Making tunes from scratch

DJ Kanna tells about his up-close, sexy and message-oriented style

February 23, 2012 07:28 pm | Updated 07:28 pm IST

MUSIC WORLD DJ Kanna shows off his trophies which he won as the best hip hop DJ in India Photos: Nagara Gopal

MUSIC WORLD DJ Kanna shows off his trophies which he won as the best hip hop DJ in India Photos: Nagara Gopal

“Orchestra?” was the confused question his parents asked him when Kannabhiram announced he was giving up his studies to become a full-time disc jockey. His parents didn't have the slightest idea what their young son was opting for and what he would do besides changing CDs.

One cannot blame them. A chief medical officer could think only of seeing his son as a doctor or an engineer in the late 90s. “I tried my best to become an engineer but after having flunked my exams, I realised I was disinterested in studies. I had no excuse to give, I was fairly good in school and then studies stopped favouring me,” laughs Kanna.

Kannabhiram chose to become Kanna at a time when clubbing was at its nascent stage. Now, 12 years later, his persistence has earned him the title of Best Hip-Hop DJ from myfavouritedj.in, an online contest in which 3000 DJs participated. “Winning the title for two consecutive years is a great feeling and more so because the voting is solely done online,” says an excited Kanna as he shows off his trophies.

Kanna was the black sheep of the family. “I was aware that I was hurting my parents' feelings at that point of time. My dad was a doctor and I have a doctor and an engineer for sisters. I was not doing much except spending over 11 hours at a club just to lay my hands on the console for about 10-15 minutes,” he recollects.

The situation at home looked up after Kanna won the War of the DJs and the newspaper articles discussed his talent and technique with the turntable.

Kanna, who grew up listening to old-school Bollywood melodies, says it was his cousin who introduced him to the genre of music he plays today. It was his sister who helped pay for a turntable while he was still learning. “I begged her to buy me a second-hand turntable where I could practice, learn and improvise. During the day I would be at a pub called Where Else, which was in Banjara Hills. I would sit duck and wait for the DJ to take his break. That was my time to test myself with the music,” says Kanna.

Money was tight at first. “My first job earned me Rs.500 a month and I used to spend over 9-10 hours standing as the second DJ at Bottles and Chimneys,” he says.

But Kanna isn't bitter. He loves to look back at his past and feel proud of himself. Now he wants to share whatever he earns or does with his parents. “I want them to be comfortable in every which way. Whatever I do, I make sure I extend the same to my parents. Except that they would prefer a religious holiday to a holiday in Thailand or Singapore,” he laughs.

Talking about his performances, Kanna says, “Apart from having opened for international artists like award-winning Chamillionare, Wyclef Jean, Kardinal Offishal, Apache Indian, Jay Sean, Raghav and many more, I have also evolved a style of my own music which blends Hip Hop, R&B, Dance, House and Electro House.”

Kanna is the first to introduce visual turntables to India. He is one of the few DJs in the country to use vinyl records instead of CDs for his acts. He is also against illegal download of music and videos. “I buy all my music and videos and it is against my principles to steal and make money,” he says.

This teetotaller doesn't party. “Once done with work I head home and sleep and wake up early because I go biking every morning. I am not against partying, but no one plays the kind of music I enjoy,” says Kanna.

What about the wicked whispers about his being an arrogant and haughty DJ? “Well I will definitely not like it when I am asked to do something against my choice. I am a DJ, not a juke box,” he shrugs.

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