"I started to explore music again."
Neuroradiologist Amar Chotai revealed that he lives a double life as a doctor and a Latin popstar.
The 32-year-old from Harrow, London, trained at Kings College to be a consultant in Interventional Neuroradiology, specialising in complex treatment of vascular (blood vessels) conditions affecting the brain and spinal cord.
But at night, Amar is an accomplished singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, recording artist and performer – having accomplished a No.1 in the UK Latin Pop Chart.
Calling Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias major inspirations for his vocal and musical style, Amar says he is grateful to fulfil both his passions.
He said: “I’d just been on a reality show in India, like The X Factor of India.
“I was selected as the top four winners in the UK and was meant to go to Mumbai for the competition in October (2006) but was also meant to start medical school then.
“It was a very difficult decision to make – but decided to start with medicine and take up music later. Nine years later, in 2015, I started to explore music again.”
In order to do both, Amar says organisation is key.
His schedule includes getting at 4 am everyday for singing practice before 20 minutes of mindfulness to “free [his] mind and release tension built up from surgery”.
Amar then completes his day job from 8 am – 6:30 pm before going to band practice from 6:30 pm until late.
At the weekends, Amar performs all over the country.
The doctor says his colleagues are aware of his pop career and has their “full support”.
While both professions appear very different, Amar says there are a lot of similarities, such as working and performing under high pressure.
Saying that both also help with healing, Amar told MyLondon:
“With someone’s brain, we are dealing with millimetres.
“If our wires or tubes go a millimetre too far – that person may have a hole in their blood vessel which could be fatal.
“It’s so important to keep your cool. We give people that second chance at life.
“Lots of families have had deaths over the last few years. People have used my song for their own grieving.
“That’s parts of the medicine – I can heal people with music and medicine.”
Amar revisited his musical talents and released his newest single after his mother passed away due to liver cancer during his teenage years.
Before her death, he promised her that he would achieve excellence in both medicine and music.
His new song, ‘Bisrat Naahi Maa’, is dedicated to her.
Amar elaborated: “I can dedicate a song to her that will immortalise her memory.
“A way to say thank you for the foundation she gave me to a life. To say that I miss her a lot.
“I hope she’s happy wherever she is and is proud of what is happening in her absence.
“Any time I have difficulty in the hospital theatre – I take myself back to that 16 year old boy. I know that if i can get through that period of my life – I can get through anything.”
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