‘Have no regrets’

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US-based Devika Chawla, 34, the first Indian vocalist to appear in an Apple product, is looking forward to touring India.

Going away from home
I left for the US to pursue my undergraduate degree — it was exciting and sad at the same time. But there was a whole new world of learning and opportunity ahead. Being in the US exposed me to new genres of music and experimentation that led me to collaborate with artists such as Bohemia on Ek Tera Pyar and Holmes Ives on Aaja Piya.

Music and Devika
Music and I go back a long way, to when I was 7 years old. I came home from school one day and announced to my mother that I wanted to learn how to sing. Fortunately for me, it wasn’t just a calling, but also a natural flair I had.
With support and encouragement from my parents, I started my vocal training along with basic theory classes, advancing afterward to Hindustani classical music. I still recall my first solo performance while I was in Modern School — instead of singing a classical composition, I sang Chhoti Si Asha. I was blown away by the audience response!
I can still vividly remember jumping up and down with joy when my song Kehnde Ne Naina from my first solo album aired on MTV. My second solo album Saari Raat released simultaneously in India and Pakistan, and topped the non-film/pop music charts in both countries. I have since been collaborating with producers and artists from all over the world, including Zohaib Kazi from Coke Studio Pakistan, Bohemia and others.

Association with Apple
I got a call from the Music Director at Apple, who had heard my music on my YouTube channel, and liked my style and voice for a very special and ‘secretive’ project. I was flown down to Los Angeles to work with the project team to help compose, write and record a track that would become the Bollywood trailer for the Apple iMovie App for iPad and iPhone. The App was released earlier this year, the Bollywood Trailer is one of the nine default trailers in the iMovie App, and the only Apple music product to use Indian vocals.

One person you want to sing a duet with
There are many artists I would like to collaborate with, but maybe someone like Mohit Chauhan would be fun. I think he has a distinct style and it would be interesting to mix and match our respective styles and create something unique.

Dreams and life
More music and more concerts! I’m very excited about my upcoming tour in India —while I have performed in India many times, this will be the first consolidated tour that will hit the major metros.

Your personal life mantra
Have no regrets, don’t give yourself the opportunity to ask “What-if”!