EVEN though Sashwatie Harrichan had no formal voice training, she knew she felt passionate about singing, and when she did, she felt good inside-out, and decided she would come out in public to showcase her talent.

After gaining self-confidence, she ventured out to the mandir and started singing bhajans, and it surprised a lot of people who did not know she could actually sing.

Her voice is big, and she has since become familiar with Hindi, and can sing Bollywood songs, but has no interest in ‘rum songs’ (chutney), or songs with vulgarity being English.

Harrichan is a staunch Hindu, and she has her own small business at her home, a religious store that caters for jandhis and other religious functions where the entire sarjam can be sourced.

Sasha, as she is called, told the Pepperpot Magazine that she has a vision of what she wants, and is working towards achieving her own recording studio and equipment to fast-track her singing career.

For now, it is not about making money; she is only singing at mandirs, birthdays or other events as a hobby until she can elevate herself in making her own music.

The 25-year-old is very hyped about singing, and even before she started taking Online Hindi classes and voice training, she knew she had what it takes to sing and make a name for herself.

“I knew I could sing, but my family wasn’t aware, so one day I told my mother that I wanted to compete in singing, and she was like, how? And I started singing, and she could not believe it. She had to go and wake up my sister to witness what was happening, and it was then I began singing in public,” she said.

Harrichan disclosed that her elder sister is an excellent singer, and sings mostly at mandirs or religious functions such as jandhis.

These days, she hosts free voice training and singing classes at her home for children in her neighbourhood, and is also pursuing courses Online. via the Guyana Dharmic Sabha in voice training and Hindi.

“It takes a lot to get up on stage and sing in front of people, especially a large gathering, but I am not scared of doing that anymore, because I know I can do it,” she said.

Harrichan describes singing as making her feel so alive and good about herself, and she sees it as a form of expressing her inner self through her voice.

She is a vegetarian and likes classical Hindi music and is aware of her great potential and wishes to channel it into singing, which makes her happy.

“I like to be on top of things, to be prepared and to be able to express myself fully and that’s why I opened my own small business because working with people was not going well for me. I am trying to make my dreams come true in terms of singing and I hope I will be able to do it,’ she said.

Harrichan added that she has the support of her family and she is happy about it.