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| Tia's Talk |
Multilingual Singer & Musician Melani Miguel of Toronto |
StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto-
Where were you born and raised?
- I was born in Wellawatte, Colombo, Sri Lanka & raised in a suburban town called Alwis Town, Hendala-Wattale (in Sri Lanka) until the age of 11. In 1983, ensuing the aftermath of the "Black July" riots, during which, my home (along with most of my extended family members' homes) was destroyed by the violence, we moved to one of the boroughs of Colombo City again. I lived inKollupitiya-Colombo 3, until 1987, at which time, we migrated to Toronto, Canada; where I have lived most of my life, till date.
How do you think the environment you were in and your surroundings shaped you on all what you do now?
- Coming from a Sri Lankan Heritage & then integrating into the cosmopolitan Toronto culture certainly had a huge impact & influence in every aspect of my life, not just in my music. Being raised in a Tamil home, I naturally learned to speak my mother tongue fluently & my parents chose to educate me in Sinhala medium (the major official language of Sri Lanka), so as to give me a better edge in the work force in Sri Lanka (obviously when I was starting school, they had no ideas of leaving Sri Lanka) Sri Lanka in & of itself is a very multi-ethnic & multi-faith country. So I attended school with & grew up surrounded by Buddhists, Hindus, Christians & Muslims. And with that I also developed a healthy respect, admiration, understanding, empathy & tolerance for differences in culture & creed. It was great, because it made my assimilation into the Canadian (multi)culture, that much easier. And now those different cultural influences are reflected in every aspect of my life from choice of food, clothing, entertainment & even how I think about everything in life (spiritually). I am definitely all the better for having been exposed to the different communities I lived in.
What led you to realize that you wanted to be a singer?
- I hate for this to sound like a typical cliche answer but it really is the truth! Michael Jackson! Pure n Simple! I've always been surrounded by music since birth. Both my parents sang & so does my (maternal) grandmother (to this day, even at 82, she still sings in her church choir!). So, singing came naturally for me. But when I was around 9yrs old, I saw Michael Jackson in the Jackson Five, on T.V. & that was it! I knew, THAT is what I wanted to do. To Sing! (Iike Michael).
What is your genre(s)?
- Although my true passion in music is Jazz & it's what I'm best at singing, living in Flemingdon Park for the better part of the last 20+yrs had a big impact on why there's such a reggae flavour to my (thus far) recorded music. I sing everything from Jazz, Soul, R&B, Blues, Pop, Reggae & even Gospel. I also have been freelancing with many a local bands, within the local Sri Lankan community & so I sing in Tamil, Sinhala & Hindi as well as some Spanish.
How do you think you are impacting the South Asian community through your music?
- I'd like to think that I impact my community with my brand of performance by keeping our heritage alive with our own language songs & then also being reflective of the 2nd generation by performing the more "mainstream" western music. My shows tie the 2 cultures together. And that ultimately is what I'd like to accomplish with my own original material as well. To tie the two worlds (Bollywood & Hollywood?) together & offer a newer genre for us ex-patriots.
What are you currently working on?
- You can always see me perform locally with various bands at cultural events from time to time. `Cause, performing with a live band is what I love doing the most! But, I'm also always working on songwriting & recording projects.
What do you have in mind for the near future?
- A multilingual jazz/fusion album. Preferably in Tamil & Sinhala cos I want to bring Sri Lanka into the mainstream music I'd like to utilise my East/West musical influences.
Career wise what is the one thing that has been very special to you?
- Being able to record my own songs! There is nothing like it. It's no different from giving birth to a child (which I have done twice). And especially having someone else connect with what I have written & sung is the best reward I get as an artist.
Do you have any particular project you have wanted to work on or be a part of?
- Anything Bollywood! I'm very proud of my Indian heritage. Indian movies is what I grew up with & which has influenced me the most artistically (other than Jazz). I've always dreamed of working in that industry as a playback singer. All I want is just ONE song. That's it. And I'll be happy! :D
Any thing else that you want to share with our readers?
- I have lived & proven, pretty much every cliche out there that speaks of following your dream & never giving up. Those quotes & sayings are out there for a reason. Because they have been tried & are true. And now more than any other time in history, it is the time of the independent artist, what with the advent of technology & social media. So, anyone out there that has a passion for anything, I mean anything at all, creative or otherwise; pursue it. Love yourself enough to follow your heart & soul. Never listen to the naysayers! If it makes you feel good in a positive way, then follow it to the end. No matter how long it takes, or how old (you think) you are. Endeavour to overcome the obstacles. `Cause the reward of knowing that you fulfilled your heart's desire is unmatched by any other high! And what would be a bonus is if it can also impact others & your community in a positive way! Ultimately, that is really our purpose in life. To utilise our knowledge, gifts, talents & abilities to do good by others & our community. That's what I'm trying to do. Pursuing my passion & loving (life). And it feels GREAT!
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→Tia's talk with Multilingual Singer & Musician Melani Miguel of Toronto
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