.”
Her mom, Devi, she said, sewed their outfits.
Their favourite was the long, flowing maxi dresses with colourful sequins that they wore to their first performance – a fund-raising show in Mount Edgecombe.
The mother of two added: “At first I was so stiff on stage but as the performance progressed, I became more comfortable.
“My sister and I sang all the classic songs like Papa Vande nee, Ammavim and Appavim, which had so much meaning. The crowds used to flock to see us,” said Govender, who added that she enjoyed performing Bollywood music but was equally capable of singing devotional and classical songs.
As a teenager, she recorded original songs for the group’s album Anbei Thedi.
She performed with them until the age of 20.
“I got married at 21 but I could not stay away from music. In the same year, I joined my neighbour’s band, Eastern Shadows, which I am still a member of.”
With the new band, Govender toured Swaziland and performed in Malaysia as well as recorded three cover version albums of popular Tamil film songs.
She is still keen on promoting Eastern music.
“Eastern music is synonymous with the Indian culture.”