Indian sitar maestro Shujaat Husain Khan

Global IndianstoryShujaat Husain Khan: The renowned musician with music in his blood, a unique style, and a Grammy nomination

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Shujaat Husain Khan: The renowned musician with music in his blood, a unique style, and a Grammy nomination

Written by: Vikram Sharma

(September 27, 2021) Shujaat Husain Khan was barely three when he began strumming a sitar that was specially made for him. Each time he ran his tender fingers up and down the strings or pressed them down onto the fret, the changing sounds intrigued the toddler and captured his imagination. He started playing the instrument for hours every day. By the age of six, Khan was recognized as a child prodigy and he got down to giving public performances. Each time he pressed or pulled the strings of his sitar, the world took note of it.

His approach to rhythm, which is spontaneous, intuitive and delightfully fresh is what astonishes his audience till date.

Shujaat Husain Khan during a performance

“I was born into a great family and I grew up under the ‘Chatrachaya’ (umbrella) of the greatness of my father. But my biggest achievement is that I have been able to establish my own identity as Shujaat Khan among my audience across the world. They enjoy me for what I am and not because I come from a family of great musicians,” smiles Shujaat Khan, the renowned musician and sitar player, settling down for an exclusive interview with the Global Indian. Khan has a musical pedigree that goes back seven generations, all of whom were leading artistes. “Legacies wither away if the heirs do not seek to further them,” points out Khan, whose journey has been as musical as it can get.

From Calcutta to the world

Born in Calcutta in May 1960, Shujaat recorded over 60 albums, has performed across the world and was nominated for the Grammy award for Best World music album for his work with the band “Ghazal” with Iranian musician Kayhan Kalhor. From Calcutta (Kolkata), his father moved to Mumbai for a few years and then to Shimla, where he did his schooling at Bishop Cotton School. “My childhood was very different as I had to balance my riyaz (practice) and school. After returning from school, I used to practice for six to seven hours every day,” recalls Khan, who is also known for singing folk songs in his exceptional voice.

Shujaat Husain Khan with his father Vilayat Khan

His growing up years in the beautiful environs of Shimla is something Shujaat speaks of fondly. “I consider myself lucky to have grown up in the mountains of Shimla. The memories of the mesmerizing mountain peaks are etched in my memory. The beauty of those mountains reflects in my music,” says Khan, who at the age of 16 quit school and set off alone on a world trip. Eventually, he returned to his “riyaz” under his father’s guidance and took the world by storm through his soulful music. Khan’s style of playing sitar, known as the “gayaki ang” is imitative of the subtleties of the human voice.

The globe-trotting musician

His musical career took him to every corner of the world. But unlike many in his fraternity, Khan leads a very regulated life. “Since my childhood, I have seen how artistes work, have fun drinking through the night and waking up late in the mornings. They had no control over their lives. But I always wanted to have a normal lifestyle. I am an early riser and I don’t smoke or drink. Perhaps, that is the reason why I do not have many friends in the fraternity as I cannot be up till 3 am drinking with them,” he says.

It’s all in the family

His grandfather Ustad Enayat Khan, his great grandfather Ustad Imdad Khan and his great-great-grandfather Ustad Sahebdad Khan were all leading artistes and torchbearers of the Imdadkhani gharana with its roots from Naugaon, Uttar Pradesh. His brother Hidayat Khan is also a sitarist while his sister Zila Khan is a sufi singer.

Coming from an illustrious family did not mean that the musical journey for Khan was a cakewalk. Constant comparison between him and his father bothered him. “I was 10 when people began comparing me with my father. This went on for decades. It was very unfair and ridiculous but I guess it happens. It is only in the last 10-15 years that I have become more comfortable with who I am,” says Khan, whose memorable appearances include a performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Royce Hall in Los Angeles, and Congress Hall in Berlin.

Shujaat Husain Khan

Khan has also collaborated with renowned Iranian-American vocalist Katayoun Goudarzi. They are all set to launch their latest album “This Pale” on October 1, 2021. The album is based on the age-old love poems of Persian poet, Rumi.

Above all, he cherishes the moments he spent with music greats like Ustad Amir Khan and Pandit Bheemsen Joshi, who, he says, taught him a lot.

Pearls of wisdom

Ask him what advice he has for youngsters embarking on a journey, the 61-year-old feels there is hardly any need for that. “The youngsters fully understand they have to work hard and be truthful in whatever they do. They know exactly what is needed to achieve their goals,” says Khan. He replies in the affirmative when asked if he considers himself a Global Indian.

Shujaat Khan may be a globetrotter but the one Indian-ness that constantly remains with him is his “Dal-Chawal.” “Travelling across the globe introduced me to a variety of cuisines. But there is nothing to beat the good old dal-chawal, which I prefer to eat even when I am abroad,” laughs the father of two.

