For some, a near-fatal medical emergency can put life into perspective.
For singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan, such an epiphany came in the form of back-to-back heart attacks last year.
“Now, I have eliminated all the unwanted rubbish I used to do. Before the heart attack, I used to do a lot of work — what’s needed and what’s not needed. I used to sing songs that leave an impact and those that didn’t. I could never say ‘No’. Now, I have learnt to say it, though, and believe me, it has not been easy to do so,” said Mahadevan in an interview with tabloid!.
It may have been a brutal reminder to take things slow, but the 49-year-old singer and composer, who broke into the mainstream with the 1998 hit album Breathless, is in no mood to put the brakes on the artistic pursuits that are close to his heart.
On Friday, the four-time Indian National Award-winning singer will present his Songs of Krishna concert in Dubai at Shaikh Rashid Auditorium at the Indian High School. For the first time, he’ll be joined on stage by his sons Siddharth, 24, and Shivam, 15. The show also features an eclectic mix of musicians.
“Through various genres of music that exist in the country, we can depict the Indian deity [Krishna] through music, and the audience will get a chance to get acquainted with different elements of music that exist in such a diverse country like India,” said Mahadevan, who intends to bring rock and jazz elements to this semi-classical evening.
tabloid! spoke to the singer about his upcoming concert, his sons and his two-decade collaboration with the music composer trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.
What should we expect from your concert, Songs of Krishna?
I have performed in Dubai for several Bollywood concerts, but this is the first time that I am bringing Songs of Krishna to the UAE. I have always been fascinated by Krishna, the Indian deity. He’s omnipresent in India. In Kerala, he’s presented as Gurvayoorappan and in Tamil Nadu, he’s known as Balaji. In Maharashtra, he’s presented as Vittal. Even the music dedicated to Krishna is different in various parts of India. Therefore, I realised that the music of Krishna can be depicted using various genres of music. So in a single concert, you will see me perform carnatic music [Indian classical], bhajans [devotional songs], qawwalis [folk music] and jazz pieces too. My son Siddharth has also composed a rock piece and my son Shivam is going to sing songs of Balkrishna [Krishna as a child]. It’s going to be a different concert, aesthetically speaking, too.
Are you hoping to tap into a younger audience? Indian classical music is not for everyone.
No. This concert is not purely classical either. [My sons’] joining was an organic process and wasn’t a deliberate way to appeal to the younger audience. It never works that way. This is our first concert together and it just all fell into place. We didn’t want Songs of Krishna to be a boring, bland concert. The conceptualisation on how to present the different genres of music took a lot of time and that was the most difficult part. The implementation of the concept was easy. Watch out for our fantastic set of musicians. For instance, when you think of Krishna, you think of him with the flute. So we have a fantastic flute player with us. Also, we have a jazz maestro, who is amazing.
Indians have grown up on a staple of Bollywood pop music. Do you think such a concert will fly with them?
Never underestimate our audience and their tastes. If they like Indian food, let’s not assume that they wouldn’t try out Thai or Chinese food. Not everyone who loves Bollywood music will love this, but there’s a good chance that a majority of those who love Bollywood music will also love other kinds of music. We have so many preferences, so I believe that there will be a market for Songs of Krishna too. We have always performed to a full house in the past.
What’s your dynamic with your sons? How do you keep the peace in the family when you are working together?
I am blessed. I am a father who can stand on the stage and sing the hit songs of his son. Usually, it’s the other way round, where the sons sing the hits sung by their father. So it’s such a proud feeling when I tell the audience that I am going to sing my son’s hit song from Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. This is a situation [that] only a minority can enjoy. We are both in the industry at the same time and that’s a rare privilege. My sons are my friends too and they have introduced me to new technology and new sounds from around the world. I have learnt a lot from them. We don’t have this ‘I am the guru [teacher] and you are my disciple’ attitude. They are also great critics of my music. They call a spade a spade. So, we enjoy a healthy and vibrant relationship.
Did you always want them to pursue singing?
When I look deep inside me, I know that I have always wanted them to be singers. But I used a secret formula here. I never pressurised them into pursuing music. I never allowed anyone in my vicinity to tell them: ‘look at your father and be like him’. I never allowed anyone to curb their freedom. I always told my children that if they want to be pilot, go ahead and do it or if they wanted to get into agriculture, I told them that I will support them. But when they chose music, you feel as if those birds have come back home to the nest. My kids now do 12 or 13 hours of music practice every day. Remember, the minute you order them to do seven hours of riyaaz [music practice] every day, they are going to rebel. I have always encouraged them to pursue finance and travel. But I introduced them to great musicians and their works early on.
Bollywood is notoriously clannish. Have you ever recommended or promoted your son to music composers?
Remember, such kind of blatant promotion only works the first time. My music composer friends might take them on at first following my recommendation. But then you need to have merit. Nobody is going to call you for the third time to sing if you are mediocre ... even if you are Shankar Mahadevan’s son. For Zindaa [from Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, which was sung by his son Siddharth], it was Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra who pressurised me to choose his voice because he loved his voice. I had not told Siddharth that he was going to be the final voice when he was recording it. I had warned him that his voice may not be chosen and to consider it just as a recording experience. After a couple of months, I got a call from Rakeysh saying that the whole unit loved Zindaa and they were all humming that song. Even then, I asked Rakeysh if he was going to retain Siddharth’s voice and he asked me if I was crazy to even doubt that. In fact, he said that he is going to make him sing another song too. This was a case of respect being earned.
Similarly, with Malang for Dhoom 3, I didn’t even know that Siddharth had recorded that song for Aditya Chopra. Eight singers had sung the same song. Aamir [Khan] and Adi [producer Chopra] had chosen his voice for the song without knowing that the voice they had chosen belonged to my son. It’s pretty wild that both my son and I have sung for Aamir. Even for Baar Baar Dekho, I didn’t even know Siddharth had recorded the song. In my eyes, making it on your own merit gives you a better high.
But I remember Farhan Akhtar promoting Siddharth heavily. Was it his way of paying you back? [Shankar Mahadevan had guided Akhtar in his singing for Rock On!! and Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara].
No, you cannot afford to pay back if the material in your hand is not good. Last year, Farhan wanted Siddharth to go on tour with him. Pushing him from my end won’t work in the long run.
What’s your opinion on actors trying to sing?
Let’s not take it too seriously. Barring a few, they are not trained singers. A few of them such as Priyanka Chopra and Hrithik [Roshan] are good singers. Actors singing a song in a film generates buzz and that’s about it. If a singer appears in a cameo in a film, it doesn’t mean he has become an actor.
How has your journey been with your music composer trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy?
We have just completed twenty years and we are still at it. Mirziya is next for us. It’s always been our endeavour to grow. My personal journey has been amazing too. I have played with every single musician in the country and sung in every genre of music out there. I have sung in hardcore Bollywood films too. I have dived deep into every given opportunity, but I feel I haven’t even scratched the surface.
Did you know?
Shankar Mahadevan, a trained carnatic singer, also dreams of making his virtual classrooms on Indian music (shankarmahadevanacademy.com) the go-to place for Indian music. He launched the online academy five years ago.
“Whatever I have learnt over the years has been put into the curriculum that I have put together … If you learn music, you will have an edge over other musicians. We have developed every aspect of the courses through trial and error method. I want to create the Harvard of Music through this,” said Mahadevan.
Don’t miss it
Songs of Krishna is on September 9 at Shaikh Rashid Auditorium, Indian High School. Tickets: Dh100, Dh200, Dh350, Dh500 and Dh700 at platinumlist.net, UAE Exchange outlets or call Tambourine Live on 055-2405558 for group bookings.
