Life's a long song

Why is the ‘Jai Ho' girl Tanvi Shah upbeat? Well, who wouldn't after performing with A. R. Rahman at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert at Oslo?

Going global: Tanvi Shah.

“Dazed and a tad tired,” smiles Tanvi Shah. The juggernaut whose musical journey steam-rolled after “Slumdog Millionaire”, hasn't slept for two days. But she's not complaining. Just back in Chennai after crossing a new milestone at Oslo, where she performed with global music sensation A. R. Rahman, at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert, the young singer doesn't mind battling droopy eyelids to share her experiences. Over to the “Jai Ho!” girl:

Concert Call: The opportunity to perform at the Nobel Peace Prize concert came as a surprise. When I got the mail from Rahman's studio, I thought it was just another show. Didn't think it was for the Nobel concert. Right from the time we landed at Oslo, we were treated like royalty. We were put up at the Radisson, a couple of blocks away from the venue. Everything was so well-organised. People were super punctual.

Global platform: I was overwhelmed to stand on the same stage as music greats Herbie Hancock, Barry Manilow, Rahman, Colbie Caillat, India Arie, Robyn and Jamiroquai. Anne Hathaway and Denzel Washington too were there. It was interesting to see how different musicians work and perform. Even the rehearsals were meticulously planned. Right from the musicians to the sound engineers and the back stage personnel, everyone worked with such precision. Though it was a live concert, everything sounded like it was playing off a CD — such was the perfection.

Jai ho - Again! We performed “Jai Ho!”, though a slightly edited version. The Norwegian Philharmonic Orchestra was awesome. It gave me a high when they played our song. I got goose-bumps! I had to be extremely alert since it was a live performance. I constantly looked at Rahman for cues. You can't afford to make mistakes. In sync with the song, the energy levels were high. People clapped and danced in the lobby.

Dress me up: After a rehearsal on the eve of the concert, we had a costume trial session. With a Man Friday and a fantastic make-up artist hovering around, I felt pampered like a princess! There were people to even fix our dresses and help out with any alteration, trimming or stitching.

Indian touch: When I zeroed in on design ace Chaitanya Rao for my entire wardrobe (the concert, after party and dinner clothes), I told him the creations needed to have that inimitable Indian touch. With his keen eye for detail and subtle sense of style, he designed stunning gowns for me. People there were simply floored by them. I used some of the jewellery I designed — earrings and armlet. And yes, I wore my lucky watch.

Learning curve: Life has changed after “Slumdog”. But it's better to adapt, right? Success is about waking up, looking forward to more work and fresh challenges. I have a long way to go. Every opportunity is a learning curve. There are sleepless nights, but my singing and designing commitments keep me going. I think you have to remain positive at all times.

Coming up: I've just completed some singing assignments for Hindi and Tamil films. I'm working on three other international projects. Will divulge the details soon. The track I did with Snoop Dogg did push my career to another level. It was being downloaded on Twitter and the digital media. On the design front, I've begun work on my Spring line of jewellery.

Different notes: What the West likes about Indian music is the different instruments we use. Each has a distinct tonal quality and lends itself well to aural experiments. They are also amazed at the fact that we remember entire pieces without the score! Out there, everything is done with the sheet.

Versatile voice: As a singer, it's important for me to be open to vocal experiments. For the Telugu song “Power Star”, I had to think a “mix of Lisa Gerrard, Beyonce and Shakira!” (Chuckles) I'm glad the song was a hit. Recently Yuvan Shankar Raja wanted me to “sound Gothic” for a song.

The whirl: I love the travel part. I get to see new places, meet interesting people and eat different types of food. I miss my rasam rice though!