Talking about Brand India, Khan says that it has taken a beating in the last few years due to several reasons. “There was a time when people used to see India as a super power but not anymore. The way issues have been handled of late has made us a laughing stock in front of the international community,” feels Khan.

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Published on 27, Sep 2021

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Jay Sean: The British-Indian artiste completes 20 years in hip-hop music world

(April 16, 2024) Who can forget the peppy song Dance With You from the early 2000s? Then a 22-year-old, Jay Sean was among the few South Asian artistes who exploded on the music scene with a chartbuster that was set to change the course of his life. The song made the British-Indian artiste an overnight star, and as they say, the rest is history. Despite the changing time, he has kept himself relevant and the proof of it is that this year he completes 20 years in the music industry. "To be able to have 20 years in the music industry and have songs that have stuck as classics now, to me is always a blessing. The challenge is really just understanding how to evolve," he said in an interview. [caption id="attachment_50752" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Jay Sean[/caption] In the last two decades, the poster boy of the UK's Asian underground music scene has truly put Indian music and hip-hop on the global map. He was among the first few Indian artistes who opened the doors of South Asian music to the world, and is continuing to bring joy to music lovers across the world with his work. His latest song Heartless,

map. He was among the first few Indian artistes who opened the doors of South Asian music to the world, and is continuing to bring joy to music lovers across the world with his work.

His latest song Heartless, which was released a week ago, has already grabbed the attention of music lovers, and he knows his music works because he is being true to himself. "I understand what I have to offer to the industry, that if I write and deliver a song, it will always be a Jay Sean song. Regardless of how the production is changing, or even the melodies of the times are changing, it will still have my signature stamp on it," he added.

Growing up with music

Born as Kamaljit Singh Jhooti in London to Indian immigrant parents in a Punjabi Sikh family, Jay was raised in the Asian community of South Hall. From a young age, he was drawn to music, leading him to form a hip-hop band Compulsive Disorder with his cousin at the age of 11. A young Jay attended Latymer Upper School in the morning and wrote songs in the evening. "I remember watching Yo! MTV Raps from a young age. And that put me into writing because I just wanted to write raps. I used to go and find instrumentals when I was around 13, and I would write my own rhymes and record my own mixtapes. Me and my crew were making mixtapes, writing original lyrics over other people's beats, and that's what really got me into writing," he had said.

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But for his parents, music wasn't a traditional occupation and they encouraged him to focus on his studies. Someone who excelled in academics, he won himself a scholarship at the Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry to train as a doctor only to drop out in 2003 to pursue a career in singing. To kick start his career in music, he chose Jay Sean as his stage name. "Jay comes from my last name Jhooti and my grandmother used to call me ‘Shaan’ which is where Sean comes from," he revealed.

The poster boy of the UK's Asian underground scene

Life took a beautiful turn when one of his tracks One Minute fell into the hands of producer Rishi Rich, thus giving birth to the Rishi Rich project in 2003 that had Sean, Juggy D and Rich as its prime members. The trio exploded on the UK's Asian Underground scene with Dance With You, a chartbuster that made it to Top 20 hit. Such was the mania that even Virgin Records couldn't miss the chance of signing a £1 million deal with this rising star. Under Relentless Records, Jay belted out his first solo outing Eyes On You. The peppy beats and his velvety voice cast its spell on music lovers across the globe, making the song a Top 10 hit among all the Indian artists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8uztB31eUw

Global hip-hop icon

2004 came with the promise of Jay Sean being the next big thing. Each of his singles made the right noise in the music circle and soon he was hailed as the Asian sensation. His experimental and creative fusion of contemporary R&B and Indian music hit the right chord with music lovers across the globe. But his fallout with Virgin Records gave him time to self-reflect and use it to write songs. After a hiatus of almost two years, Sean returned with a bang with his second album My Own Way, which debuted at number six in the UK with its hit song Ride It smashing records. He soon found himself nominated at MOBO Award for Best UK Male and Best R&B/Soul among music heavyweights like Chris Brown, Estelle and Ne-Yo, which spoke volumes about him gaining popularity as a household sensation.

Champion of diversity

In 2008, Jay scripted history when he bagged a deal with Cash Money Records becoming the first South Asian singer and among few Indian artists to achieve the feat. The accomplishment opened an opportunity for the world to witness South Asian culture from close quarters. The deal bagged Jay his first collaboration with Lil Wayne, and the single became an instant hit zooming its way up the Billboard. This made him the first Asian British artiste to top the Hot 100 since Freddie Mercury of Queen in 1980.

