A quick glance at the repertoire of songs rendered by Shantanu Mukherjee, popularly known as Shaan, confirms his status in the industry. He has not only run the race along with the likes of Kumar Sanu and Udit Narayan but also survived competition from the ever-increasing crop of young singers.
Having made his debut with romantic comedy Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi in 1999 he continues to rule the hearts of youngsters. Whenever composers have to look for a voice that can do justice to the first crush, the melting of heart, Shaan is the obvious choice. The latest being “Chaar Kadam” in PK . But does he look like a veteran? Naah! In many aspects this successful artist has remained unchanged, prominent being his pleasing demeanour and affability.
Shan says he has adapted to the changing tastes of young listeners who are now swooning to “Teri Galiyan” kind of melancholy. “The boyish and light romantic style of the past has given way to numbers which are intense, brooding and pensive. It definitely works. May be it reflects what the girls expect from a guy these days,” he says adding that that he has altered his style as well.“I have tried to cut down on smile,” he quips.
“One has to understand the nuances of the age and change subtly which I have done. I have tried to fill my songs with the energy and sensibilities of today’s youth so that I do not become dated.” He goes on to highlight that the same content has been expressed differently in the songs down the ages.
Stressing the importance of lyrics, Shaan, who pens songs too, feels, “They have always played an important role in making a song hit or flop.” But has this too changed with passage of time? “Earlier the stress was on beat and groove while now the emphasis is on a lyrical hook or tagline, which links the audience to the song. Its impact can be evaluated as positive or negative but the idea is to simply hook . The new crop of lyricists is worthy of praise for working hard on this aspect.”
Meanwhile, Shaan is back on television on weekends as one of the four coach-cum-judges in The Voice , the music-based reality show on &TV, which has an interesting format. “The involvement as a mentor and judge with so many exciting things happening coupled with the responsibility of having to take harsh decisions about elimination of team members, all act together to create a pressure cooker like situation both for the singers and coaches . It is definitely more demanding for the latter,” comments Shaan. The constantly changing dynamics and the inherent uncertainty of the show thrills him.
On his process of selection, Shaan says, “I not only look at raw talent or voice but also the knowledge and skill of the singer. Training always helps in honing one’s talent giving one the edge over others,” he remarks.
As a mentor-coach he describes his role as “that of an elder brother who is constantly advising, making suggestions and always around to support and guide them.” Interestingly, he is still in touch with the participants of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs 2014-15 which he had judged.
Identifying YouTube and social network sites as providing an opportunity to the talented singers across the country to exhibit their skill, Shaan feels that shows, such as Voice India , take them to the next level thereby giving them a chance to learn and showcase different facets of their performance. “Singing in tune with live music gives them a feel of real environment which they will face when they become professionals.” Pointing out the change that has taken place over time, he points out although there is marked increase in the talent hunt programmes there is also a deluge of participants coming from all corners of the nation.
Shaan effusively praises the members selected by him for the Shaan Team. “Even though young, they do not display any attitude and hold no animosity whatsoever even when I point out their mistakes or errors. They take my suggestions and advice in a y positive manner which is very heartening.”
