MUMBAI: Allahabad based singer, Shashwat Singh, has debuted in Bollywood in a way that any new singer would dream of. Not only has he sung for the track ‘Wat Wat Wat’ from the Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone starrer ‘Tamasha’, but he has also worked with AR Rahman. The track, whose lyrics are penned by Irshad Kamil, marks the second time Singh has worked with the Mozart of Madras. Prior to this, he worked with Rahman for his band NAFS.

Talking about the experience of working with the Oscar winning singer/composer Singh exclaimed, “For me, Rahman sir is a father figure and a teacher. Every session with him is like a life changing experience. He not only gets the best out singers, but also encourages them to excel.”

Singh explained that one of his friends informed him that Rahman was looking out for a new voice, after which he auditioned for the song and got it. “I still remember; I froze. We recorded this other song in gibberish while he composed it on the spot. And that was a brilliant experience.” he said. After waiting for a month and a half without any news, Singh was finally called to record a scratch tune for ‘Wat Wat Wat’.

Since the song was a mix of Bhojpuri and hip hop, the singer was asked to retain the ‘flavour’, and croon the track in a local manner. “I had to imagine myself as a rickshawala, and I recorded the song on a bass line and a beat. While I was in the recording booth, Rahman sir joined the session in the console room, recorded a few chord progressions and within minutes and the track was ready,” Singh reminisced.

When asked to pick one quality that he admires most in the Grammy winning musician, Singh said, “There are thousands of things I like about him, but there are a couple of things I would like to share. I love the way he strikes a balance between emotional and technical aspects, and another think I like about him is his spirituality just flows into his music.” He calls his Bollywood debut with Rahman a life changing experience.

Post his graduation in B.Com, Singh went to Chennai and enrolled in KM Music Conservatory, a music school started by Rahman to chase his musical dreams, and later auditioned for NAFS. “It is great group to be a part of because my co singers in the band are immensely talented and I got to learn a lot including the complexities of music. I am really thankful to Rahman sir and Arjun Chandy, composer/conductor of NAFS for letting me be a part of the group,” he added.

Coming from a family with strong academics, his parents supported him to chase his musical dreams. Apart from ‘Tamasha’, Singh is also working on other projects, but remained tight lipped on them.