Job Kurian is keyed in for the big day - the release of Hope , which he calls ‘a Job Kurian project’ .
Sitting in his studio at his home in the capital city, the singer-composer speaks passionately about the five tracks in Hope . “The inspiration behind the album is what I am now. The songs are connected to different phases of my life over the last two years. Music is not something that can be forced upon you. I believe that it should be about sharing your thoughts and musings with the listeners,” says the 34-year-old.
All the songs are written by Engandiyoor Chandrasekharan. “I have worked with him in many projects and we share a great rapport. He is an amazing person who stays connected to his roots and everything earthy,” says Job.
Musically yours
Job, as we all know, is among the first crop of reality show stars on Malayalam television. It was in 2006 that he participated in Super Star aired on Amrita TV and emerged the runner-up. “I was influenced by the music of Euphoria, Colonial Cousins, Shaan, KK, Biddoo, Alisha Chinai, Shankar Mahadevan... who have an enviable body of work in independent music. Then there was Avial that changed the Malayalam music scene. I never thought of becoming a star through a reality show. I just wanted to spend sometime with the musicians. Whatever I got from the show was a bonus, including Athira, a fellow contestant, who is now my wife!”
Job Kurian
Job’s ambition was to make music and therefore he didn’t take up a job after completing his engineering. “I was lucky that my parents stood by my decision. They told me that I shouldn’t compromise on my individuality at any stage. And I had a huge inspiration in the form of Rex Vijayan.”
Even as many reality show stars fizzled out, he has been around for a while now as a singer and then composer. Among his hits are those from Urumi, 22 Female Kottayam, Saptamasree Thaskaraha and Kali . He debuted as a composer with his friends Charan and Yakzan with the album Thalam .
Although buoyed by the vibrant independent music scene in Kerala, he has a word of advice for wannabe musicians. “I strongly believe that one needs to be patient and put in an honest effort. It might take a long time to release the final product. Avial, for example, worked on their song for some three and a half years. It took two years for us to release Thalam . Hope has been in the making for nearly two years now and is a totally self-funded project. You have to give yourself some time,” he says. The work has to be genuine as well, he adds. “If the music comes from your heart, that gets reflected in the song and it will be remembered even after many years. If you listen to international musicians you can find personal elements in their songs. Now all musicians have a platform to express, which is the social media, and so I believe that they should work hard towards giving genuine music,” he adds.
Setbacks will be there. He gives the example of his debut as a film composer, in Rajeev Nath’s Rasam . “I was lucky that the legendary Kavalam Narayana Panicker sir wrote the lyrics and KS Chitra sang for me. But the effort went unnoticed. However that doesn’t mean that film music is the ultimate. Although I have respect for film music, I feel that more parallel music productions should come out. Both have its challenges, but independent music is something that is your own,” he signs off.
Inspired by life
The first track in Hope , Enthavo , is “about a person’s search for divinity. It reflects upon my current frame of mind. The year that went by gave me a lot to look forward to and there have been many cherished moments and challenges- the construction of my studio, my son’s (Cyril) growth...,” he says. The track, which will be the first one to be released online, has a video as well. “It is an experimental video and has a surprise element as well,” Job adds. The video, directed by Chandrakanth and shot by Joshi Daniel, will come out by the end of next month.
Mulla, the second song, captures the fragrance of love and relationships in his life. “The bond I share with my family, friends, teachers...comes across in the song,” he adds. This song too will have an official video, directed by Ajay Menon and Harshad Ali.
The third song, Parudeesa , is a call to create a new, better world for the future generation, whereas Kalam , the fourth song, carries the message of hope.
The final track, Hey , is a romantic number. Live jamming sessions of all the tracks too will be released.