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"Me getting to this point provides me the opportunity to show people what our culture is all about. Our community is just as or even more so musically inclined and now is our time to show the world that we are just like everybody else. The fact that my grandfather and my father had to hide their identity to assimilate into culture was unjust. They did not think that such barriers could be broken in their lifetime. I take it very seriously that I have one shot to make it – not just for myself, but my community," he said in an interview.

Smashing stereotypes

After winning three awards including Best Male, Best Urban Act and Best Album at the 2009 UK Asian Music Awards, he performed with Akon at the Grammy same year. Such was the craze around this British Asian sensation that he found himself on Number 35 in Billboard's Hot 100 Artists of the year. The year came to a stunning end for the artiste as he became the first South Asian to perform at the Madison Square Garden in New York. For the next few years, he belted out hits after hits with The Mistress, Do You Remember and All or Nothing. It was in 2015 that he reunited with Rishi Rich and Juggy D to restart the Rishi Rich project with their new single Freak.

In 2020, Jay resurfaced with a bang with Eyes on You 2 which reached No 1 on BBC Asian Chart. While his journey has had its shares of ups and downs, like any Asian, he too felt stereotyped in the initial years of his career. "I have experienced stereotypes and lack of equal opportunities. The reason being that certain people don’t look at you as an artist but take the whole package into mind and put you in a box. I experienced it a lot but I also took it upon myself to show people very early on in my career that there was no stopping me. When they would label me as a specific type of artiste, I would break out of that box and do something completely different every single time. It’s something I really love doing. Hopping onto different genres and expanding on what I can do as an artiste," he said.

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And now he is back with yet again foot tapping number Heartless, which coincides with his 20th year in the music industry. "I feel so blessed when I think about completing 20 years in this music industry. That is such a blessing because now everything is so disposable," he said.

Giving back

When he is not busy making music, he lends support to organisations and causes that resonate with him. For someone who was training to be a doctor in his graduation, medical field is closer to his heart. In 2004 and 2009, he supported the Aga Khan Foundation in the charity event Partnership Walk and Run by performing in Regent's Park. Around the same time, he performed at Justin Timberlake's charity concert to raise funds for the Shriners Hospital for Children, thus raising more than $9 million along with artistes like Taylor Swift and Alicia Key. In 2012, he joined Child Hunger Ends Here campaign, and recorded a song Here's Hope to create awareness.

Follow Jay Sean on Instagram

Alpesh Chauhan: Meet the British-Indian musician shortlisted for Royal Philharmonic Society Awards

(February29, 2024) When an 8-year-old Alpesh Chauhan returned from his school with a cello tucked under his arm, his parents were quite surprised. Immigrating to the UK from East Africa, his parents had no inclination towards music. So, seeing their son with a cello left them a little baffled. This sudden fascination for the cello dawned on him when he first heard local music teacher and cellist Veronica Raven from Birmingham Music Service perform during his morning assembly at Hall Green Junior School. "She's a bit of a legend and I remember it was amazing to listen to her. From that moment I knew it was what I wanted to do. I spoke to her – and the next thing is that I was given a cello to take home," he said in an interview. Years later after he fell in love with the cello, he is conducting some of the greatest orchestras in the world. Being tipped as the next Sir Simon Rattle, Alpesh, the Music Director of Birmingham Opera Company, was recently nominated in the Conductor category at the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards in the UK. [caption id="attachment_49529" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Alpesh Chauhan[/caption] Welcome to the world of orchestra

9" src="https://www.globalindian.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/alpesh1-1024x682.jpg" alt="Alpesh Chauhan | Global Indian" width="1024" height="682" /> Alpesh Chauhan[/caption]

Welcome to the world of orchestra and symphony

Alpesh grew up on a rich diet of Bollywood films whose soundtracks he found to be orchestral and instrumental, thus helping him lean towards the sound and orchestral world. Already learning the cello, it was at age 14 that he discovered the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) through friends who encouraged him to give it a shot. "That's when I started discovering orchestral music. It certainly wasn’t a culture I was familiar with in my own house. But to me, at that moment, it just seemed so amazing," said the Birmingham resident.

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Keeping up with his passion for music, he was a cello student at the Royal Northern College of Music, and later enrolled in Manchester College's masters conducting course. It was here that he was spotted by the CBSO chief who presented a golden opportunity to him. Impressed with Alpesh's conducting skills, he was offered the post of fellow conductor which he held until he was promoted to associate conductor in 2014. Later, he took up the position of principal conductor, conducting his own full programmes.

Tiptoeing into the professional world

His debut occurred alongside the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra during a Radio 3 live broadcast featuring Vasks’ Violin Concerto "Distant Light" and Brahms’ Symphony No. 3. Subsequently, he was invited back to conduct the orchestra for the Ten Pieces Secondary film. In May and June 2015, he substituted for two live Radio 3 broadcasts with the BBC Scottish and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestras, both garnering significant acclaims.

