She has been hailed a second Lorna but has her own special brand of pizzazz. She is a show –stopper with her vibrant warmth, dynamic punch that captivates her audience and leaves them clamouring for more. She’s the new kid on the block – Goa’s singing sensation, Veeam Braganza.

She’s 17, a 1st year BA student at St. Xavier’s College, Mapusa and wants to pursue two careers – journalism and singing.

She was immersed in music at home from a very early age. Her father, Bond, is experienced in Konkani theatre and has been the motivating energy in her life, always supportive and encouraging.

From the age of 6, she was in great demand at parties, shows, concerts. This built up her confidence and love for singing. She remembers: “I sang everywhere”.

At 10, she sang with her dad, sister and other artists in a Konkani cassette entitled “Mhaka Jicouk Dhi”. At 15, she featured in an English album “Christmas with Veeam and Raisa”.

She eagerly responded to a few questions:

Did you enjoy going into a recording studio?

The recordings were real fun though I had to have a lot of patience with the studio engineer, who kept taking retakes again and again. I prefer performing live.

What is special for you in a live performance?

I feel the thrill of making music for others. You have only one chance to do it right and win your audience over. You have to believe in yourself and say to yourself “I can do it”.

Are there any performances that live in your memory?

Yes. At 11, I did 2 shows with Chris Perry. He played the trumpet with one hand and motivated me to improvise with the other hand. Recently, Jazzy Joe played the saxophone with one hand and inspired me to let myself go in skatting. This was an unrehearsed performance and I found myself discovering that I could do wonderful things with my voice.

What’s next in your career?

Music has been fun, soothing, a pleasurable companion. I haven’t had any voice training. But I need to take it to a different level. I have started lessons with Juliana. I’m determined to take every opportunity for discovering my abilities. I’m going to practice regularly and listen to others performing. I have had offers to sing in a band but I prefer to perform at a Jazz Goa meet, which offers a superb platform.

Any more recordings?

Three actually: a Chris Perry – Lorna tribute, Konkani songs written by my dad and an English album with my favourite songs.

What do you listen to?

I prefer the quieter old songs and jazz improvisations. I like Barbra Streisand, the Carpenters, the Beatles, the Bellamy Bros, Nora Jones, Gloria Estefan.

Veeam is a shy, quietly spoken girl who sets herself and her audience on fire when she steps on stage. Her down-turned eyes sparkle and her gentle voice overwhelms with the powerful surge of her singing. Music makes her talent burst out irresistibly.