The warmth and affability he exudes during his stage performances can be felt from a distance.Raghu Dixit, who recently performed at the ASEAN India Music Festival at Purana Qila, made the crowd sway to his Kannada songs.
“Singing in vernacular reflects a conviction as I know exactly what I am singing. Even those not knowing the language are sure that I am singing from my heart,” he explains settling down for a quick lunch at The Park’s Fire restaurant. “When I sing in other languages, I do it phonetically but am unable to put my soul behind it. This gets translated to the audience as they know kuch toh fake kar raha hai,” he quips.
After a quick look at the menu, Raghu asks for Caesar salad with lots of lettuce, kothamalli pestro, baby mozzarella and cherry tomatoes while agreeing to try Andhra quinoa and beetroot, suggested by the staff. Back to the point, he observes, “Before singing, I always explain the lyrics. The language barrier is only for the first few minutes then it takes a back seat as audience feel assured with our passionate singing. The other day I sang for 150 people with just my guitar and other accompaniments. Yet, I made people sing Kannada songs.”
He maintains lyrics are the prime reason for his band’s success in India and abroad as the songs have philosophical and positive messages. “I don’t do it deliberately as they are already embedded in the poems on which I compose music.” He explains with examples. “In ‘Gudugudiya Sedi Nodo’, poet Santa Shishunala Sharif asks how does one feel after smoking hookah in which materialistic pursuits are burnt in a chillum called faith. Youngsters realising the poem’s gravity remark, ‘That is really deep’. Similarly, the song ‘Lokada Kaalaji Maaduthinanthi,’ by the same poet says, ‘don’t worry and be happy in life’. Relatable, the audience connect to it.” He feels even if two out of 10 are drawn to know about these poets and their writings, he feels happy. “Today, as soon as we release a new song, my hardcore fans immediately want to know the meaning.”
Colourful attire
The colourful and printed lungis and dhotis of band members also make Raghu Dixit Project stand out. “It is a take off from what I learnt in Bharatanatyam. Its aharya abhinaya relates to costumes and make-up. I incorporated these dresses to highlight who we are. I wear bells on my feet as it is rhythmic. Moreover, the dress gives us a unique look which is unlike other groups who perform in jeans and T shirts.”
Raghu Dixit
The Caesar salad is laid out. “It is fresh and light,” he remarks. Not very fussy about food, he prefers Southern cuisines like Manglorean and Chettinad. “I like rasam, sambar, idli, dosa, bisi bele bath, yengai and puliyodharai. In fact, curd rice can carry me anywhere in the world.” What about Andhra food? “As it is spicy, I don’t eat it regularly but do so when suffering from severe cold. Believe me, one meal and it simply vanishes,” he jests.
Describing himself a decent cook, the singer reveals he learnt the art during his bachelor days. “I would call up my mother in Mysore and ask for recipes and directions. Hit and trial and pots of luck made me learn this art which though similar to singing is much tougher.” Elucidating, he explains: “Both need one’s heart and soul and they have to be done for joy and not for commercial gains. The two help in building lasting human relationships. On our tours, fans invite us to share lunch and dinner with them. Once desperate to have rasam in New York, I posted a request on the Facebook. I instantly received 30 invitations!”
Surprisingly, Raghu doesn’t follow a strict diet. “I eat everything vegetarian, including street food, like gol gappe, chaat, dahi bhalle, vada pav and misil pav.” Perceiving my surprise, he explains, “The throat should get used to everything to make it immune to ill-effects.” Now he is speaking like a microbiologist. For the uninitiated, Raghu is a post graduate in Microbiology and worked for years in Belgium before moving to singing. Trying the Andhra quinoa and beetroot, he reveals, “I learned Bharatanatyam for 18 years and once wanted to be a professional dancer. It was a challenge by a friend to do something macho like singing and playing guitar instead of dancing that made me turn to music. I learnt to sing ‘500 Miles Away From Home’ with a guitar in two weeks flat much to the friend’s surprise. Then I realised what a beautiful thing it is to play an instrument and sing. I became aware I had a voice and it is nice to sing. Felt like breaking barriers and do whatever I wanted to.”
Appetising journey
Still stage performances, cutting albums and composing for films like Chef , was a distant dream. Working in Belgium, Raghu’s landlord asked him to lend his recordings. “I gave him a CD of songs I had written and sung in India which he sent to Radio 21 . It was well received and I was flooded by calls and mails asking for more . That set me thinking. If I could impress people who did not understand a word of what I am singing, then things could be better.” Ten days later he quit and returned to India. “I had been collaborating with my friend Bhaskar and had no band. So I quickly put together one. Named Antragani, we played in front of an audience of 40000. What an experience!” relates Raghu.
The group was later disbanded and he formed Raghu Dixit Project which cut albums, “Raghu Dixit Project” and “Jag Changa”. “The project is a novel initiative as it is an open house for people to join to collaborate and continue till they wish to. It is a fluid arrangement and outfit and is working well,” he reveals.
With filmmakers opting for independent musicians to score for movies, Raghu got his chance. Besides Kannada and Tamil, he composed music for Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge and Bewakoofiyaan . His latest is Saif Ali Khan-starrer Chef for which he composed and also sang songs with Shugal Laga Le becoming quite popular. “Initially, director Raja Menon asked me to compose one song which I disagreed as I wanted to compose the entire score. He gave me the script and I produced scratches which he liked immensely.” Describing composing for movies challenging, Raghu says, “Film music is bound by its storyline, characters and situations unlike independent music. The upshot is you can reach a wider audience.” The group also appeared in the film. Calling it fun, he says, “Raja asked us to fly to Mumbai to perform ‘Shugal Laga Le’. Saif was absolutely cool during shooting and the scenes and song were shot much to Raja’s satisfaction.”
One assumes Chef’s popular appeal will ensure more filmy collaborations. “Live performances are and will be my first preference,” he sums up before rushing for rehearsals.