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But being a young principal conductor came with its own set of challenges. His age often translated into a lack of experience. "Conductors often give the best concerts of their lives when they are well into their 60s, 70s or even 80s. It's a field where age and experience only improve your conducting. This experience includes life experience, to understand better the plethora of emotions that composers strive to achieve in their music," he revealed. However, the Global Indian knew that he could always help himself by working hard. "You have to study and always strive to go deeper and deeper into scores so that when standing in front of an orchestra, you know the music as well as you can on that day," added Alpesh, who was named the associate conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

In 2022, Alpesh received an OBE in HRH The Queen's New Year's Honours for his services to the Arts.

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A star in the making

"I started out conducting little groups of musicians at school." Now, he directs substantially larger ensembles, whether it be in Birmingham or throughout the UK and Europe.

It was perseverance and hardwork that led him to great heights in the world of symphony and he advises the same for youngsters who plan to tread the waters. "Once you know what you’re getting yourself into, focus! Focus, focus, focus! It’s a hard world – people often comment on just how difficult it is to be employed and to be successful in the music business. However, it isn’t that scary if you are committed and have the passion and drive to thrive," he said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tVp0U8FB-g

Alpesh Chauhan's remarkable journey to prominence in the world of orchestral conducting speaks volumes about his extraordinary talent and dedication. Being nominated in the Conductor category at the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Awards in the UK solidifies his status as a rising star in the realm of classical music. Despite his young age, Alpesh has already established himself as a name to reckon with, captivating audiences and earning the respect of his peers with his exceptional skill and musical insight. As he continues to inspire and elevate the art of orchestral performance, Alpesh's future in shaping the landscape of symphony appears incredibly promising, heralding a new era of brilliance and innovation in the world of music.

Follow Alpesh Chauhan on Instagram and website

Fame’s not a game for Anurag Shanker: His music restores folk music, & traditional riffs

(March 24, 2022) As he made music with his friends in high school, it was clear that Anurag Shanker had a special talent. It wasn’t as a glamorous frontman, or an even more glamorous lead guitarist. He knew early on that his gift lay in composition and arrangement, to take a song and turn it into something people would want to listen to. While ideas were abundant, good execution was not. “I have never just been a guitarist or a composer,” says Anurag Shanker, today a reputed composer and music supervisor for Netflix’s The Fame Game. For him, the excitement lay in meeting new artists, about taking a song and expanding it to an audio production perspective. “I want to arrange their music and produce their songs,” says Shanker to Global Indian. He was first approached by the OTT giant back in 2020, soon after the pandemic began. “It was to do music for one show - The Big Day,” he recalls. A series about six engaged couples, the show takes a look at India’s multibillion-dollar wedding industry. “They needed someone to handle Indian-centric stuff that was culturally accurate, and also contemporary,” he adds. The Fame Game allowed Anurag to “place

n-centric stuff that was culturally accurate, and also contemporary,” he adds. The Fame Game allowed Anurag to “place some really nice indie music,” and that makes him a happy camper. One example is singer-songwriter Kamakshi Khanna's 2021 single Duur, which was featured.

[caption id="attachment_21803" align="aligncenter" width="575"] Anurag Shanker[/caption]

This space is Anurag's forte, to create music that is “culturally relevant and which sounds cool,” he avers. A repertoire of prolific- acoustic, rock and folk music (he collaborated with the Manganiyars of Rajasthan, for instance), and a classical collaboration with sarod player Pratyush Bannerjee (among the foremost sarod exponents of our day) who played songs in eight ragas that Anurag produced with an electronic sound. “We have to bring in a new perspective without alienating either form,” says the classicist. Cross-culture collaborations are all the rage and the word fusion is, arguably, overdone. “Putting a raga together with a drumbeat is not fusion. You have to be sensitive about it,” says the traditionalist.

Keeping up with the 'times'

Anurag's sensibilities were shaped at home, expectedly, as the son of late Promod Shanker, former VP, Times Music. “Dad had a knack for discovering new artists. He discovered Indian Ocean and Jasbeer Jassi. That was very inspiring to me,” says the musician with an eclectic ear. Growing up, he would often find the biggest names sitting in his living room – he recalls Indian Ocean and the composer duo Ajay-Atul. “There were artists coming home to jam all the time,” he adds.

Having been in the thick of things often, he has lost his taste for jam sessions. “If I’m playing music or creating it, it has to be for the music. It can’t be an evening of frolic where the music is incidental,” he mulls. It also showed him, at an early age, what lies beyond the glitz of show business - he understood the hard work and determination that goes into life as a professional musician.

