This Soulful Singer and Supermom From Kochi Is A Force To Be Reckoned With

This Soulful Singer and Supermom From Kochi Is A Force To Be Reckoned With

  • 06 Apr 2017
  • Sunaya
  • Features

 

While she shot to fame with “Appangelempadum” from Ustad Hotel, Anna Katharina Valayil is much more. She is a soulful musician who grew up listening to the likes Bob Marley and Bob Dylan. Referring to herself as a third culture kid, Anna and her sister Becky grew up in an unconventional setting that combined the best of all the worlds. Her mother, the traditional catholic woman made sure that they could be the traditional catholica girls when needed, but their father, the party animal, taught them how to have fun and enjoy life.

Rockstar in the making

Growing up till the 5th grade in Nigeria and then studying in Choice School, Kochi, Anna had many different influences that shaped her. Her father who now runs the Cabana resorts in Goa had always been an avid music lover who woke his children up with Reggae music and spend much more than he ought to on audio systems. Her mother is a part time business woman and homemaker who set her on the path to being an empowered woman. Even at a young age, Anna knew she was a rock star, even if no one took her word for it. In school, her teachers didn’t have to call out her name to check attendance as the presence of a guitar was enough to signify that Anna was in the class.

After completing her schooling at Choice School, Anna went on to do her under graduation in St.Teresa’s College and then did her graduation at Swinburne University. During this time, she got interested in flying and became a licensed pilot. After a short stint working as a PR for Le Meridien, Anna decided to pursue her passion for music and started training under Sumesh Parameshwar and this lead to the biggest turning point in her life.

For the love of music Anna was always musical and wrote songs, but never had any formal training till Sumesh Parameshwar started teaching her guitar and the basics of pitching. Through her music teacher, she met Gopi Sunder and started working with him for his jingles and doing vocals for background scores. Working with the renowned music director helped her learn about voice training, voice modulation for recording standards and eventually to her big break with the song ‘Appangalembadum”. Since then, she has done the music for a song in the movie Akashavani and has also released an original called ‘Honey Bee’. She has recently formed her own band - The Tribe and is hoping to start doing gigs all around the city and someday, the world. Artists like Avial and Job Kurian are big inspirations for Anna as they never succumb to doing covers and stick to doing their originals.

What I love about Kochi is ... The positive vibes that I’ve felt in the singing ministries of Kochi are unparalleled. For me, there is nothing quite like music that can make one feel blessed to be alive and kicking.

Phenomenal Woman

While pursuing her passion full time, Anna is also a wife and a mother. Four years ago, Anna’s mother in law saw her interview on television, got in touch with mutual friends and brought the proposal in. Her husband Renjesh Jacob Chandy is in the catering field and hails from Kottayam. Being brought up by a strong single mother, her husband is her big supporter and as Anna said, “I’ve been in love before, but god has an incredible way of giving you the right person to spend your life with.”

As a mother of two daughters - Raysha and Rahel, and as woman who embraces her identity, Anna has a lot to say about embracing one’s womanhood. She is someone who believes that all women should be active, work, be productive and creative. It is not just about the need of paying bills, but about retaining one’s identity. Every person in a woman’s life looks to her at one point or the other and they need to see that women are just as capable as men. After getting married and having kids, Anna mentioned being asked to dress the way she is “supposed to”. She believes in dressing for one’s personality. She went on to say “Any attire, whether it is ripped jeans, a fitted dress or a saree, when children are brought up to see it as a part of a woman’s identity, they grow up to be more open minded about the way other’s dress.”

 

Words: Fathima Abdul Kader    Photos: Deepu GS    Styling: Becky Mary Valayil    Jewellery: Malabar Gold

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