By ALESHA CAPONE
DANIELLE and Quashani Bahd’s creativity comes to the fore in dancing, singing, rapping and fashion design.
Teenager Danielle recently took part in a series of fashion workshops taught by Ms Bahd at the Visy Cares Hub in Sunshine, making fascinators in the lead-up to the Emerge in Brimbank Festival.
Presented by Multicultural Arts Victoria and Brimbank City Council, the event celebrated the culture of refugee and emerging communities in St Albans.
Danielle, 14, also took part in a performance at the festival with her fellow students from the Visy Hub’s dancehall classes.
The young Sunshine West resident also takes music classes, plays piano, raps and writes songs.
Just like Danielle, Ms Bahd is a multi-talented artist. In 2010, she founded The House of BohoChic, a business where she handcrafts fascinators and jewellery.
She is also the official photographer for the I Love Dancehall website but her main passion is singing.
Ms Bahd described her music as a combination of reggae and blues, sometimes remixed in a dancehall style.
Ms Bahd’s debut solo EP ‘Bahd Gyal Rhymes’ is presently production.
“I’ve been singing since primary school. I did my first performance at the age of 10 in Grade 5 with the ‘Shoop Shoop’ song,” she said.
“It’s all about creating a positive message.”
Ms Bahd also sings with the acoustic group Kundalila and enjoys community work, appearing in shows such as the Sisters for Sisters fund-raising concerts.
This year, Ms Bahd placed second in the Africa’s Got Talent competition at the North Melbourne Town Hall in May and collaborated on the soundtrack for a short film called ‘Empowering Change’.
“I also do a bit of rapping, but I’m not a rapper,” she said.
“I wouldn’t call myself a dancer, but I do dance.
“I always feel like I’m working hard and getting closer to my dream.
“Then the other day I thought, ‘I’m living the dream’.”
See www.houseofbohochic.bigcartel.com or www.quashanibahd.com for more information.
