Since the onset of the pandemic, Indian artists have taken the unconventional route resulting in fusion gaining more popularity than ever. The lockdown has had its boon too as it gave artists the opportunity to explore their creative space and also collaborate with other artists pan genres. One such collective effort is SYNTHESIS – The Indian Muse, performed by 16 exemplary Indian artists across genres. Read to find out more.
Hardik Joshi | BeatCurry Team
“Music in the true sense is the meeting of souls. It is so interesting to work with people you have never known before, especially during these tough times. My father Vilayat Khan Saab, Bismillah Khan Saab, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and among other greats have always maintained that music is the greatest uniter. One musical note can bring people from various races, backgrounds, religions together and that is what this project is according to me,” said sitar maestro Hidayat Husain Khan.
The sentiments of the legends of Indian classical music is the soul of the SYNTHESIS – The Indian Muse. A project by ShowCase Events, fronted by Nanni Singh. The song is a unique amalgamation of sound and dance from India and celebrates its 75th Independence Day. The song, composed by Ravi Iyer, has a folky feel with a global vibe. Speaking about his latest offering, Iyer explained,
“Synthesis – The Indian Muse, is more than an anthem to me and it spells out our unity in diversity across various folk music cultures coming together in one voice. As much as I enjoyed putting everything together along with every artist, my biggest shoutout goes to K. C. Loy who gave my composition words that are irreplaceable to sing along and the appeal given by Aslam Khan at Headroom Studio without whom this would not have been possible. Kudos to Nanni Singh for curating this anthem and each and every one from the Synthesis family who made this song their own. Jai Hind.”
‘Sur Bhare hain Boondon Mein…
Boond Main Hun Sagar Main
Raag Naye, Saaz Naye
Goonj Uthe Alfaaz Naye.’
These are some of the verses from the song penned by the powerhouse of Indie music K C Loy. The Winner of Maharashtra State Award for Best Music Composition for the Marathi feature film ‘Pak Pak Pakkak’, he was clear in his thoughts on the song. Adding to it, he said,
“Our nation and its people are amazing and unique. How do you express something that has been illustrated a million times over? Guided by a simple yet divine melody composed by Ravi Iyer, my heart just knew and the pen followed through.”
Helping them behind the consoles were mix-master Aslam Khan, programmer Abhinay Jain with Rajshree Agarwal entrusted with the video production while Naina Kukreja provided the backend support.
The vocal team is a brilliant line-up presenting vivid genres. Leading the line is noted thumri singer Dhanashree Pandit Rai along with sufi singer Sonam Kalra, singer/songwriter Anushree Gupta, the flavour of Rajasthan Kutle Khan.
“Not only singing, the entire journey with the song has been magical, right from the ideation stage. I really enjoyed singing such a unique fusion and loved the instrumental parts. It felt like a celebration to be honest,” reflected Anushree.
The violins are performed by the upcoming Carnatic star Ambi Subramaniam with the veteran Sunita Bhuyan playing the Assamese Violin. Contributing from the US, Hidayat Husain Khan plays the sitar while Pt. Ajay Prasanna performs on the flute, Belabahar artist Naviin Gandharv and Nazir Ganaie plays the Rabab.
“Synthesis is a perfect amalgamation and representation of what India is all about. It reflects our emotion and most importantly, it represents the main fabric of India – Unity in Diversity!!” said tabla maestro Fazal Qureshi.
Joining the tabla maestro on percussion is the Nagara legend Nathulal Solanki, Sridhar Parthasarathy on Mridangam, Vijay Chavan with the Marathi Dholki while Kutle Khan performs the Kartaal in addition to his vocal duties.
“Synthesis evokes a feeling of oneness, togetherness, and solidarity. We are extremely thankful to all the artists who are a part of this heart-touching composition. It creates a sense of pride of being an Indian, and taking pride in our diverse culture and performing arts.”
said Nanni Singh, Chief Executive, ShowCase Events.
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