Excellence follows quality upbringing
It happens all the time – children grow up in the image of their parents with quality breeding quality and the young ones trying to surpass the old chips and the latter willingly let them do so.
There is no dearth of talent among the younger members of our community; we have dancers, singers, thespians, artists and many more, who have excelled in each of their pursuits and are seeking to diversify their calibre and competence.
Among them is Siddharth Krishnamoorthy, who we have followed since his formative years as a singer, and later as a dancer and actor. His performances in musical concerts (such as ‘Old is Gold VIII held on February 6, 2016), the Taj Mahal (Dance Drama held on March 31, 2012) and many other events that have evinced widespread social interest.
Musical environment
Born into a musically inclined family, Siddharth took in the melodious voice of his mother Parvati as she practiced her innate talent at home and gave vent to it at religious and cultural programmes.
His father Krish Parur is known for dynamism in his profession and for pursuing goals to their logical conclusion; such parental combination afforded the young man opportunities to foster healthy habits, which in turn are shaping his destiny.
“I have been part of a spiritual organisation throughout my growing years and this was where I first started singing on special occasions. This was a humble prelude to what was to become one of my greatest passions,” Siddharth said.
While his mother was the primary inspiration, his singing talent was honed through classical music by his Gurus Priya Vijaykumar, Malathi Vasudevan and Amit Sengupta.
“They have been my constant sources of inspiration and encouragement,” he said.
Old is always Gold
“Some of my singing highlights include performing at the finale of Melody Champs and performing for Amit Sengupta’s annual Old is Gold shows for the past seven years. Another unique experience has been singing Gujarati songs at Garba events for Chinmaya Mission New Zealand.”
Migrating to New Zealand from Mumbai with his parents and younger brother Vignesh in 2002, Siddharth completed his basic education at Mt Roskill Grammar School and later obtained his graduate degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Auckland. He is currently employed as Engineering Consultant at GHD (a global company of engineers, architects and other professionals) based in Hamilton.
Mama’s boy
Reaching his home in Mt Roskill from Hamilton could be quicker than driving from East Auckland to the Central Business District but Siddharth limits that temptation to weekends and public holidays. Each time he returns to his professional headquarters loaded with homemade food which his mother happily cooks for him.
He is as much a mother’s child as he is a group’s singing and dancing partner.
Speaking of dancing, Siddharth began to show interest in the art, watching perhaps people tapping their feet to his singing.
He has been a member of ‘Garagewalas’ and ‘50/50,’ performing with them for the past eight years.
“The dance styles that interest me the most are Bhangra and Bollywood, and I really enjoy creatively using dance to tell a story or spread a message,” he said.
The Dancer
A garage was indeed the home of the ‘Garagewalas’ as they began and their talent, coupled by their vivacity and affable manners have endeared them not only to the Indian community but to many other ethnic groups, inviting them to perform all over the country.
The Group was a semi-finalist in ‘New Zealand’s Got Talent’ in 2013.
“We are very proud of this achievement,” Siddharth said.
Acting prowess
The thespian in him came to the fore with ‘Taj Mahal,’ produced and presented by Aiswarya Entertainments Limited, first on March 31, 2012 at ASB Theatre in Auckland. As we reported in our April 15, 2012 issue, “He did equal justice to the lead role and showcased Shah Jahan in two contrasting ways; first as a brave warrior and later as an emotional human falling famously in love with Mumtaz.”
Like a majority of us, Siddharth belongs to a middle-class family that aims to succeed only through talent, fostering impressionable qualities of honesty, hard work and diligence. Those are in fact hallmarks of real success.
-Venkat Raman
