Vidya Vox may be best known for her YouTube music mashups, but in the past year, the young singer has taken big strides from doing original and collaborative numbers on computer screens to enthralling live audiences. Vidya, who was in Bengaluru recently as part of her Kuthu Fire tour, sponsored by Forever 21, expressed her gratitude towards the city’s people and its weather, remarking that her hair was grateful for the manageable humidity levels.
Addressing the slowdown in the number of videos posted on her YouTube channel, she said, “All the current ones are original songs, so the videos take a little longer. I definitely want to shoot some more in Kerala, but this trip is very hectic, so maybe the next time I’m here.”
She went on to explain that having a connection to her traditional roots in her original songs was something she wanted to do, and naming her six song EP Kuthu Fire, which features an eponymous song, was a deliberate reference to Tamil Nadu’s dappankuthu folk music style. “This music was something my grandmother introduced me to as a kid and I grew up listening to, so I wanted to incorporate my original music with an Indian flavour that everyone can enjoy regardless of what language they speak or what kind of music they listen to.”
Elaborating on the writing process that resulted in Kuthu Fire, she says it was a year-long collaborative process between her and Shankar Tucker, with whom she routinely performs with. “We actually wrote about 25 songs but only six made it. It took me a while to find my writing style and my voice, but it was very liberating. While covers and mashups are great, you can’t really express what you want to say in your heart so instead so here I just decided to write whatever was in my heart instead of relying on my past experience.”
On moving on from YouTube to the stage, Vidya explains that it is an experience she is gradually getting used to. “YouTube is like sitting in your bedroom and making videos for the world to see, but live shows, including some of the stuff I did last year and on this tour, have taught me so much. I have found a groove and a combination between originals and mashups that I think works well.”
Besides artistes like Tucker, Vidya says she is thankful for the support of her family. “My mother and grandmother are very supportive of me, and they always have a say in things. They also really help with any pronunciation problems I have with Tamil and Malayalam, and can always identify if there is a mistake and correct it.”
