Origin of a singer

KOCHI: Sweet music welcomes everyone to this fish stall at Moodakkara in Kollam. It’s the voice of Emmanual Escleen, 25, entertaining his customers while selling fish. It’s his love for music that made him ‘practice’ songs at the shop. Due to his tight working hours that starts in the early morning, he has no other space to hone his craft other than his little stall. 

Hailing from a fishermen community in Kollam, Emmanual lost his chance to get himself trained in classical music and achieve his dream of getting graduated from a music college. Emmanuel feels his love for music was kindled through the lullabies his mother sang for him in his childhood. “She used to hum lines of several Malayalam songs while doing her house chores.

Later, I too started humming songs along with my mother. One day, my friend Anandu said I have the potential to be a singer. His comment made me take singing seriously,” says Emmanual, who went on to sing for his friends’ birthday parties and at local events in the town. 

“After the lockdown, our lives became miserable and my brothers and I lost our jobs as sales executives. I kept my music dreams away and opened a fish stall to earn a living,” he says. But Emmanual couldn’t stop singing. He found his audience at his stall and on social media. 

He started posting cover songs on his social media pages. “After seeing the video, our church asked me to join the choir team. It was one of my customers Afsal who posted my video online  whichhelped me get noticed,” he adds. Actor-turned-director Nadirshah also appreciated him. 

“It was my mother’s dream to be a singer and performer. I am now receiving music lessons from a teacher near my home. My dream is to become a good playback singer,” says Emmanuel. 

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