A series of instructional videos on YouTube ‘educate’ the amateur guitarist on Baiju Dharmajan’s ‘technique’. What is referred to as his ‘signature lick’ for instance comes up for a lesson.
Baiju Dharmajan, of the ‘Baiju Dharmajan Project’, bursts out laughing, “I have no such complicated technique to speak of.” Counted among the best guitarists in the country, the former guitarist of ‘Motherjane’ is flying solo and enjoying it. His first solo album, The Crossover , is set for release. The new album will be distributed by ‘CD baby’ and the singles will be available on ‘Amazon’, ‘itunes’ etc. His recording company, ‘Cochym’, will handle the sales in Europe.
The last year and a half, since he left ‘Motherjane’, has been hectic. He launched a record label, ‘Cochym’ (in collaboration with a couple of friends), he was featured on Star World’s ‘Deewarists’ with Njeralath Harigovindan (which opened many doors for him like a collaboration with Karsh Kale), he worked briefly with another band ‘WRENZ’, produced ‘Kaav’s’ first EP besides working on their maiden album, all this while he was working on his maiden solo album. It is the season of new beginnings for Baiju.
He was, aptly, given the sobriquet ‘God of Small Strings’ when he was with ‘Motherjane’, for the magical music he creates. He politely refuses the ‘title’ with the explanation, “I am no longer with the band so it is not appropriate.” Thirteen years is a long time in a person’s career and Baiju invested those in ‘Motherjane’. But, he says, it was time to move on and try out new things as an artist, “outside the confines of a band.” From his point of view it was a logical end to the musical association.
He wears his hair long. A sign of freedom regained? He runs his hand through his hair and laughs, “It was longer and my mother was quite disappointed when I cut it short.”
His is a highly individualistic style which has, probably, ensured his longevity as a musician. There is a distinct Carnatic feel to most of his music, but he says it cannot be classified as such. There is no other way he could have stuck on in the fickle field of Indian rock music. It is an industry where music bands have short life spans and musicians are forgotten fast.
All he had to back him was raw talent and sheer hard work. Baiju is the second professional musician in his family. His grandfather, who used to play Carnatic guitar, was the first. “He didn’t do too well as a musician. My father and his siblings are musically inclined, but they never made it a profession as I did,” Baiju says.
He was sent for violin lessons in Kollam where his father was working at the time. His father, in the meanwhile, took guitar lessons from a teacher who came home to teach. He got interested in the guitar instead and was hooked for life. “I was very young when I started playing the guitar at Edava Basheer’s ‘ganamelas’. I have played for K. J. Yesudas and K. S. Chitra’s programmes. I got to perform with the top class musicians and learnt from them, it was a lot of practical experience I gained,” Baiju says.
Why is it that Malayalis seem to make exceptional guitarists?
“No! You can’t make generalisations,” he says, “you got to hear the amazing talent in other parts of the country.” But the ‘Indian G3’ (G for guitar, as Baiju calls them), of Sanjeev Thomas, John Anthony and Baiju are Malayalis. “Maybe because we have developed very individualistic styles,” he hazards a guess. He has put to good use the practical experience he gained as a musician as mentor-producer to ‘Kaav’. He says music ought to have a soul, and a means of expressing emotions but never to impress. This two-time winner of the Jack Daniels Award for the best guitarist (India) says “in my heart, I am still the boy from Vypeen!”
