MUMBAI:India's leading creator-led live entertainment commerce platform Roposo, celebrated the finale of its maiden Live singing competition, ‘The MIC’.

Radioandmusic got in touch with Gaurav Gerera to know his experience during Roposo The MIC and his thoughts on platforms like Roposo promoting upcoming musicians. Recently, creator-led live entertainment commerce platform Roposo, celebrated the finale of its maiden Live singing competition, ‘The MIC’.

Check the interview below:

1. Please tell us more about yourself and your musical journey till now.  

For the past ten years, I have been training in music, however, I didn’t get a big break to showcase my talent until Roposo’s The MIC. I am grateful though that I got a start with a unique format like Roposo MIC as it’s the first live singing competition, wherein the contestants performed live with live voting and interaction from the audience. Prior to pursuing music professionally, I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy and worked in a corporate for a year. Although I enjoyed my time there, I knew music was my real calling and there was a point in my life, where I strongly felt that I should create my own purpose in life. With music being close to my heart, I turned to it, and it became my lifeline. I took up singing full time and there has been no turning back ever since.
 
2. At what age did your interest in music develop?

I had just finished the 10th grade when I started playing the guitar as a hobby and that’s when I began to develop an interest in music. It was 2010 back then and I was sixteen years old at that time.

3. How do you feel about the independent music scene in India?

I think it's fascinating. However, in contrast to the West, there are few independent artists who become famous in India. There are a lot of independent musicians in western countries and while they begin as independent musicians, they are signed by labels soon and go on to achieve greater success in their music careers. However, in India, such a culture is yet to emerge and I'm excited to be a member of the indie artist movement. I see it expanding in the future as more people recognise the importance of independent music. Some mediums like live entertainment platform Roposo for instance that is a digital destination for pop culture is making great efforts to identify different genres, artists, and subcultures that will help niche music segments explore new avenues.

4. What are your thoughts on platforms like Roposo promoting upcoming musicians?

I think platforms like Roposo which is a creator-led live entertainment commerce platform, is not only changing the way people are consuming music, but also creating music. In fact, the platform is attempting to unite a community of music lovers by enabling them to listen to a variety of musical genres, while interacting with their favourite artists in real-time and in an engaging manner. They have multiple unique IPs of their own like Star Track, Indie Rhythm, Roposo The MIC, as well as JamRoom, which is an association with Bollywood’s renowned composer and lyricist Pritam Chakraborty’s Jam 8 and Sony Music. Roposo also works with various events ingrained in pop culture that appeal to music enthusiasts as their live entertainment partner wherein the entire event is live streamed on Roposo and Glance along with select Roposo creators performing at the venue and their artists on live shows on Roposo and Glance. All this not only helps the platform entertain its users but also helps to promote talent and enables artists to grow. What’s more is that Roposo has recognised the importance of music in pop culture and Gen Z’s life and hence, they regularly host musical events and live shows. On World Music Day, they dedicated an entire day showcasing our country's musical variety by bringing together several musicians across different genres and their fans during its 24-hour, nonstop music festival.

5. How was your experience during Roposo The MIC?

It was an exhilarating and surreal experience! I was very excited to sign up for the competition. Throughout the season, I learned a lot and did so many things that I have never done before. For example, it was the first time I did a live stream in my life, but I worked towards getting better at it, engaging with the audience more and did well in a live show format, I think. It is incredible that one platform can bring so many talented people together. While I enjoyed performing throughout the season, the finale was the highlight for sure. It was divided into four segments - a duet, a chorus, a collective segment, and finally the Medley Mashup. The top 3 finalists then went head-on in the presence of a live audience on Glance and Roposo, who voted in real-time through polls. I still remember that nervous moment when the winner was going to be announced, But as soon as they announced it, and I realised I was the winner of Roposo’s ‘The MIC - Season 1,’ I was over the moon!

6. You have won an internship with JAM8 Studios. How do you feel about being a part of Pritam's own studio?

Every morning when I wake up, I see the Roposo The MIC trophy beside me, and I smile. It is still difficult for me to believe that I did this, that I won. But with this win, I know I have more opportunities coming my way. It’s amazing that today we have live entertainment platforms like Roposo that can help us interact with audiences live and give our careers this kind of an impetus. It has also provided so many more opportunities post winning like the internship with JAM8 Studios. Which I think is one of my biggest achievements and I can’t wait to learn from the musical maestro himself. In fact, I have grown up listening to Pritam sir’s songs and I cannot even fathom how it will feel when I get to meet and work with him. I am really excited about what is in store for me, what I will learn, and how I will be able to add value to his work. What’s more is that I have also got the opportunity to stream multiple live shows on Roposo, which will help me to reach out to millions of users through some exclusive jam sessions and audience interactions, that will be simulcasted on Glance as well. All this will surely help me grow as an artiste and be instrumental in setting up a good foundation for my future professionally.

7. Do you feel artists should choose platforms like Roposo to promote their music? What benefits do you think they offer?

Every artist needs to be proactive in promoting their talent and a leading creator-led live commerce entertainment platform like Roposo definitely helps them reach a greater audience because of its user base and reach with access to millions. I recollect that we had almost 1.17 million viewers tune in to the Roposo MIC finale! A music creator like me is always on the lookout for an audience to showcase our talent, to entertain them, and to develop a direct connection with them. Roposo provides artists with this opportunity to connect with a huge audience like never before. In fact, musicians also get a chance to interact with their fans through live polls, sharing stickers, and different ways of participation, and that makes for a warmer and friendlier engagement. This is a novel concept and not everyone is doing it right now. So Roposo is truly promoting artists and helping us grow in a unique way.