Tashna’s hard work, passion pays off
TASHNA Ramnarain’s first performance in front of an audience was as the opening act for renowned Indian playback singer Alka Yagnik at the ICC in Durban in 2009.
Fast-forward nine years, Ramnarain has launched her first single, filmed a music video and is preparing to debut her album Sapphire in November.
“Radio Hindvani had hosted an on-air competition and was looking for young, aspiring singers to perform at Alka Yagnik’s concert. I was 11 years old at the time and had called in and sang a few verses from a Hindi song. It was not long thereafter that I was chosen as the winner,” said Ramnarain, a third-year electronic engineering student at UKZN.
Within a mere two days, she attended vocal training before taking to the stage at the ICC.
“I was nervous, but my love and passion for music overshadowed that nervousness. Being on stage made me feel happy, and I knew this was what I wanted to do.”
As a toddler, Ramnarain said her parents, Vijay and Rekha, had often told her that she had a knack for music and she was often heard singing or humming along to their collection of Hindi music.
“At the age of 11, I started writing English songs and drew inspiration from artists like Taylor Swift. When I turned 13, I recorded an album featuring all my songs, but it was not released.”
Ramnarain said she continued to write and learnt to play the guitar.
“As I grew older, I was influenced by singer Demi Lovato and bands like One Direction. Using some of the songs from the unreleased album and a few new ones, I recorded the album Sapphire and released my first single, Wasted Heart, about two weeks ago.”
Ramnarain described her sound as pop rock.
While she believes in following her dreams, she is adamant that one should also study and have a career to fall back on.
“That’s why I pursued a degree in electronic engineering. It is tough balancing both, but I believe that if you really want something you must be willing to work hard to achieve it.”
Ramnarain’s single can be downloaded from www.audiomac.com or www.soundcloud. com.
Her album will be launched in November.