Siddharth Slathia - Doing what he does best

A few days ago a friend of mine sent me a music video by Siddharth Slathia. I was totally impressed and taken aback by his beautiful, melodious voice. I found his facebook page and decided to drop him a message. I never expected to get an almost instant response considering that he has a massive social media following.  He comes across as a very simple, down to earth human being who enjoys engaging with all his fans on a personal level online.  Read on to find out more in his own words.

1. Firstly Siddharth, thank you so much for taking time out to be interviewed by me. I am curious to know, who is Siddharth Slathia? Tell me a little about your family background and life from childhood until present?

It’s my pleasure and honour. Well, I come from a middle-class family from Jammu & Kashmir. My mum is a school teacher and father works in a bank, and I am the only child. I grew up in Jammu and after my high school, my parents sent me to Jaipur to study Engineering. However, my heart was always in music. So, I quit engineering in the fourth semester after watching Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots and started learning Indian Classical.

2. Do you belong to a musically inclined family? Did you always want to become a musician or did you embark on another career first?

No, I am the only one and the first one to have chosen music as my career in the entire family. I was always interested in music but it was only after I started studying Engineering that I realised that it wasn’t for me and the only thing I wanted to pursue was music…the Aamir Khan movie “3 Idiots” inspired me and pushed me to go for my passion which has always been music.

3. Are you a professionally trained singer or is music just a hobby?

I’m trained in Indian Classical and singing is my profession.

4. Tell me more about your massive social media following on You tube as well as facebook. How did that come about? Were you surprised that so many people took an interest in your songs?

I don’t know how but I guess it’s because of all the hardwork and dedication over the past 6-7 years. It hasn’t come about over night, it’s taken a long time but as they say “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. I am thankful to all my fans who have been supporting me throughout my journey.

5. Who is your favourite singer of all time?

I listen to all the great legendary singers and try to learn from everyone but Rafi Sahab and Sonu Nigam ji are the two singers who I idolize.

6. If you could be granted one wish and have any skill or talent in the world, what would it be?

Haha, I am happy and content with the talent God has already given me.

7.  What are your favourite websites?

Have never thought about favourite websites before but I guess I use Youtube, facebook and google on a regular basis.

8. I noticed that the videos you post online are very well put together. Who assists you with the technical aspects of your videos?

I do it all myself

9. Has social media changed your life? Since you have reached a certain degree of online fame, have you received offers to perform on stage or to become a part of the mainstream Bollywood industry?

Yes, of course. I got an opportunity to work with A  R Rahman sahab and the composer duo Salim-Sulaiman. I have been getting so many live shows as well. I am also discussing a couple of Bollywood projects as a composer/singer. And this is all because of my work on social media.

10. Where do you see yourself five years from now?

I see myself as a successful Bollywood playback singer five years from now.

11. What advice would you give to young aspiring musicians out there?

Be original..originality is very important to survive in the industry for a long run. Keep on evolving. Listen to a lot of quality music of different genres. Be consistent in publishing your work on social media. 

Once again, thank you Siddharth for taking the time to answer these questions. Desert Moon wishes you all the best in your future endeavours!!! This is definitely one of the most inspiring interviews that I have ever done. I am so honored and proud to have interviewed a man who is all set and ready to make an impact globally. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.

An 'Emerging Mystery' by Photographer Sebastian Farmborough

A sweet message from a world class photographer and a truly remarkable human being.....Sebastian Farmborough

Hey,

Please feel free to share the pic. It's attracted over 18,500 hits so far from 134 different countries and I'm hoping that sooner or later it might generate the kind of attention that would enable me to return and complete the project.

Hope life is treating you well, Sebastian.

Whenever Western societies view a Muslim woman in hijab or niqaab, their first impression is likely to be one of negativity. A Muslim woman in niqaab is usually perceived as being illiterate, backward and uneducated.When I first saw this image of a fully veiled Muslim woman in water, I was blown away by the beauty and sheer simplicity of it. Thank you Sebastian Farmborough for replying to my emails promptly and for also providing me with a link to your fascinating story. I would also like to take the opportunity to encourage one and all to kindly view Sebastian's website where you will marvel at his breathtaking photography.

"The image is based on one of my very first experiences in Saudi Arabia: With the naked beaches of Barcelona a not too distant memory... I headed down to the Arabian Gulf for a dip. There, I became mystified by something black and obscure out at sea. It looked like a huge jellyfish. Then, as it approached, I realised that it was in fact a woman.

It was such an intense experience that I just had to capture it for myself. However, it was not until a few years later in Dubai, when I had acquired the equipment and expertise necessary, that I was able to execute it. Anyone trying to take a picture like this in Saudi Arabia would run the risk of ending up in prison, so in the more liberal country of the UAE, I was able to realise it.

It actually took me a year to find the right lady. Yes, there are lots of women with beautiful eyes in the Emirates, but finding an open-minded enough one to do it, now that was a challenge!

The picture itself was taken at dawn on the Burj Al Arab beach. I chose that time, because I wanted extremely soft light to fall on her and the sun to reflect in her eyes. It was winter, so the sea was freezing and we were both deep into it. It was an incredible experience. The model and I had only met a couple of times prior to the shoot so we actually got to know each other as it went on, finishing with a nice hot chocolate on the beach afterwards.

The photo is entitled "An Emerging Mystery" and I feel as though it is extremely symbolic of Muslim women's increasing prominence in the world, despite a continued mystery. The Saudi veil is so often portrayed negatively in the West that I hope to counteract that somewhat and prevent the Western public from being mislead. Many Muslim women actually choose to wear it and I am more than happy to respect that.

The image marks the beginning of a project that I have been wanting to carry out for some time. All we ever hear about Saudi Arabia seems to be negative, where as having lived there for 3 years, I can assure you that the reality is quite different. In fact, there are many things that we westerns could actually learn from them. I really admired and enjoyed the strength of their friendships, the closeness of their families, their sense of humour, and how friendly and generous they are. With this and other images I would like to try and redress the balance a bit and produce a book reflecting the more magical aspects of the kingdom."

Source:
http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/13355/the-veil-as-an-accentuation-of-beauty/