BY S VENKAT NARAYAN
Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, November 5:Sri Lankan singer-songwriter-rapper Yohani has shifted her base to Mumbai. She is focussing on Bollywood, and is learning to speak Hindi, the language in which films are made in Mumbai. Hindi is spoken by half a billion Indians but understood by 1.4 billion Indians who love films made in Bollywood.

In interviews to Indian newspapers, TV channels and popular TV shows, Yohani said she did dream of singing for Hindi films, but didn’t think she would one day shift base to Mumbai. “I honestly didn’t think I would be able to sing for Bollywood. It all still feels like a dream. I’ve grown up listening to Hindi music and watching Bollywood films. I’m a big fan of so many artistes from India, and now I’ve got to work with a few of them. It still feels surreal,” she says.

It is not easy singing in Hindi. “Singing in a different language is quite a challenge. Learning to match the accent changes my vocal texture, so I need to get that right. But I am taking classes and working towards that,” says Yohani.She admits she misses her family: “I’d love to have my family here with me. But sadly, I don’t think they are going to move. My sister is a doctor and her work is mostly in Sri Lanka. Of course, they will come here from time to time to visit.”

She has been spending a lot of time in Mumbai because of work. “I like the three-wheeler rides (autorickshaw) in Mumbai, and I love how my team makes me feel at home here. The traffic is the only thing I dislike!

She is yet to understand Hindi fully. “Even though I don’t fully understand Hindi, I feel the music and it is amazing,” she says.And she has a long list of people she is a fan of in the Indian music industry. “I’m a huge fan of AR Rahman, Pritam, Arijit Singh, Sonu Nigam, Jubin Nautiyal, Guru Randhawa, Badshah, Divine, Neha Kakkar, Shreya Ghoshal, Sunidhi Chauhan… the list goes on. Each artiste here is unique in his/her own way, and they make great music. I feel their music and it is amazing. I aspire to have a body of work like them one day.”

Recently, she performed in Maldives for the first time to participate in the ChanaaChaa concert, and performed hit songs ‘Manike Mage Hithe’, ‘Chammak Challlo’, ‘Kabira’, ‘Ek Ladki Ko Dekha’, and others.Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih also attended the concert wherein Yohani delivered a spectacular performance. He also expressed his gratitude to Yohani.

“Getting love from fans is always an enormous feeling but to get it at new place which you have never visited is a surreal experience. But to my surprise I was welcomed with immense love and support. I am so thankful to the beautiful people of Maldives who treated me so well”, she said.