Excelsior Correspondent
There is no denying fact that people from Jammu are extremely talented. They have been excelling in film and music arena since long. Showcasing their talent and making us all proud by their achievements and acknowledging that they are role models for today’s youth.
Among upcoming musicians from the city,is the name of Sahil Gutkar,who is a singer/performer with experience of few singing reality tv shows. As a struggler in music field he has always believed that no opportunity is big or small and music has no language. Every experience can teach big or small lessons.
Sahil Gutkar was born on 6th of Jan 1993 to a middle class family Born in Delhi, brought up in a Akhnoor, Jammu his childhood passed either playing cricket or singing. He did his schooling from St.Francis High School. He was an active participant in singing during school cultural programmes and annual days.
Remembering the first time he sang on the stage, he says I was 12 and it was Independence Day celebrations in school and my teachers wanted me to perform a patriotic song, as they had heard me singing during extra hours in class room. He sang mera rang de basanti chola and received applauds from teachers and schoolmates. His teachers kept motivating him to perform on various singing events in school and on annual days believing in his unique voice quality.
He did musical choirs which indeed built his interest initially during school days.
He did his schooling till 10th from St.Francis High School Akhnoor. Being a very bright student during school he did really good in 10th boards and did further schooling from Kendriya Vidyalaya in Chennai. Joined Hindustan university as bachelors C.S.E in 2009 and finished his B.E. Firstclass in 2013.
Sahil Gutkar, who recently participated in Mhone channel’s show called Awaz Punjabi and was a finalist in the show.
He received great appreciation from well known personalities of Punjabi music industry, Padmashri Hansrajhans, Lakhwinder Wadali, Master Saleem, Nooran Sisters Ninja, Bally Sagoo, Ashok Masti, Guru Randhawa, Mandy Takker Badshah many more
All of them love his voice texture and compare him to Sukhwinder Singh…….
He kept participating in singing events in college and represented college in various intercollegiate cultural festivals, Anna university and IIT Madras being few among them with his band ILLUSIONS. He remembers singing a Tamil song during college dhinam dhinam for a short film, for a Tamil music director.
During college, he participated in Times of India Fresh face an intercollege talent hunt in Chennai and was a Semifinalists .
By being in Chennai for more than 6 years and having no mode of communication else than English, and Tamil and by making Tamil friends, he started liking tamil language and started speaking the language gradually.
He then decided to participate in a Tamil singing reality show called AIRTEL SUPER SINGER ON STAR VIJAY TV during his final year in college.
Belonging to a different culture and being a Hindi speaker he was the only North indian who made Jammu proud in a Tamil TV show. He says that it was first time on this show that he sang a Tamil song and was much appreciated by jury members from tamil music industry.
Got a chance to meet Asha Bhonsle on sets of airtel super singer It was a lifetime experience. I was so fortunate to meet someone like her who is considered as Goddess of music. The whole set was decorated like a fairy land and singers from whole of Tamil industry were there to listen to her golden voice.
Got a special invitee on finale of the same show and performed a medley of songs in group and opened the show which was being telecast live. He met Javed Ali on finale who was there as a celebrity performer. He then performed MAULA MERE LE LE MERI JAAN(chakde) on the same show and received standing ovation.
He then participated in radio city Delhi ,was in top 6 and Big FM Delhi golden voice and was in top 10. Two years after super singer finally Awaz Punjab Di happened and gave him a much required platform. Initially singing in front of jassi gill and deep money and then getting lessons from alfaaz and who not he has been lucky to be able to sing and get tips from the best in the Punjabi Industry.
On being asked if there was any initial resistance for pursuing music, he says yes there was a lot of peer pressure on taking up a Govt job n not music professionally. He wanted to take up a music course in sir A.R. Rehman’s college after 12th but had to take up engineering for a safe and secure future. The only source of learning music was various culturals fest and by listening to various singers and his interest in sufi songs and Bollywood songs. But, due to hectic schedule during college learning music through a guru wasn’t possible. But after Tamil TV show AIRTEL SUPER SINGER he got a chance to learn from Ananth Vaidyanathan a voice expert on the show.
He wants to take up music professionally and become a versatile playback singer in Bollywood. He wants to represnt Jammu at national level and prove that people from this part of country are talented and if given proper training and avenues can achieve greater heights. The journey is not going to be easy but it’s going to be worth it. In the end its the journey that matters. Will make the Dogra community and Jammu proud some day.
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