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‘The Vampire Diaries’, ‘Riverdale’ inspire this English singer
By Natalia Ningthoujam
New Delhi, March 11 (IANS) Popular American TV shows like “The Vampire Diaries” and “Riverdale” inspire 19-year-old English singer HRVY, who says he is yet to experience “a lot of situations” that would influence him to write songs.
Harvey Leigh Cantwell, also known as HRVY, began his musical journey when he was just 13. He uploaded covers of hit numbers by American artistes Justin Timberlake and Trey Songz on the digital platform, but he has his own set of songs too.
Asked about his inspiration, HRVY told IANS over phone from Mumbai: “All my inspirations (for songs) come from movies and TV shows because I am young. I am yet to experience a lot of situations. I watch a lot of movies so, movies and all their stories inspire me.”
“‘The Vampire Diaries’ and ‘Riverdale’… the ones on love and break-up kind of TV shows… it kind of sounds stupid as their lives are made up, but if you invest into it, you will see the love stories.”
The video of his last year’s track “Personal” will take you back to high school days. Did he take cue from the high school drama shows for it too?
“‘Personal’ happened when I was in school. I had a girlfriend. She used to flirt with all my friends though she never cheated on me. There is a line in the song — ‘She’ll flirt with your friends’. So, yeah, shows with American high school kind of a look. The video’s idea came from the shows,” he said.
Doesn’t he fear of getting into a legal battle with the shows’ makers?
“No, not really. When you get a lot bigger than I am, then maybe,” said the UK artiste, who has nearly 70 million combined video views and over five million global followers across social media.
Considering the strong inspiration from the US, how important is the American market for him?
“America is very big so, people want to break into it. I don’t want to break into only in America, but also India and elsewhere,” said HRVY, who had made a stop over in India last month for a solo showcase curated by Bottomline Media.
Asked about his experience in India, he said: “Amazing. Everyone is so nice. The fans are incredible.”
He will co-headline a UK tour with The Vamps in April. The group had performed here and also collaborated with Indian composers Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani in 2016.
Did the British band give him any tips for his maiden visit to India?
“Yes, they said everyone is very nice… a friendly bunch. Also, it’s very hot in India so I should take sunscreen,” he quipped.
Ravjiani had also invited HRVY to his music studio. Any collaboration? “Yes. It’s happening,” he replied without sharing more details.
The youngster is also looking forward to release more original songs.
“Yes, more songs are coming out. It will definitely be a busy year for me. The songs will be summery and happy,” he said.
(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at [email protected])
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.