Crazy for karaoke: How Mumbai’s bars, jockeys and enthusiasts turn up the volume for karaoke

Mumbaikar Glynis Luan Simoes has always loved singing and that is because she grew up singing in the church choir with her mother and father. Later on, she sang to the likes of Backstreet Boys everywhere possible including the galley of the airplane, when she was an airhostess. Then she went to Goa one time and sang at St Anthony's bar on Calangute beach, and then things changed. Even though the 39-year-old used to be shy, she started singing at a bar in Bandra. It was like singing was what Simoes was meant to do even though she hadn't received any kind of formal training. Over the years, she used to visit karaoke bars in Mumbai to sing and before she knew it, the Khar resident was hosting karaoke nights in the city.

She shares, "I used to go for karaoke nights and then I made a friend, who used to be the host. I used to stand close to the console and see how the host mixes on the live mixer and picked that up. So, whenever the other hosts used to leave, I used to take over the mic." Soon enough, her friend asked if she would like to help out if the other guy wasn't available, and Simoes never looked back.

While most Mumbaikars experience the Monday blues, there are a quite a number of city dwellers like Simoes who go to sing the blues, ballads, and rock and roll at neighbourhood pubs that host karaoke nights in Mumbai. While the street outside may be quiet and getting ready for Tuesday, the restaurants are full of people who love to sing karaoke and Simoes is one of the many who start it off. Like Mondays, Mumbai even has karaoke nights on Wednesday, as many people go to beat their mid-week blues with some song and dance to English and Hindi karaoke nights. While traditionally people may imagine Friday, Saturday and Sunday to be the days to party, these karaoke nights tell a different story. Or, as this writer observes and believes, Mondays and Wednesdays are the new Fridays, as karaoke nights are hosted on most days across venues.

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Celebrating karaoke
Simoes, who started professionally being a karaoke jockey in 2013, explains, "There are a lot of places for karaoke now, and a lot of places now also host karaoke nights because a lot of people are looking to be able to sing because they want to unwind after work. It used to only be during the weekends before but now it is during the week too." It is a stark difference from the time the Mumbaikar started going to sing during karaoke nights over a decade ago.

Earlier, she says, people used to travel to South Mumbai to attend karaoke nights at Jazz By The Bay (presently known as Pizza By The Bay) and to places in Andheri and Bandra, but that has now changed. "There was a time I used to host karaoke in Pune and my followers to come there along with us. We used to have a huge group going there and coming back the same night. At that point in time, I used to not only do karaoke but also work for British Airways. I used to finish karaoke nights, come back and rest for an hour, and then go to work and have another show in the evening."

Glynis Simoes (left), who is a professional singer now, started hosting karaoke in 2013 and has seen more people pick the mic confidently these days than before. Photo Courtesy: Glynis Simoes

Santacruz-based Andrew Jacquet is one of several other Mumbaikars who absolutely love karaoke. He explains, "In the 2000s, I spent a lot of my summer holidays on ships with my dad, who was a captain, and his crew were all Filipinos, and they are very seriously into it. So that is what got me to like it." The Mumbaikar and his family loved the form of singing so much that they have even had karaoke machines at home, but Jacquet says he still prefers to go out and enjoy himself usually at The Little Door or Road House Bluez, which has his favourite haunts in the city for the activity.

In 2016, Jacquet took it up a notch and even ran a now-defunct blog called ‘The Bombay Report' with his friend, where they would review karaoke places in Mumbai, till 2020. "I love singing, and it's a great place to meet new people. It really beats out just listening to the same music over and over when you are at a bar you know," shares the 29-year-old, who says he also likes how it has an intimate scene. "I like that it is so interactive, and some people are amazing. It is a good way to bond, usually when you go out, you are limited to the group you come with, with karaoke you can meet new people," adds Jacquet. These days, the karaoke enthusiast goes once every two months, usually during December. While he would want to go more often, Jacquet says most of his friends don't really sing, and that's why he doesn't end up going more often.

