JOIN US'I want to share my music'
A singer, songwriter and recording artiste — she is a fresh voice in the music industry. Marissa Kaimal always had an ear for music and would perform at various local events, school concerts and plays. Currently recording her debut album, she is also a trained Western contemporary dancer and was a model and stage actor before she took to music full-time.
She is trained under Ken Henson — the director of ‘The Bangalore Conservatory’ and has mastered different genres of music like pop, contemporary, R&B, rock, reggae and dance.
I started singing... in various school performances when I was around eight or nine. I was 16 when I started composing music.
I usually don’t... play any instrument but I am learning the piano and guitar now. Recently, someone gifted me a violin. So maybe one day, I’ll learn to play that too. I usually compose songs in my head without an instrument because that’s when I am able to hear the music better.
My first song... was the Christmas carol ‘While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night’. I sang it at a concert when I was nine. It was the first time I performed for an audience and it was at that moment when I realised that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
My family... is musical. My mother sings and plays the piano, guitar and drums. So there was always music in the house when I was growing up. My father’s family is very fond of music too. My late grandfather used to sing and play the harmonium and he was a keen follower of Indian classical music and violinist Yehudi Menuhin.
Apart from music... I am inclined towards art, writing and acting. I play tennis, basketball and swim too. I love travelling and as a child, I spent a lot of time travelling with my family. So I still love that gypsy lifestyle and get restless if I stay in one place for too long.
I love listening to... bands like ‘U2’, ‘The Police’, ‘Dire Straits’, Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson, ‘Casting Crowns’, Avalon, ‘Roxette’ and Ludovico Einaudi to name a few. I admire musicians who make great music and the ones who are original with their work.
Currently I am working on... an album called ‘The Kingdom of Dreams’. Every song in it is of a different style though this wasn’t something we had planned. It ranges from R&B to rock, pop, reggae and dance.
It is hard for me to... balance daily life with music because music is such a big part of my life. Even on days when I’m not in the recording studio, I hear new rhythms and melodies in my head. I then have to start working on them. But I try to spend time doing other things too, especially with family, friends and loved ones.
I would love it if my future... was lined up with more live performances. I would like to tour different places and hope to put together a band and start playing shows around the City and in other countries. I want to share my music with many more people who have not heard it yet.