The Way We Were | Barbra Streisand | Cover by Sonia & Beven

Streaming on Spotify, Apple, Amazon & KZbin - tr.ee/waywewere
This week’s cover is a dedication to my darling mom who we lost ten years ago, today.
I get so many DM’s and comments from friends about what an exciting life I live, the frequent travel and the fun gigs I get to play. The thing is, it’s usually the good stuff that makes it to social media. So, for a change, I thought I’d share a story about the hardest gig I’ve ever played.
25th February 2011. I was about three months into my resident contract with Sonia at Taj Bengal, Calcutta. Mom had been in the ICCU for about a month. It was a harrowing time. I’d get a call from home saying it looked like she wouldn’t make it so I’d book a flight back the next day. And then she’d get a little better and I’d fly back to work. I must have flown down about 8 times that month. On the 24th, I visited her in the hospital and told her I was leaving for Cal the next day. She wasn’t too responsive but managed to whisper an ‘I love you too’ when we said goodbye. I reached Cal the next day and got ready for work. The gig started at 8pm every night. It was around 5pm that I got a call from the hospital saying that her condition wasn’t looking good and a short while later, that she had passed away. I had mentally prepared myself for this day ever since she was first diagnosed with cancer fourteen years earlier. Of course, you can never prepare enough. Sonia and the GM of the hotel insisted we take the night off but I didn’t see the point. The next flight home was only the next morning. Till then, the show could go on. So we got on stage. Played our hearts out like we usually did. While I tried to ignore the tons of condolence messages and calls coming in. My mom had just died and I was on stage. We played ‘The Way We Were’. Yikes. Not an easy one to listen to when you’ve just lost someone special. But I somehow managed to get through the gig and flew back home the next day.
Don’t envy someone’s life based on their social media posts. Coz life isn’t always great. But it does throw us some valuable lessons along with the curveballs. There’s a time for everything. A time for grief. A time for joy. A time for sadness & pain. A time for healing & laughter. A time for travel. A time for music. Embrace them all and figure out what each moment can teach you. I learned something important that day, ten years ago. Death will eventually come for us and every single person we care about. You WILL die. But till then, you MUST live. Don’t live a life of regret. Life is too short to spend it wondering about the ‘what if’s’.
Rest In Peace Mom... This one’s for you!
Hope you enjoyed this one. Do share the posts if you do. And please hit the subscribe button if you want more. New covers coming soon.
Vocals: Sonia Saigal
Piano: Beven Fonseca
Recorded at Island City Studios, Mumbai
Directed by Jishnu Guha
Mixed & Mastered by Zain Boxwala @ The Groove Room, Mumbai
Written by Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman and Marvin Hamlisch.
Originally Performed by ‪@barbrastreisand‬
Follow Sonia Saigal -
Facebook: / soniasaigal
Instagram: / soniasaigal
Follow Beven Fonseca -
Facebook: / bevenf
Instagram: / bevenf
KZbin: / bevenf
Website: www.bevenf.com
#thatballadguy #barbrastreisand #thewaywewere

[@bevenf]

Streaming on Spotify, Apple, Amazon & KZbin - sng.to/bevenf/the-way-we-were​

[@freshdumpling]

This is the best rendition on KZbin

[@seanfernandes9517]

Beautiful.....

[@bhoogewerf2823]

What a heart-wrenching post. Bevan I can feel your pain as you hit those ivories. It takes guts to even attempt a Barbra Streisand song and Sonia's rendition of this classic makes me teary.

[@sandraamaral2836]

Lindo 👏👏👏

[@writetoclyne]

Pretty 👌🏽

[@melaniedcosta9442]

A beautiful tribute to your mum who was so proud of you. Looking forward to many more posts.

[@luismiranda235]

What a fabulous performance. I remember your mum - what a lovely lady!

[@cassandrasiqueira177]

Voice of a Diva!

[@JMJF]

*Goosebumps* ❤️

[@cherylremedios9493]

A lovely tribute to your mum. She would have loved it. She was so proud of your talent.

[@suchita08kp]

Beautifully played and sung - your mum is surely smiling down from above - karen

[@lynette_sequeira]

Beautiful singing Sonia!❤ Very touching Beven.🤗💕

[@bevenf]

Thank you so much!!

[@ksplayzyt3837]

A beautiful tribute... Could feel this song...Thou I don't know you or your Mum .... So beautifullly expressed... .Mum is surely proud of this... ..

[@bevenf]

Thank you!

[@harmeetmanseta]

i've got this on Rotation for almost an hour ... it's so Poignant and Beautiful ... really got to me "down Home"

[@bevenf]

Thank you kind sir!!

[@harmeetmanseta]

@@bevenf Bro, for me You're one of the top three most Beautiful Pianists from this Country. And please don't reply to this comment ..

[@sharongonzo1969]

One of my all time favourite songs covered so soulfully. Love what you guys are doing and look forward to every new release. God bless.

[@bevenf]

Thanks Sharon!! Few more left in this series!!