Downtime: How Bhartiya Urban's CEO-Residential Ashwinder R. Singh discovered his passion for music

Aashwinder R. Singh, CEO-Residential at Bhartiya Urban, an integrated urban township in Bengaluru, is a passionate singer. So much so that in his previous job at Citibank, he was referred to as the ‘Singing Sikh’. “I have always loved singing. It was only when I moved to Bengaluru that I recorded a song and put it up on YouTube. Much to my surprise, it got over 60,000 views,” says the 48-year-old.

The YouTube response encouraged him to record another song. “We recorded a Punjabi folk song, called Pyar Nal Na Sahi. There was a lot of positive response. Spotify took that song and I became a verified artist on Spotify.”

A friend ended up sharing the recording with someone at Saregama and they got in touch with him to record a song with them. “So I recorded the third song. They launched it on their YouTube channel, Apple Music and Spotify,” says Singh, adding that the song got very good feedback and soon Saregama asked him to record a Punjabi song. He sang a Jagjit Singh song called Chulle Agg but made it groovy. “It too received very positive feedback.”

Busy with work, Singh says he has not had a chance to go back to the studio, though he hopes to record an original song in the next few months. “I am doing it with a friend who has written and composed it. It’s melodious,” he says. “A lot of people sing but to get professional acclaim is a big high.”

While Singh is completely self-trained, he would like to learn the nuances of singing from a guru. “Singing is meditative for me. It is relaxing. It also makes me very balanced. I believe… music helps me appreciate the nuances of life in a more holistic manner.” 

@smitabw