Like the typical Singaporean Tamil, musician Sharon Shobana grew up in a multi-generational family without deep, direct ties to the people or rural lifestyle of Tamil Nadu.
Yet, her village-themed music video for “Adiye Adiye”, which premiered on Sept 14 last year, materialised with reasonable success.
Filmed on location in Tamil Nadu, the romantic track features Sharon performing a peppy number alongside renowned Tamil playback singer Satyaprakash, with the support of music director Amrish P.
Following its release, Sharon expressed excitement during an interview with tabla! that the song has already gained airplay on major stations like Chennai’s Radio City and Malaysia’s Raaga.
The 31-year-old pinpoints pragmatic decision-making to be the driver of her success.
A full-time programme executive at a multinational corporation, Sharon sets her heart ablaze with musical passion on the side.
She is no stranger to the spotlight, having been active as both an actor and singer for several years.
A former contestant on the singing competition Vasantham Star’s 2017 edition, where she emerged as second runner-up, Sharon is celebrated not only for her melodic voice but also for her songwriting capabilities.
“My first independent single was ‘Vizhigal’ in 2018, released in collaboration with Malaysian artiste Psychomantra,” Sharon recalled. “I chose to release it independently, without the backing of major production houses.”
On Nov 14, she released another track titled ‘Oh My Baby’.
The track stood out and clinched the third prize for best album song and first in the best dancer category at the Directors Club Value5 Album Song Screening Festival 2025, held on Dec 6 at Bharani Studios in Chennai.
Sharon is candid about the technical and creative demands of producing high-quality music videos. To achieve the cinematic “film-style” aesthetic she envisions, the singer often looks beyond Singapore’s borders for the required expertise.
“Resources for this scale of production are more abundant in larger countries like India and Malaysia,” she explained.
“I believe it is beneficial for Singaporean Tamil artistes to tap into these resources. I travelled to Tamil Nadu specifically for the large-scale sets and the expertise of seasoned technicians who could bring my vision to life.”
The production of “Adiye Adiye” was a massive undertaking, involving a crew of nearly 80 people, many of whom were young talents aged 23 or 24.
“I was amazed by their hard work and talent,” Sharon said. The second single, ‘Oh my Baby’, also featured music director Nathanael Nilesh, a familiar face from the Vasantham channel.
The undertaking was not without its set of hurdles.
“The work culture between the two countries is very different, and I had to be extremely disciplined with financial management,” Sharon admitted, stating that the production for “Adiye Adiye” cost about S$15,000.
The personal sacrifices were equally significant. “I managed all of this while holding down a full-time job. There were times I worked for over 24 hours straight.”
As 2026 dawns, Sharon has the satisfaction of two successful releases and the ambition to reach even greater heights.
Looking to the future, she dreams of performing on grand stages and writing songs for films.
janark@sph.com.sg
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17 Sep 2025 10:57
