'I was born to be a musician,' says Yash Kapoor
Are you from a musical family?
No. Although my late grandfather was an actor and my father was quite active in the theatre scene. He had also acted in some TV serials in Doordarshan back in 1995.
What made you decide to pursue a career in entertainment?
I think I was born to be a musician. As a kid I would always collect music cassettes, CDs and listen to music for hours at a stretch which I guess later shaped mu musical sensibilities.
Who was your first music teacher?
My first teacher was Ustaad Yaqoob Khan. In fact, it was he who identified my passion for music. He gave me a keyboard and taught me Western music theories to help me understand musical arrangements.
What skills have you learnt that helped you in your singing career?
Growing up, I learnt Hindustani classical vocals, which has helped me a lot. Also, I am a music producer. I spend most of my time in the studio working with different artistes constantly learning from them which helps me a lot with my singing.
What kind of singer would you classify yourself as?
Looking at the ever-evolving world of music, it’s difficult to categorise myself. I want to explore as much as I can and sing different kinds of songs, try out different genres.
What has been the best performance of your career so far?
I think the best is yet to come. From the memory, I would say it was when I performed in a reality show in front of AR Rahman sir. It was surreal.
From the industry, who is your inspiration?
Many actually, I would say. AR Rahman, Pritam, Shankar Ehsaan Loy are among my favourite composers. I grew up listening to them and wanting to make music like them.
For aspiring singers, what skills do you think are useful in the music industry?
I think people who have diversified their skill set are going to be the most successful in the coming years. If you can compose, produce and sing your own songs, you can totally go ahead in your career without having the need to constantly pitch your work to people.
What is one message that you would like to give to your fans?
I would like to say a big thank you to all my listeners, for giving Teeja so much love. There is a lot more coming your way.