Training began early, and at age nine it was tabla lessons. “It’s the best age to learn an art form,” Anurag says. “Rhythm became very much ingrained in me. Also, Indian rhythms are so complex that after learning them, everything else is simple. If a jazz musician says to me, this is a 7/4 time signature, I’m unfazed by that,” he says.

[caption id="attachment_21779" align="aligncenter" width="707"] Live with Namit Das. Picture: Vaishnavi Suresh[/caption]

Bengaluru days

Those early years were routine, and the joy came later, when he began to jam with friends in high school. “I hit the ground running. I was making songs when someone who started along with me was still trying to figure out the instrument. That was a huge plus,” which led him to visiting studios with his father, watching people organise recording sessions and learning how to make artists comfortable.

When he came to Christ University in Bengaluru, Anurag joined the college's thriving cultural scene during his third year. And that enabled him to take his music more seriously. Slowly, work started - jingles and promos. He was also part of a band then, Caesar's Palace, which performed in Bengaluru. “It was just a fun idea which helped me discover myself,” and his talent for arrangement and composition was noticed, and suddenly creative decisions were under his aegis. The band did an EP too.

In 2009, the composer moved to Delhi to be with his parents but found his career stalling. “I decided the only place to get really fired up is Mumbai - such an exciting city,” he says. He left home in 2010, carrying precious wisdom from his father. “Don’t look for a break,” he said. It put paid to the idea of starstruck youth swarming tinsel town looking for fame. Instead, his father said, “That big break will never happen. The world just doesn't work like that. Learn not to depend on what is in the pipeline. Instead, have a good time, collaborate with people and make music,” lessons he took to heart, created a repertoire of diverse projects.

[caption id="attachment_21781" align="aligncenter" width="556"] The composer recording Kinnaram from Tamil Nadu[/caption]

Bombay's acoustic people

A chance meeting with a friend from college (2010), Arfaaz Kagalwala, led to the formation of Slow Down Clown, an alternative outfit. The duo explored film work, like in Amit Masurkar's Suleimani Keeda. “We sent in a couple of ideas and they liked them. That was our first experience as composers,” smiles the composer whose wit and humour endears him to all. A web series, some film songs later, Arfaaz left for France. Anurag remained in Bombay - classical, folk music to film scores, and indie songwriting.

In 2013, Anurag became one-half of the now-dormant guitar duo Bombay Acoustic People with Sankarshan 'Shanks' Kini, who was playing with Kailash Kher's ensemble at the time. Kini, he says, is an “all-round, holistic musician,” who was “so welcoming.” The Bombay Acoustic People toured India, entranced Shillong, also toured Europe. They began the warm and inclusive living room gigs long before they entered mainstream cultural discourse.

“That started out in Sankarshan's room. We would bring speakers and debut material for some 25 guests,” and the shows were instant hits with fans offering their homes. Those intimate sessions call for the best in a musician, he believes, “One can play loud electric guitar to already loud music. Yet, if you're playing a real acoustic instrument in a small room where people are paying attention only to you, that’s the true test of your skill and personal peace.” In 2014, Namit Das + Anurag Shanker came to be, and still active though in the middle he was also a part of another alternative outfit, Last Remaining Light, in Mumbai.

That's all 'folk'

Working with folk artists is close to his heart. Accompanying his father to Mumbai's Western Outdoor studio in 2000, (now closed) where legends like Bhimsen Joshi and Abida Parveen would come in to record, he says, "Abida ji would walk into the studio and produce seven or eight hours of content at a shot. She just goes in and starts singing - Kabir for an hour, Punjabi folk for an hour. They were legends on the brink of something new. And simply to be in the presence of that spark - these are things that cannot be taught."

Producing at the core of his musicology - he has worked with the Manganiyar singers from Rajasthan including upcoming artist Peeru Khan, produced an album with sarod player Pratyush Bannerjee, the Urban Grooves Project series for Virgin EMI and a string of Indian music releases for a Bengaluru-label, Pragnya.

[caption id="attachment_21783" align="aligncenter" width="642"] Anurag with Manganiyar singer Peeru Khan[/caption]

At his home studio, he is busy working for an NGO, recording one folk song from every state of India. With 22 done, the collection will be presented on a website, where people can discover more about the song, its state of origin and the culture to which it belongs. “I have made so many friends and connections in the folk music community so this is my way of protecting our cultural heritage,” says the guy who can croon a mean tune.

The pandemic saw him long for the surrounds of Bengaluru, where he and his wife Malini currently live – an idyllic villa near Nandi Hills. “After living in cities all my life, I didn’t even realise this was something I needed,” he laughs.

