Odisha’s Lady Gaga Navya harbours Bollywood dreams

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Apr 13:

Twenty five-year-old Odisha based singer Navya Jaiti aka Navya has created an enviable space for herself in the regional music industry. The distinctly western tinge to her compositions has earned her the sobriquet ‘Odisha’s ‘Lady Gaga’.

Navya has been able to capture the imagination of the Generation Next with the rich texture of her voice and the ease with which she has moved with the changing times and tastes.

Born in Kolkata, Navya was brought up in Brahmapur, the premier city in southern Odisha. She did her schooling at DAV Public School in the Silk City.

Recently, she was invited to the school as chief guest on the occasion of its Silver Jubilee celebrations. The students as well as the teachers didn’t let the opportunity go to hear a few songs from her.

“I would cherish the memories forever the love and affection showered on me,” a visibly nostalgic Navya said.

In her career spanning over seven years, she has lent her voice to many leading actors in the Ollywood industry, besides performing in numerous stage shows across the state and outside.

Though she has established herself as a playback singer, Navya says she enjoys live shows the most since it gives her the scope to interact with the audience, unlike other forms of singing.

Besides singing, she has interest in dancing. She even conducted summer camps for dance classes during her intermediate days.

“Had I not been a singer, I would have definitely been a dancer. I would imitate the dance steps of popular numbers at home since my childhood. But ultimately singing won over dancing,” Navya said.

Her favourite singers are Akshay Mohanty, Ira Mohanty, Asha Bhonsle, SP Balasubrahmanyam, Celine Dion, Adele (Adele Laurie Blue Adkins) and Enrique Iglesias among others, she said.

Though she is a native Telugu speaker, she is fluent in Odia, Hindi and English. The verstaile singer adds the western touch to songs in these languages with consummate ease.

She shot to fame with the Odia singing reality show Amari Swara in 2009 where she made it to the semi-finals. She won much appreciation from the mentors. Since then, she has not looked back.

The popular singer considers music director Gudly Rath as her guru and aspires to make it big in the Bollywood industry.

Her popularity within a short time could be judged from the fact that she is among the judges in third edition of a singing reality show in a regional entertainment television channel.