Singer Manisha Shahane Performs
at San Francisco Hot Spot
India West, July 6, 2007
By Diana Rohini LaVigne
SAN FRANCISCO — Singer-songwriter-musician Manisha Shahane performed at
the city’s hot spot The Mighty 119 June 27 before an intimate crowd. With
a mix of folk, jazz and Indian influences, Shahane sang various selections
from her debut album, “Peace in Progress.” “Most of my pieces on the
‘Peace in progress’ album are about relationships between people and also
I rely on the double entendre – peace (piece) in progress – to the extent
that everything we do in life is evolving and that the world itself is
evolving. And that includes peace within ourselves,” the Virginian-born
singer told India-West.
“Some of them (songs) are based on stories from my own life and others are
entirely imagined, but something that I hope we can all relate to. I want
the music and lyrics both to participate in the storytelling.” She didn’t
just deliver vocals for the one-hour performance, she played the guitar
and also keyboard. Los Angeles music scene newcomer Siddharth Chitnis accompanied
Shahane on the tabla, which he has studied since he was a small child
growing up
in Pune.
Talking with India-West about the challenges she faces as an Indian
American, Shahane said she feels her struggles are similar to those faced
by other songwriters who are working on building a fan base and creating
sources of revenue for themselves through their music, regardless of
ethnicity.But she did add, “I realize that I fall into a minority
music-wise when it comes to the mass market and – why does that happen?
Well, I think that people, in general, develop a certain taste for music
they enjoy. If they have to choose between what they know and something
new after a long day at the office or just to relax, they are likely to go
with what they know as opposed to risking exposing themselves to something
new.” At her Bay Area performance,
Shahane’s lyrics hit home with audience members and her musical
composition was strong. Although most of her songs were sung in English,
she did take the
opportunity to treat listeners to some Hindi and Marathi. Shahane will be
performing in the next few weeks in Seattle, Washington; San Diego and Los
Angeles.
For more information visit her Web site at
www.manishamusic.com.
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