At 19, every kid dreams of fame. They're typically doing it while lying in bed, music playing on Spotify. In the case of 19-year-old Cherry, she IS the music playing on Spotify. Her pop ballads in English and Hindi have gone viral. Her deep, haunting voice is drawing listeners in LA, where she moved just about a year ago. She has just wrapped up a three-city tour of India and is readying for the release of a Bengali song, for Bejoy Nambiar's series Kaala, on Disney+ Hotstar.
How she got there is the stuff of dreams too. Cherry, aka Daatri Dadhich, has no background in music, no famous family, no connections. She spent her life in Rajasthan, in Salasar Balaji, a temple town "so small and so religious, that no one would ever think of becoming a music star", and Jaipur, three hours away. She did, however, find music early, and held on to it with all her might.
Opening notes
Growing up in Rajasthan, Cherry says she was exposed to the "same nine English songs" that topped mainstream charts and were accessible to everyone else. She tuned into film music, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and One Direction. It was exciting enough for her to seek out Metallica, Louis Armstrong, Lady Gaga, AR Rahman, Salim-Suleiman and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy later. By age nine, she was putting on little performances at home. "I wasn't afraid to try new things," says Cherry. By 11, she was working her way up from singing at birthday parties to PTA meetings.
This story is from the September 02, 2023 edition of Brunch.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 02, 2023 edition of Brunch.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Photos or pulp fictions?
Gauri Gill's portraits showcase ordinary folks, doing ordinary things, but wearing extraordinary masks. See why the quirky series offers more than what meets the eye
Hear it from a reliable sauce
Kikkoman launched a dark soya sauce for the Indian market after realising that Indians expect Chinese and pan-Asian dishes to have a rich, dark colour. It mimics the taste profile of the flagship Kikkoman soya but has a different colour.
He says, she says
Best friends, partners and actors Shweta Tripathi Sharma and Chaitnya Sharma answered the same questions in their first joint interview. The results: Couple goals
Against the machine
AI is already behind little tunes we hear every day. Could it create the next hit? Composers and engineers listen in
YOLO, so why go solo?
Films and shows are overrun with lone wolves. One fighter against all odds. One hero doing it all. Bea team player, maybe?
Get your vision tested here
Vision boards are great tools for those dreaming of anew job ora killer body. Don't just tack pics on toa wall. Here's how to doit right
Are You Of Week Mind?
You can't speed up fitness. Skincare is a slow process. Even learning a skill can take a year. Try unhacking for a change
A case of myth direction
Nutritional data is changing all the time. So, advice often seems contradictory and sketchy. Is breakfast essential? Is red meat evil? What's wrong with soy? Here's where science stands on the big questions
No kids on the block
Being childfree can be just as rewarding as having a big family. Those who've made the choice say there's no guilt, no regret. There are, however, bold new challenges. Take a look
Shes making her point
She calls herself Dot. She's anything but insignificant. Meet Aditi Saigal, viral at 18, actor by accident, musician for life, determined to try it all