Like Simoes, even Nicole Ann Pereira has also been into singing and that's how her love for karaoke grew over time. She explains, "I have always been very passionate about singing. So, instead of a regular dance night, my friends and I used to go for a karaoke night, since we were 18 years old. It was only through karaoke I had the confidence to hold the mic and sing." That translated into her hosting shows while she was in college and for events otherwise.


Having always been passionate about singing, Nicole Ann Pereira used to go for karaoke nights with her friends since she was 18, instead of going out dancing. Photo Courtesy: Nicole Ann Pereira

It didn't take long for her to find her love for both, which eventually led to her getting the opportunity to host her own karaoke five years ago when The Little Door approached her. "It has been a wonderful journey ever since. It has taught me to be disciplined and patient yet enjoy every bit of it. I have met so many people along the way and have had the best experience with them," adds the Bandra-based karaoke host, who is also a consultant with a multinational company in the city. Apart from The Little Door, Pereira also likes to go to Soul Fry, The Den, Three Wise Monkeys and Bulldogs in the city for karaoke nights.

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Joy of singing karaoke
The very experience of singing like no one cares while also meeting new people is also what she likes about karaoke. "Karaoke makes people come together and in sync. People really connect through songs whether its dancing or singing. At karaoke, however, the singer gives it their own touch making it personal and engaging. The best part of karaoke is you can sing your heart out regardless of being good at it," she adds.

Interestingly, Simoes has seen this positively change over the years since she has been actively going for karaoke. She explains, "People used to be extremely shy and scared in the beginning. They are like that even now but nowadays people are more open to this possibility of holding the mic and sing any song the way they want to sing it. I keep telling a lot of people even if they are shy, once you take the mic, there is no turning back. Me, being a professional singer, I started as a karaoke singer because I was not professionally trained. I turned my hobby into my profession." Having been there and done that, today the Mumbaikar encourages a lot of people who are really good at singing, to sing. "Like you need to go and sing and explore different genres of music because it may suit your voice, you never know," she adds.

Even Mario Andrade, another city-based karaoke jockey like Simoes, started his journey quite similarly because of his love for karaoke. He shares, "I used to be a karaoke regular at another karaoke jockey's nights way back in 2001. At the time, I used to go to various places like Jazz By The Bay, Banana Bar and others. I used to go to Sun-n-Sand in Juhu, where my guru, Savio D'sa used to be the host. So, one night he wasn't able to come and told me to host it since I had been there quite often. I did it for the first time in April 2004, and really enjoyed doing it."

Juhu-based Mario Andrade has been a karaoke jockey for two decades now and hosts karaoke nights almost every day of the week in Mumbai. Photo Courtesy: Mario Andrade

Andrade immediately told Dsa how much he enjoyed it and said he was open to any other opportunities that would come his way. Almost immediately, the latter told the Juhu resident about how travelling from Mulund to Juhu is quite a challenge, and since he lived in the neighbourhood, he should probably take over. It has been 20 years since then, and Andrade loves every bit of it even today, after giving up his corporate job many years ago. Today, he hosts karaoke nights all through the week except Saturday and Tuesday and is even looking to fill up the latter. While he hosts karaoke nights at 3 Wise Monkeys on Wednesday and Sunday, he also hosts one at Big Small on Mondays along with another colleague. He is also soon going to start at the Game Ranch in Malad on Thursdays and hosts the one at Heritage on Fridays - showing how much karaoke has picked up in the city over the years.

In all this time, he has seen a lot of changes but more particularly the increase in the number of karaoke jockeys. He shares, "Being a karaoke jockey is a specialised thing and is not everybody's cup of tea because hosting the karaoke night is not just about having all the tracks and announcing the name and song, it is about engaging with people, meeting new people because you have to make them comfortable because for some of them it is the first time. They may have not come to sing but they may have just come to experience it." However, he says karaoke has become a ‘doormat' because over time, restaurants and bars have been using karaoke as fillers especially when they aren't doing well, so that the karaoke night can pull a crowd but that, he says, may not always work in the restaurant's favour.

