‘Music can spread a message in special manner’

AVINA SHAH shot to fame with her charity debut song Tere Bina on domestic violence. In a conversation with SHALINI SAKSENA, she talks about why she chose this, among other things

Why did you choose a song on domestic violence to make your debut?

I’ve always believed that music can help spread messages in a special way; it can communicate certain emotions in a listener in a way that other things may not be able to do. I wanted to try an innovative approach of raising awareness of an issue like domestic violence through a song, after taking inspiration from Provoked (starring Aishwarya Rai). The film touched me so much that I wanted to do a song that raised the awareness and support the SBS charity after seeing the amazing work they do.

How did people react to the song?

After I released Tere Bina many women wrote to me about their own experiences of abusive relationships and how the song made them feel positive about their lives. I always knew it was a common issue (1 in 4 women suffer from domestic violence) but after putting out the single and hearing from so many women, it made me realise that it’s much more common than I had even imagined. It was really touching to know that this song could have that sort of positive impact on listeners.

Tell us about your latest single — Playboy.

I wanted to come up with a bold and playful song. This inspired me to create Playboy. The title is self-explanatory but it’s got cheeky twist – basically saying that ‘girls just want to have fun. We are in a new era now where gender roles are equalising and women are very much in charge of their lives. So it’s in sync with that.

How did your musical journey begin?

I’ve been performing throughout my whole life; my first stage performance was at the age of 3! I initially started out as a dancer and only began singing professionally after I turned 16. The last 15 years have taken me all over the world performing, which has been a great experience and made me realise that I wanted to take it even further. I’ve had some wonderful opportunities to share the stage with stars like  Shah Rukh Khan, perform for Middle Eastern Royal families and also perform live in Las Vegas.

What does woman empowerment mean to you?

It’s important for women to believe in themselves and their inner strength. I want to encourage confidence in women to follow their dreams and desires. A woman’s purpose in life should not be tied down by social stereotypes and expectations. Everyone has a unique gift inside them. My advise to women out there would be to never limit your creativity and don’t be afraid to take some risks.

How does social media help artists like yourself?

The Internet has provided an amazing platform for anyone to be seen and heard. It has changed the music industry for the better and we see so much new talent emerging every day. I feel the Asian music industry used to be male dominated in the past but the social media has definitely helped more female artists emerge. My very first song went viral on the Internet when it was launched and spread to people from all different countries, transcending all cultural and language barriers, which was only made possible through the help of social media.

What is your entertainment and management company about?

After seeing a gap in the market, myself and a few friends started an entertainment company called Eastern Illusion about 10 years back with an aim to provide high quality live Asian entertainment to an international audience. It’s also a platform for young talented artists whether it's dancers, singers or musicians, to follow their dreams and get a chance to perform live to large audiences internationally. I also have a beauty company that I started in my early teens called Faces that has grown to be very respected throughout the years.

Tell us about your collaborations with international musicians.

I’ve actually spent the past few years working on creating all the music that I’m about to release. I’ve spent a lot of time in India, Europe and America and have some great collaborations lined up which we can reveal soon hopefully.