Shayan Italia

Shayan Italia
Background information
Born Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Genres Adult contemporary music Pop music
Occupation(s) Entrepreneur, Musician, Singer-Songwriter
Instruments Piano
Website shayanitalia.com

Shayan Italia is a critically acclaimed international multi-award-winning pianist, songwriter and entrepreneur.[1] He came into the limelight by becoming the first person to sell a portion of his future earnings on eBay[2] and with his song "Reflection". On 20 September 2018 he was awarded the Mid Day Icon "Global Indian Of The Year" award.

Created for 15 August 2018, Independence Day (India) celebrating 71 years, Shayan Italia's piano version of the Indian National Anthem acquired over 100 million views during the Independence week on YouTube. It is currently the most viewed rendition of the Indian National Anthem and any national anthem globally online till date. #IWouldStandForThis and #71for71Challenge are global initiatives that honour the Indian National Anthem, performed by Shayan Italia in 8K resolution on the Steinway D-274 concert grand piano, paying tribute to his mother who died of cancer.[3] The #71for71Challenge trended on Twitter for 2 days.[4] The music rendition brings together multinational cross-cultural music and video production talent from all over the world to inspire patriotism among the youth of India in its digital age. The video is directed by Dr. Farhad Vijay Arora. It is the first music video to be fully processed in 8K resolution.[5][6][7][8][9][10]

Family

He lost his mother to multiple myeloma and father, Dr. Fareed Jamshid Italia, to multiple sclerosis. Born and raised a Zoroastrian[11] in Secunderabad, India, Shayan Italia moved to London after the deaths of both his parents.[12] His first cousin is Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea and his uncle is Ratan Batliboi, a widely popular architect and the Chairman of the board at Child Rights and You (CRY).[4]

Education

He studied at The Doon School in Dehradun and has earned three degrees: a bachelor's degree in International Trade Practices and Procedures from Osmania University, a bachelor's degree in audio engineering from the Alchemea College of Audio Engineering, and a master's degree in Business Management from the University of Westminster.[12]

Music career

Initially, Shayan Italia set out to be a songwriter. He began writing songs after his mother died.[12] He discovered the talent to sing while recording the demos of his two songs. He was the first unsigned act to have a song played on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs and performed at the Royal Albert Hall.[13][14] To support the production of his album "Feel", he auctioned off a portion of his future earnings on eBay, raising US $18,000 in seven days from three individuals residing in three continents. Later, he raised a sum total of US $1 million by conventional means. He has also been interviewed by Sir David Frost on his show Frost Over The World[13] His song "Reflection" reached number one on YouTube's music video chart.[15] The song had previously won the All India Song Contest.[16] Shayan Italia does not actively tour even though he has performed at selected venues across the world. In 2019, his first Hindi song release is lined up.[4]

Entrepreneurship

Apart from an music career, Shayan Italia is also an entrepreneur.

Biryani360

Shayan Italia started Biryani360 in Mumbai.[17][18] The idea came to him when he was sitting in his bedroom and fooling around with animation software and created a video of two fictitious characters that declared their unity for one another over their love for Biryani. This sparked interested among both family and peers and eventually led him to consider setting it up as a business.[19] The flagship kitchen was setup in Bandra, a popular district of Mumbai. The startup used BlueFlame technology to create food that was low in oil and cholesterol.[20][21] Biryani360 started on 1 March 2015 and sold in March 2016.

Yogurt360

A new venture that offers flagship probiotic yogurt launches in 2019.[4]

Philanthropy

Shayan Italia helps to raise money for cancer research and multiple sclerosis treatment in the memory of his parents.[4]

Awards and Recognition

  1. Honorary Award Winner - Great American Songwriting Contest (2004)[22]
  2. All India Song Contest Winner (2006)[23]
  3. Editors Choice Award Winner - International Poetry Competition (2007)[24]
  4. First Unsigned Music Artist to Appear on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs (2007)[25]

References

  1. ↑ "Wannabee star uses eBay to launch pop career". www.sundaytimes.lk. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  2. ↑ Ayushi Uberoi (4 May 2008). "Meet Shayan Italia". The Viewspaper.
  3. ↑ "Ode to the Motherland". Deccan Chronicle. 2018-08-07. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Global envy, national pride: Shayan Italia". mid-day. 2018-09-11. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
  5. ↑ "Secunderabad boy Shayan Italia wins over the Internet with his rendition of the national anthem - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
  6. ↑ "Piano rendition of Jana Gana Mana crosses 77 mn views on YouTube, becomes most viewed national anthem- Entertainment News, Firstpost". Firstpost. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
  7. ↑ "Independence Day 2018: This pianist playing the National Anthem has gone viral with over 72 million views". The Indian Express. 2018-08-14. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
  8. ↑ "Shayan Italia's heartfelt version of 'Jana Gana Mana' breaks national anthem records, crosses 71 million views". Retrieved 2018-08-21.
  9. ↑ "Here's Why '71 For 71 Challenge' Is Trending on Twitter". The Quint. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
  10. ↑ "Blazing past 50 million YouTube views, viral Shayan Italia Jana Gana Mana video strikes patriotic chord | Mumbai Daily". www.mumbaidaily.in. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
  11. ↑ "Indian-born singer/songwriter to take UK charts by storm" (Press release). Great Reporter. 31 October 2007. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
  12. 1 2 3 Abhijit Dev Kumar (12 October 2007). "This Hyderabadi rocks in U.K." The Hindu. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
  13. 1 2 Smith, David (26 August 2007). "Debut album for singer who sold himself online". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
  14. ↑ News, Manchester Evening (2007-12-19). "Curtain falls in true Bollywood splendour at Shilpa Shetty's finale stage performance". men. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
  15. ↑ Sabbagh, Dan (13 March 2008). "YouTube No 1 is a long way from success on the music charts". The Times. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
  16. ↑ Momin, Sajeda (9 February 2008). "In the mood for a melody". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
  17. ↑ Purva Mehra (15 March 2015). "FOOD REVIEW: BIRYANI 360". ‘’The Daily Pao’’.
  18. ↑ "Biryani360 leads food startups explosion in India.pdf". Google Docs. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
  19. ↑ "Basmati Baritone: Biryani360 Delivery Service". ‘’Brown Paper Bag’’. 5 March 2015.
  20. ↑ "Mirror review: The slim biryani". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
  21. ↑ "Biryani in Mumbai gets a 360 degree makeover". Indian Television Dot Com. 2015-04-17. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
  22. ↑ "Great American Song Honorary Awards". www.greatamericansong.com. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  23. ↑ "In the mood for a melody". dna. 2008-02-09. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  24. ↑ "Shayan Italia 'Reflection'". Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  25. ↑ Smith, David (2007-08-25). "Debut album for singer who sold himself online". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
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