Vadodara: There was a time when even paying his school fees was a struggle for singer Rishabh Doshi. With no musical background, formal training or industry connections, he had to fight financial hardships to pursue his passion. Twenty-two years ago, he paid Rs 5,000 for his first stage opportunity — a sum his family could barely afford. Today, the 29-year-old wants to ensure others do not face similar hurdles.Drawing on his experiences, Doshi has launched an initiative to identify and nurture singing talent from underprivileged families, offering free training, guidance and paid performance opportunities.“I know what it means to have talent but not the resources or contacts to move ahead. I don’t want others to go through the same struggle,” he said.Ahead of the garba season, Doshi trained aspiring singers and musicians for three months and is giving them opportunities to perform with his group. Depending on the assignment, performers earn Rs 35,000 to Rs 50,000.His initiative has already helped the son of an autorickshaw driver and half a dozen other individuals from lower economic strata to showcase their talent. He also mentors singers from Hindi-speaking backgrounds and English-medium schools who may not be fluent in Gujarati, helping them prepare Gujarati songs. Instrumentalists playing the tabla, dholak and guitar are welcome too.“Initially, I had to move from pillar to post to find opportunities as an artist. But now if someone sings or plays an instrument well, we should give them a chance rather than let their talent go to waste,” he said.His experience of performing at cafes, where artists are sometimes offered little more than a meal, has strengthened his belief that performers deserve fair remuneration. “They should not have to sit idle at home simply because they don’t have contacts,” he said.Doshi learnt music by listening and observing. He began singing in the chorus at Shishu Navras, later joined Parampara Garba and served as lead vocalist at Adukiyo Dadukiyo for six years. Since 2019, he has led performances at Shishu Sanskrutik Garba Mahotsav. An electrical engineer by qualification, he now leads the 25-member Tarang Band and has released Jain devotional albums and singles on more than 150 digital platforms.His father, his biggest supporter, died just 10 days before Doshi performed at his first major concert.Doshi is now urging people to identify gifted children in their neighbourhoods, schools, villages and temples and send him short videos of them singing for consideration for free training and guidance.“My dream is not just to make someone a singer. It is to ensure that a child’s talent can change the future of an entire family,” he said.
