‘I want to sing in my own style’

Singer DOMINIQUE CEREJO feels that she is different from crooners Sunidhi Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal

b_aveek@dnaindia.net
Dominique Cerejo is perhaps going through the best phase of her career. The singer has just delivered a hit song Ye Tumhari Meri Baatein from Rock On and says since then the compliments haven’t stopped.

“It’s a brand new feeling. Though I’ve been singing for years, it’s the first time that I have received so much appreciation. It seems strange sometimes because I am not used to all this,” she says.

On a lighter note, the mother of two says that her six-year-old daughter hasn’t thought too much about the song. “She finds it very funny,” says Dominique laughing.
Dominique began her career at a young age when she was in college performing at a prestigious 5 star night club. She then went on to wow audiences all over the country as she toured with various gig bands.

“I have always wanted to sing though I have not received any formal training in singing.
Whatever I learnt, it was by listening to a lot of music and a lot of singers,” she says.
Dominique was noticed by Ranjit Barot at an audition for Aladin. Since then there was no looking back. She sang for various ad jingles and also rendered the title track of Rendezvous With Simi Garewal. It wasn’t long before Bollywood producers came calling and Dominique was soon singing for AR Rahman, Remo Fernandez, Anu Malik, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Vishal Bhardwaj and Salim-Suleiman. She has sung for films like Ek Hasina Thi, Kyon Ho Gaya Na, Dhoom 2, Holiday, Taare Zameen Par and now Rock On.

Her interest in soul, funk, jazz and pop made it easy for her to switch from one genre to another. However, she doesn’t think that she can do full justice to a ‘mainstream Bollywood song’. “I have focused all my energy in honing my skills as a Western singer,” she says, adding, “I cannot do what Shreya (Ghoshal) or Sunidhi (Chauhan) does. They have set the bar so high. I don’t want to go down that road. I want to sing in my own style, my own sound and introduce that sound to the industry.”

Speaking about the present music scenario in India, Dominique feels it’s the best time to be a musician. “People are opening up to newer tunes and voices in Bollywood.
Alongside parallelly there is a separate rock music movement happening, which is independent of Bollywood. There have never been as many rock bands as there are today. And what’s remarkable is that all these bands are aiming for their own sounds,” she signs off.