For Chennai-based vocalist, playback singer and composer Maria ‘Roe’ Roshni Vincent, Bengaluru is familiar territory. Performing to a packed audience at the Breakfirst Shift Sunday morning show in Monkey Bar, the artiste shelled out some spirit-lifting songs by a range of artistes that brought the familiar Bengaluru music vibe to the early Sunday music lovers.
Dabbling in a whole range of R&B, soul, hip-hop and gospel pop, the enterprising playback singer and vocal arranger is a proficient performer in Tamil, Hindi and English with contributions in various movies and television shows.
Talking to MetroPlus after the gig, Roe says the Breakfirst Shift was a fun show. “It was really good. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I changed my set list to play some good old classic rock. It was an interesting show.”
On the concept of the Sunday brunch gig, she says it’s nice and definitely something new. “We don’t have anything like this in Chennai. It’s really refreshing to come in the morning and perform like this to a completely new crowd. I would definitely do something like this in Chennai if I ever got the chance.”
On Bengaluru’s music scene which is not new to her, the artiste says she really likes it here. “Bangalore is a potpourri of different kinds of music and has plenty of venues to accommodate them. This is not the scene in Chennai yet. It’ll take a while to catch up.”
Looking back, Roe recalls that ever since she knew how to sing as a kid, she knew this is what she wanted to do. “I was born into a musical family. Music was everywhere and all around me. I couldn’t escape it even if I wanted to,” she grins.
Having worked with music producers like A. R. Rahman, Harris Jayaraj, Anirudh Ravichander and many more, Roe points out that it has been an enriching experience. “Especially with Rahman - it was very exciting. He doesn’t treat you like a beginner. He treats you in the same level as him. I think that is very important in the music field.”
Apart from performing with her band, Roe also runs a choir called El FÉ. “I’ve always wanted to start a choir ever since I was a kid. It started off with a few friends coming together and is now an 18-member strong choir. We’ve featured in a lot of films and are planning to venture into doing Tamil and English independent music projects.”
What does she want to do in the future? Roe one-lines it: “I want to be a superstar!” she laughs and adds: “Whichever and whatever takes me there, I’ll do it.”
To aspiring singers who want to take the leap of faith she has taken, she encourages them to stay true to their music. “Invest time and effort and remain honest in your work. You will succeed.”
