04 July,2017 06:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya
Joash Benedict, ;son of veteran singer Vijay Benedict, known as Mithun Chakravarty's voice in the cult 80s' film 'Disco Dancer', looking to make his mark in alternative and pop/rock genre
Joash Benedict is also popular on YouTube for his one-minute covers of songs like Love Yourself (Justin Bieber) and Faded (Alan Walker)
In Hindi film music, most artistes have a decade they cherish. Vijay Benedict had the 1980s to his credit. The playback singer, who made his debut with the iconic title track of Mithun Chakravarty-starrer 'Disco Dancer' (1982), sang for a few years before he hung up his microphone. "He prefers to keep a low profile," says his son, Joash Benedict, who is hitting high notes in the alternative and pop/rock genre. Before his gig, he opens up on his work and musical family.
"I've been singing with dad since I was five. He encouraged my elder brother, Reuel [also a musician] and me to learn and perform," says the 22-year-old singer-songwriter, who heads Joash Benedict Collective. "He taught us the basics of live performance, from song selection to crowd interaction. We also produce music for advertisements and short films."
Actor Mithun Chakravarty and singer Vijay Benedict formed a partnership in the '80s with films like Commando, Dance Dance Dance and Disco Dancer
Born a decade after Disco Dancer, Benedict never put on airs as a school kid. It helped him to focus on his own sound. "By the time I was in middle school, dad had retired. He kept in touch with close friends from the industry like Babbar Subhash, the director-producer of Disco Dancer," recalls the young musician, whose songs talk about the pulse of Mumbai.
At the gig, he will play popular covers of Ed Sheeran, The Chainsmokers, John Mayer and Coldplay. The playlist also includes his originals. "As a student of Jai Hind College, I would spend hours scribbling lines at Marine Drive. A song called So You See is about things that you usually see around you. World With Me is a conversation between two individuals," he says. Has he tried singing a cover of Disco Dancer? "No, and I don't think I should try."
On July 5, 8.30 pm At The Irish House, Andheri West. Call 8898058850
