“Being on The Voice was like a summer camp on [steroids],” joked Parijita, a Severna Park High School graduate from the class of 2023. The Berklee School of Music freshman appeared on the 2022 season of NBC’s The Voice fulfilling a lifelong dream. Parijita was the first Nepali-American contestant on the show and made it to the Top 8 on Team Legend.
“I’m so grateful for this experience because it was really the first test of my value as an artist,” she said also jokingly noting the “trauma-bonded” friendships built with fellow contestants along the way. “All of these people competing on the show are fantastic singers; some of them much older and more experienced than I am.”
Parijita is grateful to her parents for their motivation and support. At a young age, her father would take her to see Nepalese singers on tour in the United States.
“I was not shy at all,” she said. “My parents have photos of me, four years old, singing my heart out backstage alongside these professional musicians.”
While her dad knew the ins and outs of the music business, her mom taught Parijita the courage and tenacity needed to work towards her dreams. It was Parijita’s mother who helped her turn her dreams into goals, which ultimately led her to audition.
“We watched The Voice together as a family every Monday night, and I would tell my mom how badly I wanted to be on the show.” she said. “But I would be crying, because it was an overwhelming want, which felt impossible.”
Parijita’s parents ran a restaurant while raising her, which she noted was “extremely hard work.”
“My dad would always find a way to provide for me,” said Parijita, recalling the chiiling moment he eased her concerns about the high cost of tuition after her acceptance into the Berklee School of Music. “My father took my hands in his and looked me in the eye. He said, ‘Do not worry. You will go to Berklee.’”
Parijita’s parents heavily centered Nepalese heritage as she was growing up. So when she made her first visit to Nepal earlier this summer, she felt right at home. “Even though I am an extreme extrovert, it was amazing to spend so much time on my own, exploring,”she said. “I was in my element.”
It was in Nepal that she performed her “favorite show ever” at a venue called Moksh. Parijita is enchanted by small, intimate spaces.
“Every show is like a relationship with the audience. I gain so much energy being on stage where I can see audience members’ faces and watch them connecting with the music,” she exclaimed. “And I love serving people this way.”
Parijita is only at the beginning of her journey as an artist, and she is already an extraordinary talent. Her musical influences include Norah Jones, Lianne La Havas, Yebba, James Blake, Adele, and Etta James (whose songs she covered on The Voice).
Tickets are on sale now to see Parijita at Ram’s Head on Monday, August 19 at 7:30 pm.
Check out Parijita’s YouTube channel, Instagram account, and Facebook page:
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