Keneeshaa on her Malayalam debut Mud Fish: ‘We worked three hours on pronunciation’

Keneeshaa Francis, who has been turning heads across the independent music scene with her emotionally charged, genre-blending performances, is charting new territory with her Malayalam debut in Mud Fish. The singer brings her signature edge to the film’s soundtrack with an emotional number.

Keneeshaa on her Malayalam debut Mud Fish: 'It is a deeply emotional song

“I was not sure whether I would be able to pronounce Malayalam correctly, as it is a ballad, a deeply emotional song revolving around a mother’s grief. However, there were four or five people in the studio guiding me through every step of the process. We spent a good three hours working on the pronunciation, but we eventually got it right,” says Keneeshaa.

So, how did the opportunity come about? “Mud Fish came about following a recent show I performed in Palakkad, which was a significant success for all of us, particularly because it was the first time I had attempted to sing so many Malayalam songs. I do perform a few Malayalam numbers at events, but this was a much larger production and far more Malayalam-focused. A number of people from the industry were in attendance. Perhaps they had come to see Ravi (Mohan) sir, as he was there, but they ended up hearing me perform and were quite surprised that I could sing in Malayalam.”

She adds, “I was then immediately offered a project. They had a song about a mother who has lost her son. I cannot say much more because it is integral to the film, but it is one of the most important moments in the story. They really connected with the emotion I brought to the spiritual songs I performed on stage and wanted that same feeling for this track. I said yes and ended up recording it the following week.”

Music has been part of Keneeshaaa’s life for as long as she can remember. “Growing up in Africa for a significant part of my life, I was immersed in a culture where music was everywhere. We grew up singing in church and dancing every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening, as those gatherings were a major part of community life. So, I think music has always been in our blood. Both my parents were singers as well, so it was always present in our home. And, of course, because my foundation is in gospel music, I have carried that influence into everything else I do. Gospel music taught me the value of emotional rhythm. There is rhythm on one side, poetic rhythm on another, syllabic rhythm on yet another, and emotional rhythm as well.”

When asked which musicians had the greatest influence on her journey, pat comes the reply. “All Black musicians are my godfathers and godmothers, starting with Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson. I also draw a lot from Rihanna, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez and Mariah Carey. I was later introduced to Mr SP Balasubrahmanyam and Mr KJ Yesudas’s work as well.”

Even during difficult periods, music remained a constant. "In Bangalore, I used to be in the choir. Through that, I realised that music would always remain a constant. However, like everyone, I went through difficulties, and we experienced a long period of poverty in the family. Since I was already so involved in music, I eventually decided to stop singing in coffee shops and jazz bars, even though I loved jazz music."

Alongside music, Keneeshaa has spent years studying psychology and spiritual therapy. " I prefer to go by spiritual therapist because I have studied psychology, and I have spent about six years learning the ethereal modalities in the field of alternative healing, ranging from Reiki to several other practices." She adds that her studies have deeply influenced her performances as well. "When I am on stage, I want to be a spiritually and musically aligned therapist. When I perform, I want people to experience what I would call healing. I want people to hear me live and feel healed from whatever troubles they may be going through in their lives.

And that's not all. When Keneesha takes the stage, she ensures she brings the house down. When asked if she would ever take the plunge into acting, she says that it is currently not on her agenda. "I have studied musical theatre at the London College of Music and I completed Grade 6 in musical theatre. I have done a lot of plays. I have played Elizabeth in Frankenstein, I have been Jasmine in Aladdin, to name a few. So I love being on stage and I enjoy all of that. But I am a realist and I cannot fake emotions at all. I would be quite poor at acting and I think I should not put myself in that space. Sai Pallavi is one of my favourites."

Keneeshaa is also candid about the challenges facing independent musicians. " The fact that a label will take 100 per cent of an artiste's intellectual property is, in my view, the first, foremost, and largest reason independent music fails. There are so many clauses and boundaries. Some of the greatest music from independent artistes gets lost because it is not even heard, as marketing is the biggest tool that labels control and use."

Social media, she believes, is both a blessing and a burden."If you understand the business side, where the world is increasingly becoming a social media-driven platform, and if people are able to adapt to that, then it can work. However, if you do not adapt to it, and you do not want to be constantly visible online, and instead simply want to focus on your work, I feel that should also be respected."

Looking ahead, Keneeshaaa is preparing a number of independent releases, including a Hindi single titled Deewana Deewana. “It is a song based on an individual’s manifestation and how beautifully manifestation can work in life.” She is also working on a deeply personal Tamil independent project titled Attam. “I have poured almost every moment of sadness and glory from my experience of living in Chennai, and from dealing with unnecessary voices over the past two years, into this song. It is intended to serve as a source of support for anyone experiencing abuse, whether online or in real life, as well as those facing misogyny, deception and the many other challenges people encounter. Ultimately, it is a song about breaking free from the boxes society places us in and finding the strength to burn them down.”

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