Singer Dhanunjay’s classical roots and folksy strengths

Despite strong classical roots, singer Dhanunjay is making a mark in Telugu cinema with predominantly folk numbers

March 24, 2017 10:56 am | Updated 10:56 am IST

It’s a lake close to Maharajah’s Government College of Music and Dance at Vizianagaram where legendary singer Ghantasala apparently did akara sadhana every morning. The very thought of sharing the same platform that produced and groomed musical geniuses like S P Balasubramanyam, P Suseela, Saluri Rajeswar Rao was an impetus for playback singer Dhanunjay to chase bigger musical heights. “The place is full of musical vibrations. It only pushes you to do better,” reveals the Srikakulam-born singer who’s making waves in Telugu cinema with chartbusters like You are my MLA, Bhaaje Bhaaje, Jivvu Jivvu from Sarrainodu, Gopala Gopala and Katamarayudu respectively besides the Govinda Namalu track in Om Namo Venkatesaya .

Driven by the encouragement of his school friends and teachers who kept telling him ‘ Nuvvu padithe vinalanipisthundi’, Dhanunjay was motivated to learn music and the nuances of the craft so that he could sing for films some day.

An avid A R Rahman fan, he owes a share of his fame to his guru Lakshmi Ramadasu from Thyagaraja Sangeetha Kalasala, Vizianagaram. “Every morning I used to wake up at 4 am. I also maintained a diary of what I did for the day. Shows like ‘Padutha Teeyaga’ opened up the music fraternity in Hyderabad to me,” he reveals.

Academically, he completed M.Sc andM.A in music in the city. When he was free, he had stints with Vandemataram Srinivas and Anup Rubens. The latter went on to give him a major career break with the song ‘Soodu Soodu’ from Loukyam . Opportunities like Po Ekantham from Raghuvaran B.Tech came along, but it Bhaaje Bhaaje from Gopala Gopala was that got him good recognition.

“Pawan Kalyan garu liked what I sang and insisted that the composer retain my voice for the track’s final edit. Life has come full circle with Katamarayudu again. The song Jivvu Jivvu has a man singing in an inebriated state. I had cold when I was recording it, so my voice sounded different then; now I’m happy it worked to the track’s advantage,” smiles Dhanunjay.

His musical knowledge came to good use when he had to sustain a good impression after a strong start to his film career. “Composers used to give me phrases and told me to improvise on the spot. Unless and until you know a handful of Hindustani, Sufi, Carnatic and western elements and make the most of diverse musical sources you spot, you won’t find work.”Although the industry is aware of his roots in classical music, Dhanunjay made it a point to not indulge in his Carnatic influences while he sang. In fact, he is more famous for the semi-folk touch he adds to his renditions as for Temper and Soggade Chinni Nayana . “I used to hear a lot of folk songs in childhood. Though the industry slots people, I’m happy to have made a name for a particular genre. On the whole, diversity is what I seek and I feel lucky for the opportunities that I’ve got.” What challenges him more is the need to appear presentable for live performances. “You need to reach people through reality shows, work on independent numbers for people to remember you,” he says.

Dhanunjay aims to balance his classical influences with what is required for films and albums. He is currently taking guitar lessons and has already completed a couple of grades in keyboard.

“Being puritan isn’t advisable in cinema, a blend of genres always works better for the medium,” he signs off ahead of his African concert tour.

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