While being a karaoke jockey may seem easy, Andrade says there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes. "For example, updating a software, buying songs from authentic karaoke companies by paying 2-3 pounds a song, then constantly updating your technology with your mic and mixer," the 49-year-old shares. Armed with over two decades of experience, his mic, mixer and software - all of which speaks for itself, Andrade believes more karaoke jockeys need to take the effort to be more serious about their work if they want to do it correctly. At the same time, he has had some of the best experiences being a radio jockey over the years. "People have met at my karaoke nights and got married. There are people who have been average singers and have been regulars and become really good singers over the years," he adds.

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Getting people to sing on a Monday
Interestingly, long before many restaurants and bars started hosting karaoke nights in the city, Soul Fry was one of the early ones. Meldan D'Cunha, the owner of popular Bandra restaurant, that is popular for its karaoke nights, has been one who has seen that happen very closely, after he started the restaurant in 1996. He shares, "We started with jazz nights every fortnight, and then I felt there was more scope for music, so I thought doing something on the slowest day of the week makes sense and Monday is always the worst day for a business all around the world. So, I started the karaoke nights on Monday in 2001 with some good hosts who were friends." While it took some time to take off, says Dcunha, because it costs money to pay the hosts and set up the whole thing. It is one of the reasons, he has observed that has led to people stopping their karaoke nights because they weren't able to make money because the expenses are too high.

However, the sense of community is probably what fuelled the fire for the karaoke nights, which also happen on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday as of today and it is always jam-packed. Such is the crowd, D'Cunha says he has now started closing the gate at 10 pm on Fridays because it is essential to handle the crowd properly, and make sure the service is good with food and drink as there are people of all ages.

It has come a long way from when he started. He explains, "It started with a lot of people from the community that had people from Bandra Gymkhana and Wellingdon Gymkhana, who used to be our regulars. Now, it has evolved. While they stopped coming, other people have started coming and it is not only Catholics anymore but also people from other communities who join in and that has been really good for the business also. There are a lot of people who come from Navi Mumbai, Borivali's IC Colony, Vasai and even Colaba who come regularly with huge groups."


Meldan D'Cunha, owner of Soul Fry in Bandra, started karaoke nights in 2001 and has managed to have a packed night every Monday, apart from other days of the week. Photo Courtesy: Meldan D'Cunha

Even after all these years, D'Cunha still handles all the bookings to ensure that everybody gets a chance properly. You will usually find D'Cunha and his wife sitting at the first table and encouraging every kind of singer to sing their heart out. Over the years, D'Cunha says there have been many celebrities who have been regulars. Some of them are India television actor and model Shweta Salve, Malaika Arora and Leander Paes, who still visits. Some of the others include Arbaaz Khan's son Arhaan, and even international cricketers include the likes of Australian pace legend Brett Lee, who visited often with his gang, whenever he is in the country, and even Michael Clarke and Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara too. D'Cunha reveals that Indian rock band Agnee's Kannan Mohan started his career singing karaoke at Soul Fry, and he still tells people about it. Even Indian pop rock band Sanam's Venky S visits the restaurant often till date.

D'Cunha says the karaoke nights have also seen a lot of choir singers who come in, and he personally encourages duets especially to regulars who come in to explore their vocal range. While he used to earlier use the machine, today, the Bandra resident uses the treasure trove of YouTube's karaoke videos to fuel the community. "Earlier, we used to have the machine and we started using YouTube only five years, as it has a lot more karaoke songs now. It has helped a lot because the software has limited songs," he shares. Today, after Fridays, Mondays are one of the best days of the week for D'Cunha.

With the evolution, comes the learnings and timely changes to let the culture flourish and he made one of them. "Recently, we decided that each table will get a song to sing rather than each singer so that more people get to sing. Otherwise, if six people come on a table and every one of them is a good singer, it happens every time, then only that table gets the opportunity to sing." In fact, such is the popularity of the karaoke nights there, that D'Cunha says, he has seen a lot of people come with their bags to the restaurant on a Monday before they fly out of the city only so that they can sing their hearts out with karaoke.