I stole the song from my dad: Shefali

She has grown up playing with jazz singer, her father Joe Alvares and Louis Banks on stage, the duo having been a major influence on this 20-something singer, who is known for her passionate and energetic performances on stage. “I get the energy from my father. I am not even half as energetic as he is! What he used to listen to has influence me too.

Tell her that there are no real RnB artistes around and she adds, “I used to listen to a lot of Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston and other black musicians, their music and gospel music.”

No wonder then, that her  first album — I Am — is a mix these varied influences. It’s an alternative space, far from her girl band days when she was 18.

Since then Shefali has been performing with Gino Banks on drums, Sheldon on bass, Javis or Sangeet Haldipur on keyboard, Indrajeet Daboo on guitar and Chanin as a backing vocalist. 

“Though I have been performing with them for five years, sometimes the musicians change due to individual commitments,” she says.

So now the singer’s first alternative rock album, half of which is available for download, has songs that she has worked on, over the last four years as it took a while for this young singer and composer to find her sound. “It’s kind of an alternative rock space with grungy rock elements and elctro. It has some jazz too and is an amalgamation of all my influences,” admits Shefali, adding, “I want to go a bit more electronic. But, I can’t perform without a band, so I’ll have to maintain a balance between laptop generated music and live musicians!”

The album has a bluesy number too, composed by her father.  “I stole the song from my dad. I really loved it,” smiles Shefali.