*But after Rahman's sound experiments with machines, everyone started working on sound. That's why everything we hear today sounds very similar to our ears.*
** Not "our ears". Your ears Mr Abhijeet. On 7/17/08, Vithur <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > * > http://www.radioandmusic.com/headlines/y2k8/july/17july/abhijeet_interview.php > * > ** > *The romance shows no sign of fading from his mellifluous voice. Although > Abhijeet > Bhattacharya, better known by his first name to Hindi film music > afficionados in the country, has returned to the limelight with a new album > after a huge gap of six years, his voice retains its youthful charm and > magic.* > > *Fans, who have enjoyed his voice, all the way from Ole Ole-Yeh Dillagi to > Om Shanti Om's dhoomtana, have grown used to seeing him on television > reality shows too, judging young talent.* > > *In conversation with Radioandmusic.com's Shabana Ali, Abhijeet shares > insights from his musical journey over the years.* > > *Excerpts:* > > *You have been in the industry for a long time. What are the changes that > you have observed over the years? > *There's a revolution on in the music scenario now. It can be termed as > 'revolution', but there is no music in it. Everything is done by the > machines, it's no more about creative composing. The latest music has too > much of techno sounds and less of music. For me, it's no longer music, it' > just sound. And, the exposure this music is so much, that there is hardly > any difference between a flop song and a hit song. It is all about pumping > in a song and turning it into a hit by playing it 100 times on a radio > station or on TV. > > Revolution in the industry was brought by R D Burman, A R Rahman. But after > Rahman's sound experiments with machines, everyone started working on sound. > That's why everything we hear today sounds very similar to our ears. > > *You have been through all the phases of this revolution. Which of these > scenarios was good for you? > *I am no one to judge what was good and bad. As far as my comfort level is > concerned, I am very comfortable with my work. I do not measure myself with > others or the growth of the music industry. I always compare myself on how > much I have grown in the past years. I am paying a lot more income tax than > what I did in my past (laughs). Now, I earn a lot, and I am very content > with the kind of work I have done and I am doing. > > > *Why didn't you try your hand at composing? > *I am already into composing for my albums. As for composing for films, I > do not have the temperament that's needed for the job. Hats off to the music > directors who have the patience to make music for others. I have seen the > best being rejected. I don't have that much of patience and I am satisfied > composing for my albums. Actually, it needs a lot of time to make music, and > now I am very busy with my stage shows, reality shows and playback singing. > > *Have these television reality shows given a lot of impetus to artistes > who participate in them? > *Has it only brought business and recognition to the participating > artistes? We are the face of the shows. The reality show is being watched > because artistes like us are a part of it. People do not want to see just > the contestants that the show brings on stage. They want to hear our > comments on the contestants. If it wasn't for the specialist nature of our > comments, the director of the show could have invited some guru or a > panditji from Allahabad and installed them as judges in our places. > > * > One sees you often arguing vehemently with the other judges on these shows. > Is it for real or are these just gimmicks? > *When it is a reality show, people want to see things for real. There are > many shows that plan out such things but, no one can say that about me. I > think I started this trend - I cry, I pull Alka Yagnik's leg, I get angry; > everything is natural and no one guides me to do that. Apart from that, the > editing also plays a very important role here. Earlier, such things were > edited out and the singing was more in focus. But now, the show wants more > of such controversy. > > *Don't you think there has been a surfeit of talent hunt shows on TV? > *Yes, there has been a surfeit of such shows. Hence, today we see Ek se > badhkar ek and Superstar doing equally well. We had a lot of shows that got > in new talent, but these shows are doing good because of their uniqueness. > It's all about different formats now, it's no more about mere talent hunts. > > *You have cut many albums. Do you think artistes should get a better share > in the royalties? > *We can't help that, that's the scenario in India. Here, people don't > respect an artiste's work. Here, the artistes work for others. We don't work > for ourselves. Outside India, artiste compose one album and the next three > generations do not have to earn their living. Whereas, in India, people are > capable of topping the charts, but they work for others and earn very little > out of their work. > > *Is the issue not worth fighting for? > *We had taken a stand long ago. We wanted our next generation to gain from > it. Now, I have made my career and it is not going to affect singers like > us. > > Unfortunately, the singers were never united. > > *Are you doing anything for the Bengali music industry? > *I am never connected with that. I always wanted to sing for a certain > kind of music. There was a time when Bengali movies were made into Hindi > but, now even Bengali movie have become commercialised. I don't want to lend > my voice to anybody there. I am very happy being a singer, I don't want to > be anything beyond a singer. I am a born singer and I love it this way. > > > -- > regards, > Vithur > > HELP EVER; HURT NEVER; > LOVE ALL; SERVE ALL > > >
