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  • 11 months ago
Veekash Sahadeo is making his mark. As he prepares for the Chutney Soca Monarch finals, he shares his journey, inspirations, and passion for music. Alexander bruzual has our Carnival Capsule.
Transcript
00:00Carnival Capsule is brought to you by Digicel, Digicel, the bigger, better network.
00:30It actually started at a very tender age for me, at the age of 9 I started to compete in
00:52school competitions and I always had that passion for music growing up and my dad being
00:57into music as well.
00:59By 16, Sahadeo was performing at weddings, receptions and private events, honing his
01:04craft in front of intimate gatherings.
01:07But it was in 2009 that his career took a major turn when he made it to the finals of
01:12a Chutney Star competition.
01:14And then in 20, I believe 2009 I entered a Chutney Star competition where I was a finalist
01:22and for me that was where it all started for me and being able to start a tour, going to
01:27different countries and you know, more so getting a lot of mainstream events as well
01:31to perform at.
01:32While live performances are his passion, Sahadeo takes great pride in his songwriting.
01:38Initially performing covers of Chutney legends, he eventually made the decision to write and
01:44produce his own music.
01:45I started to write my own music and then straight into the competition, I then decided that
01:52listen, I want to take it to a different level.
01:53I started to write my own music, started to compose original music as well.
01:58That has always been something that I'm very passionate about and I always look forward
02:02to, especially for competitions as well, I look forward to producing original music,
02:07which to me is very important.
02:08A major part of Sahadeo's creative process happens in the studio, where he works closely
02:14with his producer Rishi Mahatu and other collaborators to create infectious melodies that audiences
02:21can't help but sing along to.
02:23Please don't get too attached, I don't know if I can handle that, my heart was broken
02:28before and I don't want to hurt no more.
02:31Everybody say la la la la la la, la la la la la la, la la la la la la, la la la la la la.
02:40My favorite part of getting into the whole scope of creativity would be going into studio
02:47with my producer Rishi Mahatu, I work closely as well with KI, KI and the band.
02:52We work as a team but actually being in studio, coming up with melodies, creating the beats,
02:58the instrumental part of it is also very much important, ensuring that we have a melody
03:02that persons would be able to sing along to, be able to remember and we also kind of visualize
03:08the stage when we're in that process to ensure that we can see that effect, we can see the
03:14impact that it's going to have even before we put out that final product.
03:19With over 45 songs recorded, Sahadeo refuses to pick a favorite, as he embraces versatility
03:26in his work, spanning Bollywood covers, traditional chutney and even Sokha.
03:31Seeka nahi sabag tune pyaar ka, tu jane kya maza intizaar ka, Seeka nahi sabag tune pyaar ka, tu jane kya maza intizaar ka
03:46However, despite his accomplishments, 2024 was a year of personal loss for Sahadeo.
03:53In November, he lost his father, a man he describes as his biggest supporter.
03:59The deeply personal experience inspired his 2025 release, Batao Balam.
04:15I actually lost my dad. My dad was, I would say, my biggest supporter, and for me it was a bit of
04:20a setback. So coming down to the end of the year when I would usually release music, I kind of
04:26hold things back a little bit. I tried to, of course, allow myself some time to think about
04:31the way forward, but I know that my dad would always support my career, support the movement,
04:37and whatever it is I'm doing. And I started to go into a zone where I'm thinking,
04:44what did my dad really enjoy? What, you know, what he really wanted to hear from me?
04:49And I said to myself he would be really proud to hear, one, a song that is original,
04:55but two, with that traditional aspect as well.
04:58Teaming up with artists like lyrical and writer Krishna Prasad Maharaj,
05:03Sahadeo set out to create a song that seemly blends chutney and soba.
05:19When you listen to the composition, when you listen to the melodies as well,
05:23we have that perfect combination of chutney and soka, where you get that traditional
05:28chutney sound, but then you also get a really nice different take on it when you hear a lyrical
05:34part on the song. As he prepares to step onto the grand stage once again this year for the seventh
05:40time, Sahadeo is embracing the high level of competition, which includes some of the bigger
05:46names in the industry. Competing against some of the biggest names, and we're not talking about
05:51just in the chutney arena, but now this year in particular we've got Marshall Montano,
05:56and we also have Ricky Jai, who's a nine-time winner. It's really refreshing to be back into
06:01the competition. Sahadeo has placed second and third in previous competitions, but this year
06:07he's aiming for the top spot.
06:21Carnival Capsule was brought to you by Digicel. Digicel, the bigger, better network.
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