SRIRAM RAVISHANKAR
A1
Artistry !
Singer-Coach Suzanne D ’ Mello , the genie behind the musical Aladdin ’ s “ CDlike ” sounding cast unwinds
Until the success of Disney ’ s Beauty and the Beast three years ago , who knew India had such an appreciation for Broadway styled musicals ? Sure , audiences are still comparing it to traditional cinematic experiences , but seeing people show up in such big numbers for a musical that was only debuting was phenomenal . While the grandeur of the musical had the audiences raving , everybody including the team at Disney Theatrical took notice of playback singer-vocal coach Suzanne D ’ Mello ’ s work in training the cast to sound like it was being played from a CD on stage . Many celebrities and even insiders including Madhuri Dixit refused to believe that the actors sang their lines live !
“ Audiences are so spoilt by lipsyncing actors in our movies , that coming to terms with all the actors singing , dancing , and acting simultaneously on stage can get overwhelming . Having said that , looking at the kind of response I ’ ve personally received for both the musicals , Indian audiences seem to always surprise the world with their appreciation towards something totally new ! With these large-scale productions having set the ball rolling , I ’ m looking forward to a lot of smaller-scale productions to take centerstage and engage our audiences in ways beyond entertainment ,” said D ’ Mello lovingly with a gentle smile across her face .
Anybody would find it hard to believe that Beauty and the Beast was D ’ Mello ’ s first official coaching project . Talking about Aladdin , she said , “ I remember being told , “ When it comes to voice coaching , there can be NO compromise . We want Suzanne ! Only she can do this with just 3 months to prepare ,” by the Disney team . Their confidence in me really motivated me to give it my all . We worked on building on each actor ' s strengths . The entire cast was a very musical one . So , all had some musical training , be it Hindustani , or Carnatic , or Gospel , or just a couple in Musical Theatre . We used various breathing techniques coupled with physical exercises to build their vocal stamina and worked on expanding their vocal range . By using various techniques , we ensured their singing styles communicated the music to the audiences in the way it was written .”
D ’ Mello , who has been in the industry for over 25 years now has worked with all the biggies including AR , Pritam , Ilayaraja , Harris Jayaraj , Yuvan Shankar Raja , Salim-Sulaiman , Anu Malik , Bappi Lahiri , Vishal-Shekar , and many others . Her stamp in the industry was with the hit song “ Mahiya ” from “ Awaarapan ” after her debut with Pritam ’ s “ Khalish ” from “ Chocolate ”. The success of “ Mahiya ” rocketed Suzanne on the wish-lists of every music director who wanted to get their songs sung in her extremely versatile voice . Her collaboration with AR for various projects including “ Slumdog Millionaire ” put D ’ Mello ’ s voice on the international map . She was also a part of AR ’ s “ Jai Ho Tour ”.
Reminiscing about her journey so far , “ I was thoroughly invested in coaching these musicals and honoring the new-found flavor to my musical personality . Although my playback did take a backseat for a while , I have equally enjoyed exploring this side to me . It ’ s hard to explain my love for voice coaching and playback that I feel so differently . Many even thought I stopped singing ! ( laughs ) Till date , I sing backing vocals , do vocal arrangement , coach students , sing songs , write songs , and even fill in as a lyricist sometimes . Each of these are uniquely joyful . To me , latitudinal growth is far more exciting than linear .”
D ’ Mello is currently working on her debut album with both co-artists she has grown with over the years and new producers in the industry . The album is scheduled to release early 2019 with a few singles releasing later this year .
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