No India in T20 World Cup final but an Indian voice will rock MCG, meet 13-year-old Janaki Easwar
Though India failed at the semifinal hurdle, the T20 World Cup final at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday will still have an Indian flavour. Janaki Easwar, a 13-year-old girl of Indian origin, will perform along with the Australian rock band Icehouse before Pakistan take on England in front of more than 90,000 spectators.
Janaki’s parents Anoop Divakaran and Divya Raveendran hail from Kozhikode in Kerala and have been living in Australia for the last 15 years. She rose to fame last year by becoming the youngest-ever contestant in The Voice Australia, a widely-viewed music reality show. A thrilled Janaki told indianexpress.com she was looking forward to performing in front of a packed MCG.
“Performing in front of a massive MCG crowd and getting broadcast to millions of people globally will be an unbelievable experience. My parents are ardent cricket fans. It is through them that I got to know the magnitude of this opportunity. I heard that the tickets are already sold out. I am looking forward to performing and also the game. It would have been nicer if India played the final, though,” said Janaki.
Janaki Easwar with former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting and members of rock band Icehouse at the MCG (Credit: ICC)
After her TV debut, Janaki has performed at various events like the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne and India Fashion Week Australia. Apart from her singing, what had caught the attention of The Voice Australia viewers was Janaki’s traditional south Indian attire and with the ICC intending to create an entertainment piece that brought generations and cultures together, the teenager fit the bill.
“I believe the way I represented my culture on national television also helped as the performance at the World Cup final is going to be a great representation of multicultural Australia,” said Janaki, who will perform ‘We Can Get Together’ with Zimbabwean-born Australian Thndo Sikwila and Icehouse’s lead singer Iva Davies at the MCG.
Coming from a family of musicians, Janaki was introduced to Carnatic music at the age of six. “My dad and both his brothers sing well. Dad’s younger brother Arun Gopan is a professional singer. Dad’s uncle K V Sivadas is a singer, composer and music teacher. My mum is also a great music lover and as a child, I always went to bed listening to my mum’s lullabies. So it was natural that they wanted me to have music in my life as well.”
Janaki Easwar with her father Anoop Divakaran and mother Divya Raveendran
Janaki has been learning Carnatic music from Kalakruthi School of Music, founded by renowned musician Shobha Shekhar, a recipient of the Order of Australia. “I find classical music more complex and something that requires a lot of practice to master. Shobha auntie, as we fondly call her, makes sure we do not get overwhelmed by the complexities. She teaches classical music at Australian universities and she understands how to approach people from different cultures and age groups when it comes to teaching a classical art form,” she said.
The teenager also thanks Jaanz International Singing Academy, run by famous singing coach David Jaanz, whose students have won major TV competitions like The Voice, Australia’s Got Talent and The X Factor.
Janaki Easwar performs during an event.
“The turning point for me was when coach David Jaanz offered me a position in his master school as his youngest-ever student. He believed in me and told my parents there was something special in me. At Jaanz, attending monthly open mics, writing sessions, annual music camps, and attending masterclasses run by industry giants have all helped me immensely. Parallelly, I would also attend Carnatic music concerts by greats like T M Krisha and Sanjay Subrahmanyan,” said Janaki, who has also learned Bharatanatyam and hip hop.
