Freedom of spirit

Jasmine Singh

Jasmine Sandlas, a fellow colleague wasn’t too sure that she was the same Jasmine Sandlas with red hair who has sung the Punjabi song Ladoo! The colour sure is gone! “This is because I have had enough of red now. Maybe, I will look at something new, a new colour,” says Jasmine Sandlas, in Chandigarh to perform at Tamzaara

Jasmine will answer anything, so you can ask anything! There is one statutory warning though, don’t expect the answers to be dipped in the politically right cream. “Gal dil to kardi han main, geet vi dilon likhdi tey gaandi han, and maybe this is why I connect with the crowd.” Jasmine mixes chaste Punjabi and English in her conversation. 

Moving abroad

Then 16-year-old, she girl moved from Jalandhar to California with her family; and that was the place where her dreams got wings. But it was also the time that the world around tried to clip her wings. Jasmine faced a law-suit, which curbed her right to sing. “I normally don’t talk about such things; why cry all the time for things gone by. In hindsight, I am thankful that this happened; I am thankful that I lost the law-suit because this gave me the motivation to fight back,” adds the Punjabi girl.

She uses her mind judiciously to sift people, the over-smart from the genuine ones. “I have changed a lot; I no longer have patience for people who drain my energy. My fans and I have created a small world and I am pretty happy staying in it.” 

Dear mom

As much as she likes to stay in this small world, every once a while she hears her mother banging the door of this world, asking her when will this stop! Laughs Jasmine, “Oh ma, she keeps asking me tu ki khateya ah gaana ga ke. She wants to know when I will stop all this!”

Since Jasmine is still giving one hit song after the other, it clearly means her mother hasn’t said good work yet. “She hasn’t, and I wouldn’t want her to say that,” Jasmine smiles.

From singing tracks that have become chart-busters to writing meaningful lyrics that have highlighted issues in society, this free-spirited singer does not let the market or the business drive her. “Why would I even let market dictate my creativity? This does not mean I don’t give my fans what they want. Often I put up a post asking what my fans want me to sing, and then I take it up likewise. But yes, I can’t let commercial happenings sabotage my work,” she signs off.

jasmine@tribunemail.com