Risa’s lifelong love of music pays off
ISA Moodley started singing for family and friends when she was 5 years old. Before long she was performing all over Durban and will now be jetting to Los Angeles for the International Presentation for Performers (iPOP) in July.
“Singing is like an escape from the world. I started to lose myself in the music and what I really enjoy is being able to relate to the meaning of the songs,” she said.
“It just helps me get away from the world.”
The only voice trainer the 15-year-old has had was Monali Shome, a singer and composer from India, who now resides in Johannesburg and promotes Indian classical music.
With her, Risa has learned raags (musical scales) and to control her taal (beat) and sur (pitch).
“I am trained in the vernacular. To me it is a soothing type of music. I feel the music as I sing it and that’s why I’m passionate about it. I can’t imagine my life without music.”
In her singing career, the Westville resident entered and won Star Search 2013, won a school award for creative music and arts, and a talent segment competition at the Liberty Midlands Mall in Pietermaritzburg.
Risa, who is in Grade 11 at Westville Girls’ High, said the biggest stage she had performed on was at Emperors Palace with first runner-up Keshave Tyohar and winner Gagan Gaonakar of the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs in 2015.
“The fact that I could perform with international artists was a good experience. It was also challenging trying to learn everything they were doing.”
iPOP, which takes place twice a year, in January and July, allows teachers to select students from participating schools to perform in different categories (singing, acting, modelling or dancing) in front of choreographers and show producers in LA.
Participation is through an audition with one of the partnered companies.
“iPOP will be training all those they have selected to be able to present themselves to record deals such as Sony and Paramount. The training will comprise voice training, choreography and on stage performances. Due to it being an international audition, many people will be participating. I think there will be 10 people from SA but they will all be in different categories.”
Risa is the only singer chosen from Durban.
“I am extremely excited about going. It’s something unimaginable.”
The young vocalist also sings in English and isiZulu.
“I performed an isiZulu song that I learned for a Zulu wedding. It took me a lot of time to learn the words and get the pronunciation right and ever since then, I wanted to learn more songs.”
Risa is in her second year of studying music at the University of Chandigarh in Punjab, India, through the Drisha Music Academy.
Her father, Kevin Moodley, added: “We are all music lovers and we just want to do our best to equip her with the tools needed to follow her singing career.”