On a sufiana mission

Music director Aadesh Srivastav is in Dubai to judge Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Middle East-Pakistan 2008. He says, he is looking for someone with Sufi singing background.

Music director Aadesh Srivastav is the man behind the immensely popular dance tracks Sona Sona from Major Saab, Shava Shava from Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum, and Chali Chali from Baghban.

The popular Bollywood music composer and singer is in town to be a judge on the Indian musical reality show, Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Middle East-Pakistan 2008.

Before arriving in the UAE, Srivastav was working non-stop after recently launching his private album Beyond Boundaries and a long stint in the US, collaborating with international stars Wyclef Jean, Shakira, Akon and Norah Jones. Today, he seems to be on a high and has many ambitious plans that he was happy to share in an exclusive interview with tabloid!

Do you enjoy your role as a judge in musical reality shows, such as Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa?

I really enjoy being a judge on these shows as you get to see some hidden singing talents. As a music composer, I look at the overall packaging of these participants such as their tonal quality, grasping power and rhythm in singing. I try my best to guide the participants and correct them whenever they go off track. The problem arises when some participants are misguided about their voice. So as a judge I try to guide them by giving them my honest opinions.

Do you think these reality musical shows are here to stay?

Definitely. They have become a platform for all budding singers to showcase their talent. When I was young, we never had these shows and so we had to struggle a lot before we got our first break. But with these shows a lot of opportunities are being created for these talented singers who can now reach out to the global audience.

I believe Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa has been a pioneer when it comes to discovering talent and hopefully it will continue to do the good work.

You recently released your private album Beyond Boundaries. Was it an attempt to join the bandwagon of composers-turned-singers and cash in on this trend?

Well, I actually launched my first private album titled Namaste 14 to 15 years ago, and later on Anu Malik followed me with his private album.

Since then the trend of composers becoming singers has been ongoing. Before I became a music composer, I got my first break as a playback singer under Laxmikant-Pyarelal's musical composition for the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Agneepath. I have also done stage shows with Kishore Kumar, so I have been singing for a long time now.

Currently, the market is so good that if you have the talent, there are a lot of opportunities waiting for you.

Despite your talent, you have not delivered hits consistently and you sometimes disappeared from the scene. But when you return, you somehow tend to reserve the best for Amitabh Bachchan starrers. Is there a reason for this?

Actually, I want to work on my own terms and conditions. I work only when I feel like working. I took a break for two years and was collaborating with international stars in the US.

I feel, I am in a position to do what I believe in. As far as music for Amitabh Bachchan's films is concerned, it comes naturally due to my love and respect for him. He treats me like a younger brother which makes his family and my family share a close relationship.

Moreover he always encourages my talent. All this put together motivates me to probably provide some special tunes for his films.

What was it like to collaborate with Wyclef Jean, Akon, Shakira and Norah Jones for an international album?

I have to admit that God is kind to me as I think I am the first Bollywood composer to work on musical collaborations with Wyclef Jean, Akon, Shakira and Norah Jones. We all teamed up for an album called Carnival Vol II: Memoirs of an Immigrant. It was an amazing experience and in fact my track with Wyclef, Hollywood Meets Bollywood, has topped the charts in the US. I recently performed with these stars in House of Blues, New York, Los Angeles, Nokia Theatre and other locations in the US.

What is you contribution as a composer when working with these international stars?

During such collaborations I promote Indian culture through Indian music and lyrics and bring a lot of bhangra (Punjabi folk music) into it. Actually Wyclef is such a cool guy and when I was jamming with him, I didn't know that Norah Jones, Shakira or Akon would be singing the numbers in the album.

So he gave me all these tracks and asked me to incorporate my input into these numbers. In fact, Norah Jones complimented my musical strings and she loved it. Basically, I have arranged music for four tracks besides singing a number with Wyclef and Chamillionaire.

What are your future plans?

Well, I believe such collaborations will be ongoing as they give me a lot of creative satisfaction. I have struck a very good rapport with Akon and we are in regular touch to work on something together.

In fact, Akon is scheduled to visit Dubai next month and I will fly down then to catch up with him. I have signed to do a Hollywood film with the same production house that produced the film 300. The best part of working in the US is that you have complete freedom unlike in Bollywood, where there is a lot of interference and you need to endure industry politics.

So does that mean you are slowly moving away from Bollywood?

No. I am just trying to balance my interests. In fact, I am doing another film with Ravi Chopra and working on an animation film with Javed Akhtar. I am also planning to get into film and television production. Exciting days are ahead.

Finally, what do you expect from the Middle East participants of Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa?

I hope to find another Amanat Ali (winner of last year's Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Middle East-Pakistan) as I am looking for someone with Sufi singing background. And if I discover a very good singer in this show, I intend to make him sing for my compositions.

WHAT IS SUFI SINGING?

Sufi singing is a kind of devotional music common in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey. It is known for its secular strains. The kalams or the verses of poetry are redolent with devotional love, which are sung with the passion and power needed to give listeners a chance of actually knowing the mystery of God. Abida Parveen and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan stand tall among all Sufi singers, with their unusual ability to present this genre of music in its truest form. Their voice and style of singing is indeed suited to Sufi renditions.