Vernon Noronha also promotes other singer-songwriters in the city by hiring venues to host concerts for them. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

With a whispery vocal tone and plucking technique when playing the guitar, he earned the tag of being the desi John Mayer. "I take it as a compliment. I was following Mayer's style to get better, and I did improve. These days, people are calling me Jack Johnson because of the happy vibe in my songs. I don't feel bad at all. It is good to grow in their shadow," says singer-songwriter Vernon Noronha, ahead of his gig tonight.