Dewan to watch

>> Chhaya Dewan gets set to give it 2 you

by GERARD DEE

“It’s been my dream forever to have my own CD,” says 22-year-old Chhaya Dewan. “I’ve been looking forward to this day all of my life.”
With the release of her debut CD slated for early spring 2002, and the video for lead single “Give It 2 Me” set to drop in January, her dreams are about to come true. It’s a lot, even for someone who’s been in the spotlight from early on.
“My parents encouraged me a lot when I was young,” she says. “When I was six years old, I was taking a lot of classical Indian singing lessons. I was always in front of the camera at home with my family, and they would always be like, ‘Chhaya dance, Chhaya sing.’”
That early exposure led to a four-year stint with local gospel choir Umoja, not a likely choice for a good Hindu girl. “For some people it was a little bit of an a issue, but my choir was super happy to have me and it was a good type of training.”
That training paved the way for her participation in Montreal-based R&B trio, JAI. Though she says she enjoyed the experience, it wasn’t long before she was ready to move on. “I decided, I like being in a group but I think I want to go by myself. I have the drive, I have the motivation, and I have the confidence to do this, so I’m just going to take off and do this on my own. I needed it to happen for me. I couldn’t wait.”
She’s enthusiastic, but keeps herself grounded by remembering what’s important. “I’m looking at the big picture. Either I get picked up by a major label, or I get released independently. But either way, I hope people appreciate the music, I hope people enjoy listening to the music.” :