Bridging boundaries through music

Independent music producer Sonaljit Mukherjee talks about his Bengaluru-Massachusetts connection and collaborations across the globe

July 29, 2015 08:49 pm | Updated 08:50 pm IST

Sonaljit brings various influences to create a bouquet of sounds.

Sonaljit brings various influences to create a bouquet of sounds.

For self-taught independent music producer, keyboardist, composer, arranger and singer Sonaljit Mukherjee who lives in Massachusetts, Bengaluru is closer than ever to him through music. The Kolkata-born, US-based artiste recently collaborated with Bengaluru-based independent singer-songwriter Adithya Srinivasan in the single ‘Devenke’, a rock fusion-style rendition of a famous Indian classical Darbari Kaanada composition, featuring a plethora of musicians and vocalists from across the world.

On the verge of completing his PhD in Ocean Physics at the University of Massachusetts, the musician has a new age album Dreaming the Afterlife that went to the ballot round of the Grammys under his belt while his lead single won him the 13th Independent Music Award for Best New Age song.

Sharing his thoughts on working on ‘Devanke’ with Adithya, he says it was an exciting first-time experiment with the rock style arrangement.

“Rock wasn’t something that I had in mind when I started working on it though. During a session, I accidentally placed a guitar riff with Adithya’s voice and it sounded good. So I changed course and added more guitar elements to it. The end results were satisfying and I guess serendipity.”

From Massachusetts to Bengaluru, Sonaljit agrees that music is meant to reach beyond borders and languages. “It is the feeling or melody that appeals to the human mind irrespective of any linguistic or cultural differences. Technology of course helps nowadays.

Effective communication makes it easier for artistes to connect with others irrespective of where they are on the globe. In fact, ‘Devanke’ is a fine example of this outcome when artistes from different cultural and geographical backgrounds came together with a common goal - music. Adithya and Parth were in Bangalore. I was in Massachusetts and Yanna was in LA. But our coordination was great and despite living far apart, we were able to work together and produce this track."

How does it feel to represent India on the global music forum? “It is amazing beyond words,” Sonaljit admits.

“The musical heritage of India is one of the richest in the world. I make a humble attempt to represent that heritage to people outside by adding various Indian folk and classical styles to my works. This includes a composition in my first album called ‘Nodi Ontoheen’ (River Endless) which had two major influences: Classical raga Jhinjhoti and Bhatiali folk music prevalent in parts of West Bengal. The album went on to the first round Grammy ballot in the new age category and I received praise as an Indian composer. That feeling cannot be described in words. We have also entered ‘Devanke’ in the Grammys this year, and hope it will get accepted to the ballot.”

His passion for music came from his singer/songwriter father.

“I used to watch him record songs in local studios with musicians. My interest began primarily with singing when my dad hired a local music teacher for classical vocal lessons. That discontinued after we moved to the Andaman Islands, but when college began in IIT Kharagpur, the flame was rekindled and I started singing again. In the process, I also developed an interest for the keyboard and instrumental orchestrations. The part that fascinated me the most was the capability of instrumental sounds to elevate the emotion in a song.”

When making music, Sonaljit says he’s often inspired by a certain mood, memory or feeling.

“I translate that into my music and want people who listen to it to take home the same.”

Best describing his music as contemporary instrumental with an emphasis on piano and symphonic orchestration, amalgamated with various world music styles, Sonaljit says: “I like to bring influences from a range of genres and styles to create a bouquet of sounds.”

Looking ahead, Sonaljit says though his musical journey has had its ups and downs, it has been very exciting. “Previously I used to work on my own in my studio, but with ‘Devanke’, I have started working in collaboration with various artistes. This also gives me an opportunity to widen my exposure to different musical styles, which is a learning process for me. A second instrumental album is on the works right now and I hope to release it next year.”

To upcoming and aspiring music producers, he asks them to make something out of the box which is not common.

“Something that will arouse curiosity in the listeners’ mind so they want to listen to your music more. Focus on your strong points in music, add variety and communicate with your peers.

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