PLEASE MEET ACTOR AND MUSICIAN –

ASHA EDMUND

Introducing another amazingly talented young actor/musician and chef extraordinaire - Asha Edmund.  This young lady has been born into a talented family and has decided to make it her career choice.

Please read and enjoy:

1                   Please tell us a little about your background;

A:  I come from a musical family.  My grandfather, Edmund Appau, was a pioneering Indian musician in Singapore.  My Aunt Christina is pretty prominent in the Indian music scene in Singapore too.  My dad and Uncle Lawrence were phenomenal drummers and singers.

I grew up listening to very good live music.  There was always music in every home and our home included.  Jamming sessions were a constant.  Christmas was a big dance party, people would come from around the island to dance, drink and eat.

The mornings were also fun – we’d wake up and find the adults sleeping on the piano stool, floor or sofa in a symphony of snores.  The music never, ever died!

2                   Have you always wanted to be a singer?

A:   No.  I wanted to be a lawyer because on my mum’s side, most of them are lawyers.  I also wanted to be a fighter pilot and astronaut on delusional days.  Becoming a lawyer seemed more realistic and attainable.

I did study law at a family school for a bit and did not enjoy it.  I thought about it long and hard and decided that I did not want to spend my life arguing and sending people into cages.  I wanted to make people happy.  I didn’t know how I was going to do it but I knew that that was what I wanted to do.

3                   You are also a song writer.  Do you write your own songs?

A:  Yes, I write most of my songs.  I love writing and performing my own songs.  There is nothing like it, so I believe.

4                   You have studied drama.  Have you done a lot of acting?  Please tell us about that.

A:  I did study it and it’s my first love too!  I haven’t done as much as I would like to because music has been my focus.  Acting is something that requires more effort of my part than singing.  It requires study, focus and discipline.  Anything that requires the three, I enjoy immensely.

5                   What and/or who inspires you?

A:  Love or the lack of love.  Most of my songs are love songs.  Politics too and some social situations do inspire me.  I’m trying to write positive songs these days because the world has enough of the negative to deal with.

6                   What long term visions do you have for your career?

A:  That I will be considered a gem by the greats and collectors.  Any more will be a blessing.

7                   Are you the only one in your family in the entertainment industry?

A:  Professionally for now, yes.

8                   You are also an actor.  Can you tell us what you have acted in?

A:  I was in ‘Rent’ with the Singapore and Manila cast, a short film called ‘Brown is the New Black’, ‘The Vagina Monologues’, a couple of TV shows and a resident actor/singer at the now-defunct Igor’s, the cabaret theatre restaurant.

9                   You are also a vegan.  Can you tell us about that?  What caused you to become one?

A:  When my mother passed away, I started cooking for my father, just to bring him some peace and comfort.  My mother was a fantastic cook and she cooked for us every single day.  I wanted to fill that space for a little bit, just for him.

I was in the kitchen, about to cut some chicken; I place the chicken on the board and was going to cut it at the joints when the cold meat under my skin suddenly didn’t feel right.  The rawness hit me.  That’s when I realised I couldn’t do it any more and that it wasn’t natural for me and working against my nature.  All this time, my mother had done it, so I never knew.

I was also a vegetarian throughout my teenage years so the diet wasn’t entirely foreign to me.  Becoming a vegan was a smooth progression from that day on.

10              Do you invent your own recipes?

A:  Yes, I do!  I love creating my own recipes!  It’s so much fun!  I have a savoury chocolate soup everyone must try.  Just visit my blog (theedibleforest.tumblr.com for the recipe!

11              Do you enjoy cooking?

A:  Immensely!  I love cooking and taking care of the home!  It is the best way, to me, to demonstrate love and provide a sense of security to anyone who needs it at that point.

12              What’s next in the pipeline for Asha Edmund?

A:  My house album!  Yes, I’ve worked on it for a year and it will be released in January 2014!  I love making people dance so I can’t wait to see the responses on the dance floor everywhere!  And more recipes and information on my food blog for anyone who needs or wants it!

13              Do you have a message you would like to send to the world?

A:  Never harden or be too set in your ways because what you know today, may change tomorrow and you may have to change with it.

Links:                    Website
                                StarNow
                                The Edible Forest

Music Links:        Soundcloud
                                Reverbnation
                                YouTube

Images courtesy of Asha Edmund