Follow Anurag on Instagram and YouTube

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Ricky Kej, the musician with an activist heart

(November 17, 2021) From the Grammy-winning album Winds of Samsara to My Earth Songs and most recently Divine Tides, composer, musician and humanitarian conservationist Ricky Kej has the propensity to dig deep into ragas and their effervescence. Composing strains that not just stand the tests of time, but also alleviate the angst that humans wreak on nature, Ricky is an activist at heart. If he defines his life on two cornerstones - music and conservation, it is because many of his signature albums have an intrinsic bond with nature. The dentist who turned inwards conjuring up soulful music from ordinary notes has been on a journey of awakenings, be it with music, or through it, to raise environmental consciousness. A degree in dental surgery lies gathering dust, yet Ricky feels that his career was never a transition. "I have always been a musician. From a young age, I wanted music as my hobby, profession, career, bread and butter. I did a degree in dental surgery only because of my parents. I had made a deal with my father that once I completed a dental degree, my life was my own. The minute I got my degree, I handed it over

ee, I handed it over to my parents and became a full-time musician. I did not practice dentistry even for a day,” smiles the idealist believer who might just inspire a world of somewhat clueless folk who want to follow their hearts.

[caption id="attachment_15927" align="aligncenter" width="739"] Ricky Kej[/caption]

His recent album Divine Tides saw Kej associate with Stewart Copeland, founder and drummer of the Police fame. Now, he is working on a follow-up to his 2015 Grammy-winning Winds of Samsara (for which he worked with South African Wouter Kellerman). Back then, both Kej and Kellerman were huge fans of each other, and wanted to work together. A tryst of destiny brought them together.

"It was around 2012 when I met flute player Wouter Kellerman. We met in Los Angeles, and I mentioned that I had just composed a piece of music based on the ideals of peace by Mahatma Gandhi, my father of the nation. It was a huge coincidence that Wouter was working on a piece of music inspired by Nelson Mandela, his father of the nation. Through our discussions, we realised that there was a lot of cross-pollination - Mahatma Gandhi spent his formative years in South Africa, so had a South African-ness while Mandela was heavily inspired by Gandhi so had an Indian-ness. Wouter started to add South African-ness to my music, I started to add Indian-ness to his music. We became the best of friends, travelled the globe and in two-and-a-half years, we had Winds of Samsara (my 16th album!), and it went to the top of the US Billboard charts, and we won the Grammy Award for it," Ricky recalls. For the musician who has won over 100 music awards across 20 countries, the Grammy Award is most cherished as awards are for a greater good, not just for mere vanity, he says.

[caption id="attachment_15928" align="aligncenter" width="518"] Ricky Kej with his Grammy Award[/caption]

The pandemic was the perfect opportunity to kick back in his studio and kickstart Divine Tides with Copeland. "I was thrilled when he said yes. I have always relied on technology for my recordings, and Stewart too is high on technology, and has one of the most amazing home studios. That helped us record seamlessly. We did our portions individually, and it all came together superbly. We are thrilled to have created an album that celebrates life, creates a wave of much-needed positivity,” adds the Global Indian.

[caption id="attachment_15925" align="aligncenter" width="658"] Divine Tides by Ricky Kej and Stewart Copeland[/caption]

For a star who idolised Copeland, working with him was like attending "the best masterclass imaginable!" Kej says, "Stewart is not just the founder and drummer of one of the biggest selling bands in history 'The Police', he also regularly composes for operas, orchestras, and for over 50 Hollywood movies. He is constantly evolving and learning by exploring new sounds, traditional instruments, and rhythms," which formed an intrinsic bond with Ricky, as his pattern is similar. The songs imbue strong Indian roots with a fusion of the west as the album celebrates the magnificence of the natural world, and the resilience of our species.

It's easy to picture the wavy-haired lad with dark soulful eyes mesmerised by all forms of music as a child. Listening was more important than seeing, thus Ricky was hooked to his music system. “I would dissect songs, try and figure out instruments used, the musicians, and learn about different cultures and people," Kej reminisces. Music helped him fall in love with nature, and become its custodian. This deep connection can be felt in the gentle stirrings on Winds of Samsara or the unique sounds of Divine Tides.

[caption id="attachment_15929" align="aligncenter" width="760"] Ricky Kej performing at a live concert.[/caption]

Kej's music features in the 2019 documentary Wild Karnataka narrated by Sir David Attenborough which won two awards at the 67th National Film Awards 2021. The US-born, Bangalore-raised Ricky identifies with Karnataka, and Bangalore which became home at age eight when he left North Carolina. Scoring music showcasing the state's ecological diversity with Sir Attenborough's impeccable narration was of course, "an absolute no-brainer" for Kej.

