With ‘Alvidaa’, the idea was to create something raw and organic, says Varun Ahuja, who composed the song, which is a collaboration with singer and musician Lucky Ali.
“Lucky Ali’s voice is also raw and organic and he has sung it as if it were his own song, with the same intention,” says Varun over the phone. “He did justice to the song. The song is about peace, the intensity of this love can be felt in his voice.”
“The song seemed to flow in that direction as we recorded it and we realised we could dedicate it to Kashmir and its people.”
Incidentally the lyricist, Faisal Simon who is also making the film Mere Paas Baap Hai , that the song is part of, belongs to Kashmir.
BANGALORE - 29.04.2010 : Singer Lucky Ali at his house in Bangalore on April 29, 2010. Photo K Murali Kumar.
The song itself took two years to make, explains Varun, a multi-instrumentalist who has been a musician for the last 20 years. He has worked with bands such as Cyanide and The Aryans.
“I created ‘Alvidaa’ in 2015. The recording was done across cities, from Delhi to Bengaluru and Mumbai. I did not want to be bound by time, though we did manage to complete the song within the deadline. Lucky came in when the song was ready, with the arrangement. I directed him on the vocals and he also shared some inputs in the recording room.”
Varun believes that it is important for artistes who are collaborating on a song to connect with each other and that he and Ali were able to do that over the song.
“He has come such a long way as a musician, as he ages, he grows. However, audiences have changed. Bands such as The Aryans belong to a different era,” he points out.
“Today most musicians set out to create hits but they are forgetting the depth of music. Artistes must have their own styles, music needs to be authentic. I think somewhere this is lacking today. Many songs sound the same.”
In his journey as a musician, Varun says the challenge has been in the time it has taken to release a song like ‘Alvidaa.’
“It took me all these years to build the kind of experience it took to create this song. I have been a performer, apart from a songwriter. I had to develop patience and maintain consistency. I created the song in 15 minutes, to do that it took 20 years.”
For ‘Alvidaa’, he adds, it is the journey from creation to refinement and final release that took two years.
“When you make a song, it decides its destination. The song has to be strong to make its way out.”
Over these years, he says, music had evolved and changed in a powerful way. At the same time, electronic music is also influencing arrangement in a big way. There is so much music being created today and so many platforms for music, he observes.
“Any song from the 90s would sound different now and there are so many songs that fade in a few months. I cannot remember the songs I listened to two weeks ago but I still remember the songs I listened to 10 years ago. That is where creativity and intention come in. Rather than create a hit, I want to create a song so powerful that it lasts. The idea is to create something exclusive and authentic and ‘Alvidaa’ is a product of that, he says, adding that the song also evokes the classic four-member band set-up with just vocals, guitars and drums. “There are no electronic textures or loops.”
‘Alvidaa’ is out on YouTube.
