Meet Eshani Music: Artist/Songwriter/Performer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eshani Music and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eshani, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
You take a risk every day when you wake up everyday and realize who you were yesterday isn’t the same person you are next day. We are constantly evolving and changing and accepting who we are as we move forward in life is a risk we take every day. I believe taking risk is necessary and it is the only way to grow and learn. I have never been the type of person to stay in my comfort zone for too long. I took a risk when it came to giving up everything to focus on my music career which is a passion by itself. Born in India, growing up in the middle east, risk isn’t something that is encouraged. I was always told to play it safe. Get a business degree, focus on business management or Human Resources and that is what I did. I followed the norm for a while until I realized that I couldn’t and can’t do that anymore. I wasn’t happy. I never believed in doing a 9 to 5 job. It just wasn’t me. Luckily, my parents understood that and I was and am blessed enough to get their support for my passion for music. I started writing my own songs in the year 2016 and I had released an Album which was produced by Mohammad Rayan Bailouni by 2018 in Dubai. Taking the risk to not follow the societal norm and not being afraid to put myself out there and follow my passion for music got me to write my own music which gave me a huge platform to allow myself to be my true self and express my emotions the way I wanted to. By releasing my first Album, I learned to love myself and stand up for myself but I knew it was still and is a process as I am constantly evolving as an Artist and as a person with emotions and experiences. I won’t lie, but I was asked by people I used to call friends “So, what are you up to now? Do you have a job, or are you still doing music for fun?”. It’s funny how you’re never taken seriously for following a profession in the Art field. However, as time progressed I managed to land interviews on a couple of well known Radio Stations in Dubai called Virgin Radio, City 101.6 and DanceFM and it was this amazing feeling knowing that taking the risk to follow my passion was finally paying off and it felt great. Moreover, in collaboration with Mangal Suvarnan, we managed to get signed on a track he produced to Armin Van Buuren’s Label called Armada Music and I just knew that I was meant to do music and that I couldn’t give up now. I had the opportunity to be an opening act for DURAN DURAN at the Dubai Music Jazz Festival, got featured on a magazine called Khaleej Times in Dubai. As time progressed, I decided to take a risk and go to Los Angeles in 2019 to further my knowledge and career in music and I went to Musician’s Institute and got a degree in Vocal Performance with an emphasis in the Independent Artist Program. For two years I learnt so much with singing, performing and developing my brand and self as an Artist. The biggest revelation I had was to embrace my culture and where I came from which I was ashamed of in the past growing up but I now embrace myself and so far I have done a music video in LA, worked on a song called “Better Than You” which was produced by Benzo Lombardo. If Covid hadn’t happened, I had a couple of well known gigs lined up too. The risk paid off because I am now a Woman and an Artist that knows what she wants and how to get it. Anyway, I had to come back to Dubai in November 2020 due to Covid for a little while and as I am currently here I decided to work on another Album and this time I am embracing my true self, my roots and I’d like to say that “I don’t fit a Culture, I am the culture”. The title of this Album is called “Not Your Typical Brown Girl” and I will let my music speak for itself. Taking a risk to come back here and pursue music once again, I am loving the process. This Album is going to be New, Different, Bold, Vulnerable and Raw.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve been singing since I was 13, I started writing my own music in the year 2016 and have released an Album called W.O.H. (Why Own Her) in Dubai produced by Rayan Bailouni and I always go by “Believe In Yourself When No One Else Will”. Coming from an Indian Background, I never truly was “Indian enough”. Born in India and growing up in Dubai, I had diverse cultural experiences and I sort of had an identity crisis for a while. I moved to Los Angeles towards the end of 2018 and it was a roller coaster of experiences in life and music. After my first album release, I recorded a single called “Better Than You” with Benzo Lombardo in Los Angeles and did a music video for it with a videographer named TianLiu and had an amazing team of creatives as my team and this song is going to be a part of my upcoming album called “Not Your Typical Brown Girl” which I am currently working on. My new single “Better Than You” from my upcoming Album called “Not Your Typical Brown Girl” is about embracing my differences, being in my power, embracing my sexuality and freedom of self. My experiences have been varied and it took me a while to really understand who I am as an Artist and simply put I Am Not Your Typical Brown Girl. My upcoming album which I am truly excited about has elements of my roots of Indian and Middle eastern influences and is in the genre of RnB/Pop.

