Shannon K...If you haven't heard of her, then today is your lucky day! Shannon was born in India on June 16, 2001. She was adopted as an infant by Saloni, her mom, and Kumar Sanu, her father, who she describes as the most “wonderful parents a girl could ask for!”
According to Shannon, her father Kumar is a Bollywood singer and legend in India, and her mother is behind the scenes everywhere.
“My mother is the hardest worker I have ever seen. Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” The love this humble and shy beauty has for her mom is very apparent in her tone!
Shannon began singing with her father in front of thousands of people when she was just 4-years-old!
“I remember loving this life and listening to my dad sing. But at the time it was just a dream, ya know?”
When Shannon was about 10 years old , the family relocated to the UK and continued leading a somewhat “normal” life. People, school and surroundings in general were hard for Shannon as she experienced a lot of bullying. It got worse when she moved to the US at the age of 14!
“People would pick on me because my skin is brown, I have a lisp and I have an accent.”
These feelings of rejection weighed heavily upon Shannon for a long time and affected every aspect of her life.
“You can’t sing and can’t even talk right. I got weird looks. It was an awful time!” Shannon shared.
Trying to stay as active as possible, she signed up for every music class and audition there was through school. She would be given an opportunity to take classes at London's board of Royal School of Music.
“This is when I knew that this is what I wanted. I got more serious and was totally focused.”
After graduating, the young star and her extremely supportive family would move again. They traveled from India to London and now to L.A.!
“I wanted to live that kind of life, live the dream, ya know? I wanted to wake up in the morning and see the Hollywood sign!”
How did she make it as a young teen striving for the L.A. music life?
“I fell for a lot of false hopes and people taking advantage of me since I was so young. There were people making false promises and I also had a lot of haters and trolls online. People would tell me I couldn’t sing and make fun of me. This led me deeper into depression and I started to self harm. I was so young and so new to this, I didn’t know how to handle this properly. People were saying I only got to where I am because of my dad, but I did this. This was my hard work. I was struggling like a common person in the US. I love music and I am passionate about what I do. But I thought maybe I had made a mistake with music and that I didn’t deserve this. I have always turned to music for comfort so I did just that!”
More determined than ever and with her family supporting, encouraging and motivating her, she got back on her horse and took off!
Recalling her first time in L.A., she shared, “I emailed artists myself. I came across the email for Poo Bear and emailed him too. It just so happens, that he was checking his own email that day instead of his manager. He listened to me and he liked me! I was in the studio the next day! This opened so many doors for me and the opportunities just kept coming.”
That’s when she realized she had more lovers than haters. Shannon has not forgotten, and will never forget, the struggles she endured to get where she is today. Being rejected and “bullied” made life really tough for her, but Shannon has turned their ridicule into motivation and fuel for herself to encourage others!
“I just want to spread positivity and happiness, that’s really all I want to do. I love people and animals, so I give back as much as I can, staying involved in charities such as The Little Princess Trust.” She sponsored 2 girls through Plan International Charity until they completed their studies. The crazy part was that she was just 16-years-old! She supports Animal Equality and the Love Is Louder charity, which is an anti-bullying organization created by actor, Brittany Snow.
Shannon’s first huge song was written and produced by Poo Bear, better known as Justin Bieber. She smiles every time she utters his name, so cute! Her song, “How Long Is A Long Time” was released in 2018.
Shannon and her younger sister recently wrote a song called, “Give Me Your Hand”. This song is a message for anyone out there who struggles with bullies or haters. She is fighting bullies with positivity!
Another beautiful song she has is called, “I Do” which was produced by Infinity who she excitedly shared “works with people like Ludicrous!” This song is about “sharing your feelings with someone you are no longer in a relationship with.”
Shannon's next single “Knock! Knock!” will be out soon! It is currently in post-production and is about “being brave, empowering yourself and your talent, and not being afraid!” She shared. “I’m really showing my roots in this song and we actually shot some of the video in India!”
Q & A Time With Shannon!
Q: Where does your inspiration come from?
A: “My dad! If I can be just a fourth of what he is, I'm happy!”
Q: What is your favorite food?
A: “Definitely Italian.”
Q: Are we talking Pizza and Spaghetti kind of Italian?
A: “We are definitely talking about Pizza and Spaghetti!” We both laughed at this one!
Q: What is your favorite color?
A: “Purple.”
Q: What is your favorite show?
A: “The Office! It’s so funny!”
Q: Who is your favorite artist?
A: “Selena Gomez, Ed Sheeran, Adele, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion are just a few.”
Q: Fun Fact no one knows?
A: “I can make massive soap bubbles with my hands! I don’t know if that’s cool, but I think it is.”
Q: What do you do for fun in your free time?
A: “I love to color. I find it therapeutic and peaceful.”
Shannon has a personal video message for all of us stuck indoors. She also has a message for all artists in any field that are having a rough go at it.
“Keep going. You have the skill and you have the talent. We all have a specific image, look or talk that we think we have to live up to. Just be you! I felt like I was being fake too. Then when I realized who I really am, it didn’t matter anymore. Just keep going! Someone will listen, understand and want to watch you grow. Be yourself, keep showing who you are, and people WILL recognize you!” ~ Shannon K
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