As a solo artist, Monica Dogra called herself Shaa’ir, which means ‘poet’ in Urdu. She grew up on a diet of Indian classical, ghazals and Bollywood music in the United States. Then she met and teamed up with Mumbai-based Randolph Correia who called himself FuncINTERNATIONAL and listened to rock, reggae, funk and disco. They now call themselves Shaa’ir + Func since the name represents both their styles and vibes. This line from the track Freedom which features on their latest album sums up their music perfectly: ‘We are like the tide lapping on silent wars and psychic assault. Our weapon is sound. Our weapons are loud.’ Their unique blend of soul, R&B, electronica and poetry is making people sit up and take notice – the single Oops from New Day: The Love Album placed at number nine on VH1’s Top Ten Big Rookies of 2007. Monica believes that speaks volumes about the rising interest in alternative music in India. Be it the Sunburn in Goa or Hologram in Mumbai, she loves performing at festivals. Wary of labels, this 25-year-old says she’d rather let her music speak for itself, “We like to keep it simple. It’s just good, honest music.”