"Music and conservation are the two pillars that define my life. Wild Karnataka brings out the inner child as you watch every stunning frame with awe and wonder. It forces you to realise how amazing Mother Nature is. She has always been the primary source of inspiration for my music," adds Ricky who was honoured to share credits with Sir Attenborough. "Winning the awards furthered the cause of protecting and preserving Mother Nature," he says.

A humanitarian, Kej has always attempted to bridge the widening chasm between human foibles and nature's resilience. As ambassador for the United Nations' UNICEF, UNCCD, UNESCO -MGIEP, Kej works closely with WHO, Earth Day Network, etc. The deeply mindful composer gains an impetus to dedicate his life to conservation. "My music has addressed different aspects of environmental and social issues - climate action, human-animal conflict, sustainable farming, the refugee crisis, etc. I believe that only when people start to acknowledge an issue, start a dialogue to solve it, can a solution appear. I want to inspire this dialogue through music. Music has the power to retain a message deep in the consciousness of a listener,” says the United Nations Global Humanitarian Artist award winner who missed performing during Covid 19 but believes in the "top-down approach" where he performs to inform audiences to create stronger policies to tackle environmental and health issues with a "ground-up approach."

[caption id="attachment_15931" align="aligncenter" width="651"] Ricky Kej addressing the UN General Assembly in 2016.[/caption]

Climate change is the biggest existential crisis humans face, and he urges, "It is up to artists, especially musicians, to advocate for climate action." What concerns him greatly is how the pandemic has hit the entertainment industry. "Performing artists, production companies, event management companies, sound engineers, recording studios and everyone else involved is stuck in limbo in India. It is all about adapting to the times and surroundings as no matter what pandemic hits us, music will never leave our lives," says the Bengalurean who is among the 100 Real Leaders, who has performed multiple virtual concerts during Covid 19 (the last three were watched by an estimated 200 million viewers).

For Ricky's new project, he worked with author and close buddy Vikram Sampath - Women Of The Record which celebrates the brave women in the early 1900s who first adopted recording technology, and became superstars, but were forgotten in history.

[caption id="attachment_15932" align="aligncenter" width="679"] Ricky Kej performing for UNICEF India.[/caption]

Not many know that Kej's grandfather Janaki Das, who he was extremely close to, was an actor, Olympic cyclist, and freedom fighter. "Many remember him as the buffoonish villainous character actor always essaying evil roles. You will remember him as Seth Ghanshyam in the Rishi Kapoor-starrer Khel Khel Mein, or Seth Janki Lal in Karishma Kudrat Kaa or the ticket collector in the Burning Train. He was the only Indian participant in the International Olympic Squad from British Imperial Empire in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games and in 1934 and 1942, he broke the world record for cycling. In 1942, he broke yet another world record but on finishing the race, he unfurled the Mother India flag which was gifted to him by Mahatma Gandhi (we were still ruled by the British). For this audacious act, he was disqualified. This was the first time an Indian flag was unfurled on foreign soil. He called it quits as a matter of protest for freedom from the British. He was the pioneer who formed the Indian Cycling Federation," Kej enthuses.

His grandfather died at the age of 93 in Mumbai in 2003. Ricky's wife Varsha is also a musician who has been a part of a few compositions and is a core part of his musicology.

[caption id="attachment_15933" align="aligncenter" width="830"] Ricky Kej[/caption]

Advice from the music maestro? "Talent may not always be under your control, but you can be the most hardworking person, like I am! Never use creativity as an excuse for laziness. Never make awards the end goal, be grateful when you earn them, and use them as a platform for doing bigger and better things," says the Bishop Cottons Boy’s High School student who never lacks inspiration as his muse is planet Earth.

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Reading Time: 8 min

Operatic Oz-mosis: Indian-origin tenor Shanul Sharma’s aria mesmerises the world

(April 19, 2022) On the sets of Carmen at the Arts Centre Melbourne, Shanul Sharma gave his first audition for an opera. For someone with a decade-long experience in heavy metal and rock n roll, it was unusual to see him take the centre stage. But everything stopped the moment he stepped on stage. “I loved the spectacle. In no time, I forgot everything and sang like there was no tomorrow. That was a turning point for me,” Shanul says in an interview with Global Indian. In years to follow, he performed across Australia, Europe, and Russia, becoming one of the few Indian-origin tenor soloists to achieve the feat. Yet Bolshoi (Russia) holds pride of place. The winner of the 2017 Canto Lirico discipline and the Rossini International Award, Shanul is the first Indian-born Australian to perform as a principal artist in an Australian opera. [caption id="attachment_23456" align="aligncenter" width="506"] Shanul Sharma[/caption] A musical ear Born in Jabalpur to a civil engineer father and a homemaker mother, a young Shanul grew up listening to Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar in the backseat of the family Fiat. “My dad had a huge influence on me. He loved music but he never had

