Vasuda Sharma: ‘Chandu ke Chacha’ singer is carving a niche as an indie artiste

Remember Chandu ke Chacha ne Chandu ki Chachi ko? The pop song, crooned by the first mixed pop band in India—Aasma—became a youth anthem in 2004. The band emerged from the second season of the reality show, Coke (V) Popstars, with singer-songwriter Vasuda Sharma, Bollywood musician Neeti Mohan, keyboard player Sangeet Haldipur, and singer-songwriter Jimmy Felix as its members. 

The pop music group also opened for legend Bryan Adams’ concert in Delhi and Bengaluru in 2004. Although there were rumours of the group disbanding shortly after their second album, the singers decided to follow their independent trajectories as indie pop faded away. 

After Aasma, Vasuda Sharma did multiple solo gigs and was also the music director of the 2011 Bollywood film, Shahrukh Bola Khubsurat Hai Tu. She also went on to study music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, US the next year. 

Her debut album Attuned Spirits was devoted to folk fusion and was one of India’s biggest crowdfunded indie albums of its time, with collaborations with peers from Berklee raising over Rs 5 lakh on the crowd-funding platform Wishberry in 2013.

Sharma has performed at various international music festivals, including Holland India Festival (2015-2018), Iomma, Sakifo (Reunion Island) (2018), and Miniere Sonore (Cagliari) (2018), among others. Currently, she is part of a pop fusion band, ‘Sharma And The Besharmas’ that infuses tunes from various musical instruments to create melodic music. 

She also recently released a solo single, Manwa Bhaagey, a Hindi fusion song written and composed by her. Another song, Kataar Mein, composed in collaboration with her band, is a satirical piece that humorously reflects on the never-ending experience of standing and waiting in queues throughout our lives.  

In a chat with YS Life, Sharma calls herself a ‘boundary breaker’ having performed on stage as well as behind-the-scenes as a songwriter and music producer. 

Excerpts from the interview: 

YS Life (YSL): You were a part of one of India’s popular mixed pop bands, Aasma. How was the experience to create an instant connect with the youth? 

Vasuda Sharma (VS): Getting selected on an all-India level talent hunt and being a part of Aasma was truly an exhilarating and life-changing experience. The journey from auditioning to achieving success on such a grand scale was filled with highs and lows, but ultimately, it was incredibly rewarding to work with the best professionals in the music industry. Our songs, Chandu Ke Chacha and Tumse Hi Pyaar became the pop anthems of that time.

YSL: How has your journey been from being a pop star to an independent musician?

VS: Pop star life had glamour and fame, performing in sold-out concerts and having chart-topping hits. 

Over the years, I had a creative awakening while writing and composing music that reflected my innermost thoughts, feelings and experiences. I yearned to explore different genres and experiment with my sound, which motivated me to go to Berklee College of Music, Boston. 

Recording my first album Attuned Spirits in Boston and witnessing my own songs and arrangements come to life was a dream come true. I also toured and performed those songs in live music clubs and festivals all across India.

The best part of being an independent musician is staying true to your artistic vision and not compromising your creativity for commercial success.

YSL: How would you describe your music?

VS: My music is versatile and spans various genres. It is an expression of folk songs, bhajans and Hindustani classical music I was exposed to in my childhood, and pop-rock, jazz, blues and world music in the latter years. It has all contributed to a genre-defying style of music that focuses on storytelling, bringing varied emotions and perspectives to life. 

YSL: Tell us more about Attuned Spirits and how you crowdfunded it. 

VS: During my Berklee days, I wrote and arranged songs that I wanted to record with some of the finest musicians and friends studying there. That’s how Attuned Spirits was conceived. The album features over 30 musicians and 11 original compositions.

As an independent artiste, I required funds for the production, promotion and distribution of the album. Although crowdfunding was a little challenging since many didn’t understand the concept then, I was ecstatic to receive a positive response and managed to successfully achieve my target. 

YSL: Do you believe the indie music scene has evolved over the last decade? Is the industry more receptive to independent female musicians?

VS: The indie music scene has evolved significantly over the last decade. The term ‘indie’ originally referred to independent music produced and distributed by artistes and labels outside of major record labels. However, it has now grown into a diverse and thriving subculture within the music industry. 

The music industry is gradually becoming more receptive to independent female musicians. There is a growing acknowledgement of their talent and contributions, and efforts are being made to create a more inclusive and diverse space for all artistes.

YSL: You are also the first artiste in India to have mastered live looping.

VS: Live looping is a music technique where a performer creates and layers sound loops in real-time to build a multi-layered soundscape. It involves creating short sections or ‘loops’ using instruments and vocals, and playing them back in a repeating sequence. 

A solo artiste can single-handedly create a complex and dynamic musical arrangement and perform their own songs.

YSL: When did your band—Sharmas and the Besharmas—come to life and why the name?

VS: Till about 2015, my band was called ‘Vasuda Sharma Live’. I remember my bandmates and I were playing at the Lost Party festival and just chilling in the green room before our set. At that moment, we all began thinking of alternate names for our band to announce at the festival. Out of the lot, ‘Sharma And the Besharams’ had a unanimous vote.

The wordplay instantly worked, the title had a ring to it and it was also representative of the band’s music and identity—an amalgamation of urban flavour with a taste of colloquial desi-ness.

YSL: You have an independent music label, Song Nest. Are there any projects in the pipeline?

VS: I am really excited about a solo and one of my band’s singles under my own independent music label ‘Song Nest’. Manwa Bhaagey takes us on a nostalgic journey back to our carefree days when innocence and wonder filled our hearts. It paints a vivid picture of relishing the joy of childhood when imagination ran wild and every day was an adventure. 

Kataar Mein by Sharma and The Besharams serves as a light-hearted commentary on the repetitive nature of human existence. Through satire, the song encourages listeners to find humour in life’s mundane moments and offers a relatable perspective on the omnipresence of queues throughout our journey.