The other side of music

Saurabh Chadha

Twelve albums, 16 music videos and over 1600 concerts later, Somesh Mathur is a content artiste. If he aspires for something now, it is definitely not for himself but for others of his ilk, who are struggling to make a mark in the Indian music industry. The man who crooned ‘Achha hai unse koi takaza kiya na jaye’, and made a million hearts flutter, is working on his ambitious musical venture sweetbeats.in, through which he aims to push Indian music industry on a global platform. Here he talks about his past experiences and future plans.

How would you describe your journey in music?

I decided in the second year of my graduation that I wanted to pursue music as a profession and thankfully the journey has been extremely fulfilling. Learning music is a constant process and when you are a part of show business, you even need to know how to market yourself. Thus, I went on to complete my MBA in marketing and finance, besides taking classes in Hindustani classical music. Everything I learnt helped me became a better person, a better performer.

Where is the Indian music industry heading towards?

The Indian music industry is predominantly a film music industry. Bollywood music continues to be a rage in India. It is far more popular than independent music, which on the contrary is more popular around the world. As a result, independent music has a poor market share. Individual creativity, including the songwriting part, has suffered immensely. But there is no denying the fact that music industry is evolving in India and that is why I invested in a music start-up called sweetbeats.in. It may bring a change in the lives of playback, non-playback and folk artistes.

You have done collaborations with eminent artistes including Asha Bhosle. How has the experience been?

Collaborations excite me as these are a huge challenge to pull off successfully; both creatively and commercially. Working with Asha Bhosle was an experience of a lifetime. We spent four years working on the album, Asha — A Brand New Album, which was a huge success. Her modesty is inspiring. Only after working with her one realises as to why she is considered a living legend. To listen her sing live is an incredible experience.

Your new venture of taking Indian commercial music to an international platform is a great endeavor. Please tell us something about it.

The venture, sweetbeats.in will help Indian artistes receive global recognition. There is scarcity of quality song writing and original music. Since, Indian music stems from classical music, it is the answer to this scarcity.

For example, infinite melodies can be made from different permutations and combinations of just one Raag Bhairavi. Any melody based on Raag Bhairavi and sung in English by any pop singer in collaboration with Indian singers, writers, musicians… promises a universal appeal. This has the potential to become a great movement, where in many such combinations are possible. This will also help Indian artistes earn a living. We are signing on musicians to hopefully make them global brands, representing Indian music on the world stage.

You were among the first few to introduce jazz to Indian classical music. How did that happen?

I love jazz in all its forms just as I love rock n roll. Since childhood, I was inclined towards Indian classical music. My parents were my gurus. But I loved rock n roll and jazz too. My sister is an accomplished jazz singer. So these are the two parallel tracks running along in my psyche. The fusion comes naturally to me. Some of my albums like Achha Hai, Ghalib, Asha – A Brand New Album prove that I am comfortable with multiple genres of music.

What do you think of the new generation of singers?

Most of the singers are ambitious and talented. However, their knowledge about the academics of music is limited. Their creations lack depth and the career is short-lived. Everyone seems to be looking at shortcuts to get famous, a path that in reality does not exist. I observed this while auditioning over a thousand singers from all over the world in the past five years.