“I Don’t Fit A Culture, I Am The Culture”, I struggled quite a bit growing up and finding my passion for music. My share of experiences ranged from being bullied, to being told I wasn’t good enough, not fitting in, from being molested, heartbreaks and that inevitably turned me into a “people pleaser”. However, I have been blessed enough to learn and grow. While writing my first album, I had health issues for a while and it continued on and off even while I was in Los Angeles. It wasn’t easy to finally tell myself that I was meant for music despite my throat acting up every other month. But I made sure to never give up and despite all of these challenges, I refused to give up. Overcoming these challenges was a process of self love, supporting yourself and believing in yourself and knowing that you are capable of so much more than you think. The go getter mentality has always been within me and once I put my heart to something, I never give up especially music that is my passion which got me through the most toughest of times. I learned that I needed to own who I was. “Own Who You Are And Never Apologize For It”. Don’t allow people to tell you who you are or make you feel less than about yourself. I was able to break out of the mindset of being too afraid and scared of being who I am by being loud and bold, whilst embracing my power in self love and empowerment by breaking societal barriers. My upcoming Album called “Not Your Typical Brown Girl” produced by Rayan Bailouni in Dubai and Benzo Lombardo in Los Angeles is Bold, Vulnerable and speaks the truth of who I am and my evolution and growth as an Artist as I embrace my indifferences and turn them into Strengths. Another single from my upcoming album called “Psych Anxiety” is truly the most vulnerable I have been and this is a journey by itself that I finally aim to embrace as a part of who I am. It highlights pain, emotions, highs and lows, heart break, culture and more and I can’t wait for whats to come. I am proud of how far I’ve come in terms of evolving as a person, an Artist, my sound, my culture, having opportunities to be interviewed by Virgin Radio, DanceFm, City101.6, performing and opening for Duran Duran at the Dubai music Jazz Fest was one of my proudest most freeing moments and I honestly can’t wait for more. #NotYourTypicalBrownGirl

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Some of the most fun places I would take them to would be to the Malibu Beach, Glendale Galleria where you get to dine in front of a water fountain, then I would take them to Universal studios, Griffith Park observatory, followed by a walk down the Hollywood Boulevard and then go for a movie at Universal City walk and/or at the Chinese Theatre. I would then take them for drinks to Mama Shelter, go and watch live performances at Mint LA, have dinner at Beverley Hills, Downtown LA, go shopping on Melrose Ave and Downtown and probably even go hiking at Runyon.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are quite a few people that have been and are a part of my journey. My parents and brother for being so supportive of my career and providing me with everything I could ever ask for. Secondly, the Producers/Artists I have worked with, Mangal Suvarnan, Rayan Bailouni and Benzo Lombardo. Moreover, my team since day one in terms of Make up artists; Joanna Sutari, Matt Chapelli and Shaylanay. Artists and Creatives; Jadore Monay, Sophia Gascoigne, Jae, Janelle, Tabby, Sam Hall, Madeleine Hall, Zahraa Ben, Bella Skyller, Vedant Joshi, Alejandro Amezquita, Jawann Blanchey, Clark Sims, Nolan Sloan, IbbyVK, Pedro Asfora, Tamara, Kaylee Herring, Mali Nalli, Mrunmayee, Ehab Eazy Ismail, FreekTv, Adi Ateeth, Prem Kumar, Alexandra Fiscus, DanceFm Team, Armada Music, Armin Van Buuren, Virgin Radio team, City 101.6 team. Mentors; Anika Peress, Colin Reid, Jessica Louise, Alexx Daye, Jonathan George, Katsuya Sezaki, Lauren Pardini, Nick M. Casale, Albert Shaw and Big Hass. There are so many people that have really been a part of my previous and upcoming music projects and here are a few.

Website: https://www.eshaniofficial.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eshanimusic

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/eshanimusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eshanimusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/eshanimusic

Image Credits
1) Levi Walker 2) Yasara Gunawerdena 3) Elin Viictoria 4) Meg Ravishankar