Khasi rap

She is 25 and she has already made a mark on the global music scene Her single Done Talking with BigRi of rap ensemble Khasi Bloodz won them the Best India Act at the Europe Music Awards in Spain in November Now Mumbaikars can catch Meba Ofilias awardwinning trshyashyck and popushylar numbers like Lady Bizz in her alloriginal set this SaturdayWhile the combination of her hauntingly melodic vocals and powerful lyrics laced with sarcasm made Ofilia stand out among fellow nominees Raja Kumari Skyharbor and Divine last year it wasnt the only big event in her life in 2018 she tell us over the phone from Shillong between rehearsals braving patchy networkChanging tracksThe English literature graduate who had been pursuing her law degree till November chose to drop out and dedicate her life to music A decision she didnt think she would ever make I loved listening to music but I didnt find the right people to express it with It was only after I met the Khasi Bloodz four years ago that I started pursuing music professionally They encouraged me to rap and guided me says OfeliaThe rapper with BigRiThough she grew up in a family of musicians mdash her grandfather and uncle are both wellknown folk singersongwriters mdash her decision didnt go down well with her family I was interested in law but couldnt see it as my profession And Shillong is a difficult place to be in if you want to pursue music seriously Our community is very conservative and children base their dreams on whshyat their parenshyts want I dont blshyashyme them because I know thshyey are looshykshying out for mePeople doshynt take you seriously if you say you want to do music full time which was also their argument she says In her upcoming single she tries to convince parents to not be skeptical of alternative career options Quoting her lyrics Mother taught me how to flyBut I wanted to go in my own directionMade my decision she says I want to encourage parents from Shillong with this song because a lot of musicians go through this And its important to put out something people can relate toWould it have been different if she had been a boy Pat comes the reply Society would have been more lenient Though Meshygshyhalaya is known to treat its women fairly But not when it comes to brave career choices perhapsA thriving communityHowever thshyeshyres not much gender bias in the genre contrary to what people believe Ofilia says having always been treated with respect by male rappers Besishydshyes we have a big hiphop fan base in the North East And its a commshyushynity thshyats only growing striving to break barriers especially given the number of female rappers from the region Im glad rappers are coming up with good content moving beyond just drugs and writing lyrics that are respected she sharesTalk about her upcoming work and she says shes inspired by 17yearold BangladeshiIrish pop RnB artiste Joy Crookes She is quick to add though that she will always adore Lauryn Hill So fans can expect lyrics that will make them feel like they belong along with a compulsive hook and a dash of nostalgic folk I love my Khasi community and its important to remember your roots she concludesOn May 18 5 pmAt Famous Studios 23 Dr E Moses Road Gandhi Nagar MahalakshmiLog on to insiderinFreeCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates