As a self-taught beatboxer, 24-year-old Divyansh Kacholia from Jaipur has come a long way in his music career. Today, he is a familiar face in the industry and has had the opportunity to collaborate with leading musicians of the country like Sunidhi Chauhan and Shaan.
The reality TV finalist feels folk beatboxing is what keeps him connected to his roots. He recently spoke with indianexpress.com about how he got introduced to beatboxing, his training process and his dedication towards making original music. Excerpts:
What made you want to pursue beatboxing?
I initially used to tap on benches and make music during classes; it was a school senior who introduced me to beatboxing. I taught myself how to beatbox. When I was 18, I performed live in front of an audience, and the rush of emotions I felt made me decide this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
What made you choose folk as the genre?
I have grown up listening to folk music, at weddings, parties and other events — it has influenced my music and my life from the very beginning. Folk is musically rich, I have loved making music with folk elements in it. It makes me feel a very strong connection to my roots.
How has the training process been like?
For the first six to seven years, I had no idea what I was doing. It was after I met Skiller (World Beatbox Champion) that I actually learnt how to better myself at this and the level of training and practice it would take to be as good. So then, I started increasing my practice hours to four-five and then to 12-14 hours a day.
You have worked with some popular musicians like Sunidhi Chauhan. Can you tell us some of your major learnings?
It’s been such a wild ride to be able to work with artistes whom I’ve admired all my life. To this day, I sometimes can’t believe I have had such crazy opportunities! Each of these artistes have taught me something valuable — from their approach to making music, to the intensity of their preparation for shows. I learnt a lot from working with Sunidhi ma’am, her rawness and authenticity have made me a better artist.
Most Indian parents want children to go the conventional way — academic success, good job, etc. How did your parents react?
My parents were obviously a little taken aback by my decision, especially since I was a really good student but as they watched me perform and receive appreciation from people around me, they accepted my choice and now they are my biggest cheerleaders.
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