In his back garden with the sun beating down, Avie Sheck stood in front of his microphone, acoustic guitar in hand. However, today he would not be performing on his own. His mother was standing next to him, ready to join her son in a cover of Coldplay’s ‘Yellow.’ Avie began to play the familiar chords to the song, but the cover took an unexpected turn when his mum joined in with traditional Indian-style vocals, transforming it into a cover that Music Man readers will find impossible to forget.
Avie’s mum, Uma, is a trained classical Indian singer and comes from a long ancestral line of classically trained Indian musicians. The stunning vocals she added to the ‘Yellow’ cover brought a whole new dimension to the song, as Avie joined her, singing the version of the song we all know. With Uma’s vocals alongside Avie’s, the song seemed to grow in depth and expressiveness, prompting one impressed online viewer to comment, “Best cover of ‘Yellow’ by Coldplay EVER!”
I was touched to see these two generations of musicians coming together, bringing their own styles and specialisms to create something entirely new. I was especially moved when I found out that Avie and Uma live in different states, making it difficult for them to get together and play. This makes covers like this all the more special. It doesn’t just capture their shared musical talent but also allows them to celebrate their bond and the moments when they can come together.
Any of our Music Man readers who are worried this means there won’t be many more collaborations from the mother-son duo to enjoy will be relieved to hear that they do their best to record new covers regularly. There is only one so far that has been more popular than their cover of ‘Yellow’, and that is their version of ‘Creep’ by Radiohead. The unique take on the song has received over 3.9M views, as Uma’s vocals once again turn the song into something entirely new.
It is amazing to see how Avie and Uma Sheck have taken their own family legacy of traditional music and combined it with the modern mainstream to find something unique. Their sound is unconventional, yet familiar, making it a joy to listen to on multiple levels and allows people from all over the world to connect. While these two musicians clearly excel in their own individual styles, it is undeniable that, when they come together, they create something truly magical.