NATTU SHAH

REPUBLICA

KATHMANDU, Feb 23: Nattu gave us ‘Ma Dherai Maya Garchu’ in 2008, which propelled her to YouTube fame. Since then she’s uploaded other songs, covers and funny videos. The 23-year-old was born Natasha Shah, but the name Nattu is what she is known as to most people. One of the most popular videos by this funny girl is ‘The Official Momo Song’ where she sings about the love for the popular dish. Here, she laughs and talks about her work and life.

You compose your own music and write your own songs. What are some of your favorite and the most challenging part/process of creating something new?
The most challenging part, in my opinion, must be the emotion. The best songs I’ve composed so far were written when my emotional tide was high. Regardless of whether the emotions are positive or negative, words seems to flow easily at that moment. When I say words, I mean meaningful rhymes that let the audience know exactly what you are singing about and they can even relate to it. For me, it’s difficult to write a love song when I’m not in love. That’s how I work. Every song that I’ve written tells a story of my life and that I find very challenging because not all the moments in your life are special. Like they say, “Every day is not Sunday”.

Do you ever feel creatively challenged? How do you deal with it?
Of course there are moments where I go through a rough time, creatively. When I get into that phase, I just try and not think about music for a while. Go out, hang with my friends over coffee, get some fresh air, get inspired by the environment and then start to work on the project again. If not, then I need a good sleep. It always works.



Where did the ‘Ma Dherai Maya Garchu’ song come from?
I was young (15), naive and head over heels in love and I thought writing a song about it in Nepali would make my feelings stand out. Somehow, I always thought that describing your emotions in Nepali makes it more meaningful and dramatic. Even curse words, for example, sound much more offensive when said in Nepali, don’t you think?

Which video of yours do you count as your personal favorite?
Settling on one is tough as I love all my videos equally. I think it shows how I have gradually improved in most aspects. I used to be a horrible Nepali singer, with the “quirey” accent, but that has changed now due to lots of practice and dedication to improve my pronunciation. But out of all the videos, I can say that I had the most fun working to become an Avatar. I had no clue what I was using on my face but I just knew I had to be BLUE.

When you’re going through YouTube, whose channel do you never miss?
The Wong Fu Productions and The Ellen show. Those are the two channels I will never miss out on. I love Wong Fu’s works because they are amazing at making videos and since I aspire to become a filmmaker in the future. Their creativity, style and music videos are stunning works of art. And Ellen DeGeneres is one of my biggest role models. I love her humor, personality and her uniqueness.

We know Nattu as someone who is musically talented and as a good comic (through the videos). How are you in your personal life? What are your other interests and passion?
Off screen, I am just like any ordinary person. I love hanging out with my friends and family. I don’t know if people know this but I actually like pampering myself once in a while by visiting a spa. I can also be spontaneous and just pack up and leave.

What projects are you currently involved in, and what is it that has you excited for the coming days?
I am currently working on my album and I might have a few movie projects heading towards me this year. Yes, I might be acting in films too now. On March 2, I will be performing at Bryan’s Grill House in an event called “The Celeb Launch Party”.

How do you deal with criticism and negative feedback?
Just recently I have mastered “The Arts of Ignoring” taught by a very good friend, Sayal. It has reduced the negativity and boosted my self-esteem. I am always open to constructive criticism. I listen to them and try and work on my flaws but there are some comments that attack my personal life and it’s upsetting to see how some people can be so crude and unsupportive. However, “The Arts of Ignoring” comes to my aid and I try to be the bigger person.