Want to exhibit your singing talent but stage fright stands in your say? Here comes a digital platform for such aspirants. Sruthi is a first of its kind global online singing contest exclusively for Tamil film songs. Conceived by two singers — Vinod Venugopal and Reshmi — the initiative was launched last year in Chennai as a regular talent contest with playback singer Sujatha and ghatam maestro Vikku Vinayakaram as judges. Vinod and Reshmi were keen to encourage those who wished to participate but were not able to come all the way to Chennai and sing before the judges or were too shy to face an audience.
Sruti Season 2 was launched on Wednesday in Chennai at a glittering function attended by celebrities from the Tamil film world. It as an on-line venture with only the music reaching the ears. The contestants can sing from the comfortable ambience of their homes. “The idea is to break geographical barriers and connect aspiring musicians to the film world, where there is a perpetual demand for fresh voices,” says Vinod. The contestants can register and submit their entries by logging into www.singinsruti.com Those who make it to the next level will be informed online. “Selection process will be completed within 60 days and the winner will be known around Pongal next year,” he adds.
Wishing the duo success was veteran Deva, who has scored music for over 400 films. “Technology has brought everything to the door step,” he observed. “When I started to score music for films, I encountered various hurdles. It was my thirteenth film, which was released as my first film. But today if you have the talent, you win. Looks and economic status do not matter. Sruti Season 2 underlines it. Send your voice and if it is liked by the judge you proceed and may even end up as winner. What more can you ask for? I want all aspiring singers to make use of this platform,” he said.
Singer Ananthu recalled the days when he would record his voice and take it to composers seeking an opportunity. “It was not easy — to first record and then try to approach the composers, hand over the tape and wait anxiously for their response. The wait, often would be eternal. Today, technology has made it all simple and I’m sure many new singers will be unearthed by Sruti’s unique venture,” he said.
Playback singer Sujatha stressed that talented singers, irrespective of age, should participate. “Sruthi Season 2 has two age categories — one for juniors (up to 15 years) and the other for seniors (above 15). Here, only talent counts,” she said. ‘Abaswarm’ Ramji was the MC of the evening.