"606" /> Shanul Sharma[/caption]

A musical ear

Born in Jabalpur to a civil engineer father and a homemaker mother, a young Shanul grew up listening to Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar in the backseat of the family Fiat. “My dad had a huge influence on me. He loved music but he never had the outlet. I had a musical ear, and learnt everything by just listening. So when he saw my gift, he encouraged me to follow my passion,” says Shanul whose teenage years were dedicated to Michael Jackson. “I idolised him not only for his songs but also loved him as a performer. He was a complete package. I imitated him, and would try to sing as high as I could,” says the tenor for whom music was a way of expression. Slowly, he started taking baby steps into heavy metal and ended up performing at school events. “I was bullied a lot in school due to my high pitch - music became a way to feel normal. The more I sang, the more I was seen and appreciated. It gave me a sense of positive reinforcement,” adds Shanul who started composing music in school.

The Oz experience

It was in 2002 that he bought a one-way ticket to Australia to study IT engineering at Charles Strut University’s Wagga Wagga campus. Outside his class, he was the lead singer of the rock band Sobrusion and performed at various pubs and clubs. “I always wanted to be a singer, and we used to make Metallica covers,” says Shanul who found his biggest support in his dad, adding, “He used to say ‘IT engineers toh bante rahenge, singer bann (Can always become an IT engineer, become a singer first).’” For almost a decade, he played with the band, and transitioned from heavy metal to rock n roll.

India-origin tenor | Shanul Sharma

Everything changed when he came across the song Nessun Dorma by Italian operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti on YouTube and immediately fell in love with opera. “Those two-and-half minutes was nothing but unadulterated vocal music. I had never heard something like this. That was the power of his singing. That’s when I knew I wanted to sing like that,” reveals the tenor who started training in western classical music after his band broke up in 2013. “Since I had a high pitch, I started training with an Italian teacher. It was a seamless transition vocally,” adds the 30-something who calls himself “restless” and loves to experiment. But he had to learn the “stagecraft” as working in opera was very different from heavy metal. “In metal, you write your music but opera is more traditional. You are working with an ensemble of 60-70 musicians. Here you have to fit into the grand scheme of things and make everything believable,” explains Shanul who believes his experience with rock n roll helped him bring something unique to the table.

The next year, he made his debut audition at the Arts Centre Melbourne on the sets of Carmen after an artist pulled out last minute. “I was hesitant initially thinking I wasn’t fully prepared. But then I pulled myself up and went for it. Something took over me onstage, and I forgot everything else,” smiles Sharma who got the role, and took only two days to prepare. “Lyndon Terracini, the artistic director of Opera Australia, was impressed and in two days, I was already on the road performing. I enjoyed every bit of it,” adds the young artist.

Indian-origin tenor | Shanul Sharma

Making moves internationally

A year later, he made his operatic debut with Opera Australia as Don Ramiro in Rossini’s La Cenerentola for the Victorian School’s Tour. In 2015, he was accepted into the Wales International Academy of Voice in Cardiff, one of the most prestigious singing academies in the world for his MA in advanced vocal studies. “I raised 53,000 AUD through crowdfunding for the course,” reveals the Indian-origin tenor who soon appeared as Ernesto in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale for Teatro Martinetti in Italy.

Being an Indian and performing opera in a myriad languages, Shanul had to “look, speak and feel” the part. “Whenever I am performing anywhere, the first thing I do is visit their art museum. It gives me an insight into what they find valuable. It helps me gain a sense of expression,” says the tenor. Having performed across Europe, it’s his performance at the Bolshoi Theatre in Russia in 2019 that he holds closest to his heart. “It’s not just the biggest theatre physically but also acoustically interesting. The sounds are beautiful and at the same time loud,” explains Shanul.

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Shanul found his greatest support system in his parents, both of whom are no more. “My dad never watched any of my performances as he died in 2012. But my mom did watch me perform in Melbourne in 2019, and it was a beautiful moment. During the live performance, I saw my mom waving at me enthusiastically. I tried hard to not get distracted,” laughs Shanul.

The past two years have been trying times for the artiste. “During the lockdown, 15 of my productions were cancelled. We are slowly getting back. However, a lot is still uncertain,” says Shanul who is hopeful of things getting better in 2023. “I am preparing for a handful of productions,” says the tenor who loves watching Bollywood films like Dangal, “I can relate to the life of a sportsperson because it is a lot like that of an artiste,” concludes Shanul.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjLzIR5e2Y0

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Reading Time: 6 min