Poonam Singh’s effortlessness in her powerful vocals and infectious personality are somewhat a façade. Why? Because she is way more than that. Her concrete determination to become one of Guyana’s most talented singers has met with challenges; however she has overcome these with cadence.
In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Poonam mentioned that singing was and still is an art that is embedded in her.
“It’s kind of like I was born with it, and I’m sure it’s going to stay with me for eternity. My parents do sing beautifully also, however, they only sing Bhajans (religious songs),” she noted.
Poonam recalled between ages 11 and 13 she entered the National Gita Competition three times. She had to recite full chapters of the Bhagvad Gita in Hindi and won all three times not only by reciting it without looking at the book, but by singing it instead of speaking it.
Then in 2011/12, after participating in the GT&T (now GTT) Jingle and Song Competition, Poonam decided a year later to begin doing covers of famous songs, which she posted on Facebook. These captured a lot of attention nationwide and internationally. Consequently, she started working on original songs.
The first song she wrote was actually the one she recently released, “Christmas Wish”. The song was written and recorded, but because she was 16 at the time the song was left as is because as a solo artiste, as she continues to be, she lacked the finances to pay for the production of her music. Fortunately, things changed after she was hired for random gigs and performances in and out of Guyana. She was able to accumulate enough finances to sponsor the production of her songs. This change in her financial situation finally saw the release of “Christmas Wish” this month just in time for the festive season. Poonam explained that the song is as joyful as she had written it to be when she was 16. It was produced by Drew Thoven and the video production was done by her “amazing friend and skilful photographer/videographer”, Saajid Husani.
Another song the singer was able to finance its production was her hit patriotic song, “GUYANA”. She revealed that although the song said “sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism”, which she mentioned only contributed its words, she had to pay for the entire production of the music video.
Though music is her passion, Poonam equally values her academic pursuits. She graduated with a diploma in Communication Studies at the University of Guyana and is currently a third year law student at the University of London (international programme).
“I don’t think that education is the key to success as there are countless other keys to success. However, it is extremely beneficial to have your education because it adds to your credentials, it enables you to think critically and logically in situations and it teaches you to be able to stay determined and focus towards your goals in life. I’m studying law; however I do not plan to become a lawyer. I just want to be smart enough to make my own decisions and know exactly what I’m doing when it comes to my music career,” she admitted.
Poonam explained she is studying law to complement her music career because when she was 16 she was “tricked by a lot of people in the entertainment industry”. Having a background in law is a security measure because she said when she becomes an international singer she would be equipped to read her own contracts.
The singer described herself as a type of person who does not like to limit herself to just one goal. In her life, anything her heart desires to pursue she pursues, with love. She loves law and she loves singing.
Poonam pointed out that her determination has helped her garner over 47,000 followers on Facebook, which she claims to be the only female artiste to accomplish at present. But it is not just about numbers for Poonam. Through social media, she uses her voice to give others a voice as she seeks to empower and spread happiness through her music.
“Music is not something you can just work on it today and then leave it to work again the next month. You have to constantly be at it, because people, your own fans, are going to forget you. One day, I know many people will remember me for not for what I said to them, but for how I made them feel by using my voice. I know that people will be happy and will feel loved after they listen to the thoughts I put down and vocalise in words. I know that one day I will accomplish the greatest reward of all that I am doing and will continue to do, and that is genuine love,” Poonam expressed.
Experiencing how tough the music industry can be and overcoming those obstacles, Poonam’s advice for young singers is to “work hard”. Also, she said to incessantly post videos on social media of yourself singing or something to keep your fans (no matter how big or small your crowd is) entertained and updated on your music.
“I do not wish for material things for they have no true meaning to me. But how I make people feel through my music means more than anything. I’m very religious and have always believed that no matter what you do in life always has God as your constant because he will never deceive you,” Poonam declared.
The songstress plans to continue to release more videos in the coming months and encourages fans to look out for “something big” to be released soon.
You can get updates on Poonam Singh page on Facebook. To listen to her recent single, search for Poonam Singh – CHRISTMAS WISH on YouTube. (Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)
