Be Bhoop' a lula!

She has an intriguing voice that makes many music lovers fall in love with her. Keertana Bhoopal’s distinctive tenor is admirable and at 21, this young songstress is already on a roll, performing to packed houses at city’s hotspots. Her stage presence is infectious and as she croons and sets the mood for a fun evening with her powerful, soulful and sometimes raspy voice, we catch up with her for a quick chat.

What sets Keertana apart besides her wide vocal range, is probably how she goes across four octaves seamlessly. She owes it all to her music training at LaSalle School of Arts, Singapore. While in Singapore, she performed with a band called the Good Life Project and was also part of the LaSalle Esplanade collaboration. These performances initiated an invite for her to be a part of Jazz By The Bay in Singapore.

She also collaborated with local bands in Singapore, such as Taj, Raghajazz and many established artists. “I’ve been singing and performing ever since I was a student and later as a professional singer with local rock, pop and neo-soul/funk bands. Although I’m still in the beginning stages of my musical career, but some of my most memorable shows were at the landmark Esplanade by the WaterFront in Singapore. I moved to Bengaluru, as the music scene here is exciting, alive and vibrant. I am a natural rhythm and blues, neo-soul, funk singer, but am experimenting with a wide range of genres,” shares Keertana with an enigmatic smile.

Her vocal range made her stand out among five fabulous female singers chosen to perform for an event at bflat recently. Recalling her many performances in the city, she adds, “I’ve performed at b-Flat, Take5, Hard Rock Café, Bangalore Club, Catholic Club and many other hotspots. Although I’m new to Bengaluru, I’m happy that I have a lot of performances lined up. I have sung a lot of originals as it is a prerequisite for graduation from LaSalle, but here I sing covers, alongwith original compositions, as the former are more popular. But I’m currently working on absolute originals now.”

Her artistic blood runs in the family — her mother, Vanitha Bhoopal, is an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer, trained at the Kalakshetra, and her father, though a trained automobile engineer prefers creating artistically designed lamps made out of car parts.  Having just turned 21, Keertana is aiming to widen her repertoire with more Indian music, as she’s also a trained Hindustani Classical singer. “I’m training in Hindustani Classical singing with Manish Kumarji of Dhrupad Gurukul, Bhopal. As a kid I was inspired by Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse and a lot of rock groups,” she adds.