FROM doing YouTube music covers of other singers to becoming a singer-songwriter, Yashna shares her journey in the music industry as she debuts her latest single. Her song, Fight For You, is receiving airplay on MTV.
Popularly known by her stage name Yashna International, Yashna said she dreamed of becoming a singer.
“I describe singing as a calling because it was not something that I chose but I feel like it chose me,'' she said.
Yashna, who turned 28 on Friday, said she grew up watching Bollywood movies where there was always singing and dancing.
“I was a nuisance to my family because I was that loud kid who sang everywhere in the house. From the time I could move my feet, I loved watching music videos on TV and looking at myself in the mirror and re-enacting what I saw in the videos."
Yashna said although she had the support of her mom to pursue music, she was encouraged to study something else as a backup plan. She said she was grateful for this decision because the music industry was not for the faint-hearted.
“I initially started out studying towards a BA in performance studies and drama at UKZN's Pietermaritzburg campus, but travelling every day from Malvern (in Durban) took its toll on me. I then decided to transfer to UKZN's Howard College campus.
"My undergraduate degree was a general degree with majors in clinical psychology and industrial psychology. I completed my postgraduate studies with an honours degree in industrial psychology."
Yashna said during her time in UKZN, she continued to pursue music and that was where she met Canadian rapper Erick Rush. After she told him about her love for music, Rush introduced her to music producers in the industry and before she knew it, she was in the studio recording her own music.
“The first song that got my name out in the music scene was the one I did with music producer Sketchy Bongo called On Fire in 2019. The song got a lot of airplay on all the radio stations because it was pushed by Sketchy’s label and he did interviews promoting it. The track was also aired on Trace Urban."
Her follow-up songs included Gimme Luv released in 2020 and aired on numerous radio stations; the amapiano-infused world pop song Duma (2021), and Can't Live Without featuring Tyler ICU (2021). All her songs, she said, have been aired on TV music channels such as Trace Urban and MTV.
Having entered the scene in 2016, Yashna has since been able to break moulds and shift gears for independent artists with her accomplishments.
“I believe that I am playing a role in changing the trajectory of people in my community. Growing up, there were no local Indian artists for me to look up to. I always looked up to internationally-acclaimed divas such as Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Beyonce and Rihanna for inspiration."
Yashna said as a songwriter, she drew inspiration from real-life experiences and strived to exude truth in her artistry. She said translating her real-life experiences into songs was a skill that she had developed on her journey as an artist.
Yashna said there were challenges that she faced in the music industry as an independent artist. This included not being able to fund her own music video shoots, and paying for the process of making and promoting her music. But she was able to rise above those challenges.
“As an independent artist, you have to invest in yourself. Sometimes you have to take that risk in order to get to your desired goal. I have to personally submit my songs to the radio and TV channels. I basically do all my admin."
Yashna has won the Best Musician Award at the 2020 Durban Creative Awards hosted at The Werehouse in Durban, won the Joox Opening Act competition in 2020, opened up for Master KG at the Shine Studios in Johannesburg in 2020, and formed part of Shekinah’s Rosefest 2020 line-up at Shine Studios in Johannesburg. She also made the semi-finals of Sportscene's Put Me On competition in 2020.
For the song Fight For You, Yashna said she generally drew from her personal experience or the experiences of those around her during her songwriting process.
"However, it was different with Fight For You. When it comes to amapiano music, I tend to go for cheesy love stories, and that is what people love to listen to. In this case, it wasn't over-thought. I just got to the studio, my producer made the beat and the lyrics just flowed."
Amapiano is a hybrid of deep house, jazz and lounge music characterised by synths, airy pads and wide percussive basslines.
Yashna’s music is also available on all digital streaming platforms by searching Yashna.
POST