Adnan Sami was in town to judge the grand finale of Voice of Bangalore – a musical talent show in Kannada – at Garuda Mall recently. “The fastest keyboard player in the world” gives his take on not becoming a lawyer, singing in Kannada, Bhajrangi Bhaijjan , and the music industry not doing enough to promote classical music. Excerpts:
Is this your first visit to Bengaluru?
Not at all. But it’s a trip after a long time. I haven’t been here in about seven years. I used to come often for public concerts. I wonder what happened!
You’re part of the panel judging a musical talent show in Kannada. You have sung many songs in Kannada, Tamil and Telugu. How do you manage to emote in a language you aren’t familiar with? Is it difficult?
Yes it is. Since I don’t speak these languages, I ensure the lyricist is there with me during the recordings to make sure my pronunciation is right and I need to understand every single word of what I’m saying since as a singer as I need to emote. Recording a Hindi song takes me around 40 minutes whereas a Kannada song takes me about two hours. The music isn’t a problem since the notes used are universal. The language is the problem. I try my best to get it right as I’m sensitive about respecting every language since all of them are sacred in my heart. I would cringe if someone spoke in my language (Hindi) with an accent, I would find that disrespectful. I now understand the nuances of each language.
You’re a man of many accomplishments. You have a degree in Political Science, Journalism and LLB. You could have been a lawyer if you wanted to. What made you turn to music?
Music! The passion for music made me do that. I went to Lincolns Inn and became a Barrister. I come from a non-musical family. On one hand, my father was a patron of the arts and supportive when he saw that his son was inclined towards music.
He did not pull any stops in encouraging me. But keeping in line with his own traditions he asked me to get a solid education in exchange for his support and encouragement. This was like a deal that he would provide me all the instruments to encourage my talent as long as I studied. The result was a feeling of security my parents had after I completed my education and personally I feel my horizons have expanded to a great extent. My education has allowed me to be more open to ideas which I would not have been had I not been as educated. Today, I can sit down and talk to someone about something other than music which is nice.
Do you prefer recording an album in a studio or the connection with an audience in a live concert?
There’s no comparison when you are performing in front of a live audience. My roots are in classical music and jazz and I want the freedom of being able to improvise. This freedom is possible only in a live concert. I like to give the audience something they can never get on a CD. I have a relationship with them, which is instant and priceless. The studio is a much delayed experience. You get your feedback after waiting for a few months. The studio is a calm zone and everything is devoted to creativity. On the live front, there is also creativity since we are improvising all the time but there is also energy and electricity in the air. So, both have got their own amazing place.
You mentioned classical music, the blockbuster Bhajrangi Bhaijjan has a a beautiful qawwali rendered by you which the audience has heard after a lot of time. Do you think the industry is not doing enough to promote such music?
Yes, we end up becoming too Western for our own liking and in the process we forget our true music, our roots. You can have as much pizza as you want but the enjoyment you get from a biryani is unparalleled. The fact is, no matter how much effort you put in trying to make your music ‘hip’, classical music is your biriyani. You will always love it and it will never fail you because it’s in your blood. The qawwali worked because it was something which was close to your heart. It also proves that even today, people love such music.
When does Bengaluru get to see an Adnan Sami concert?
Call me anytime! I love this place. I hope I come back to perform. I love the people here.
