Singer-composer-musician Shekhar Ravjiani recently went through a traumatic experience when he lost his voice. “I lost my voice two years ago – it was diagnosed as Left Vocal Cord Paresis. I was devastated and was certain that I would never be able to sing again. It was the most traumatic feeling not to be able to do what I loved the most. Like a big part of me had been taken away. Through God’s grace and the efforts and guidance of Dr. Erin Walsh in the US, I was able to overcome this obstacle and regain my voice and my ability to sing. It was nothing short of a miracle. I felt the need to share this deeply personal experience as I felt that people facing a similar predicament could derive a lot of strength and hope from knowing that there is a light at the end of every tunnel. Today I am fully healed and cured and able to sing even better than before.”
The experience has made Shekhar a better human being. “If there is one thing that I believe, it is that with the right guidance, the love and prayers of your family and well-wishers, and your own faith in God, you can overcome anything that life throws at you. Another huge takeaway for me was never ever to take anything for granted. We are all so blessed and we must spend more time appreciating and valuing what we have rather than complaining. Every moment and gift that life gives you is precious. I am no expert but it is true that musicians are more at risk of developing hearing disorders and other health problems due to their exposure to loud music and the high sound levels they produce while playing instruments or performing at concerts. However, what I went through could have happened to anyone as it was a physiological condition. Singers are bound to be more deeply affected by such a setback as their voices are their instruments.”
The past few years have been especially rewarding for Shekhar. “The past couple of years have been the most creatively rewarding for me. From releasing close to thirty independent songs through my own record label, Garuudaa Musiic to mentoring talented kids around the world through my music school , The Shekhar Ravjiani School of Music. More recently I have been proudly standing by my daughter Bipasha who has started her own Commercial Dance Studio – EIGHT STUDIOS in Bandra which is already making big waves! I can truly say is that I’ve been living my dream and have never felt happier or more alive. “
Adding, “I love to challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone now and then. Acting in Ram Madhvani’s Neerja did that for me and was an experience I will always cherish. To work with such amazingly talented folk and to learn so much was a gift in itself and I have some wonderful memories of working in the film.I do enjoy acting and dabble in it now and then but my music and singing will always occupy centre stage for me. I am nevertheless open to small detours now and then and am always look for new ways to learn and grow. I am all geared up for my next year of independent songs for Garuudaa Musiic and looking forward to performing the songs LIVE very soon. Apart from that I have workshops planned all over the world for the kids from my music school, loads of concerts where we get to connect with our beautiful listeners and some other interesting projects in the pipeline which you will hear about very soon.”
About his partnership with Vishal Dadlani, Shekhar affirms, “We are and will always be brothers and our partnership stands strong where it always has.”
