Sonu Niigaam Ji with a new album...

An album with Sonu Niigaam Ji, a music company to call his own and a project with Hollywood percussionist Greg Ellis — Bickram Ghosh tells that about hitting out on a serious note.

What sparked this album with Sonu Niigaam Ji?

I met Sonubhai while recording the song Dhundo for Ashoke Viswanathan’s Gumshuda. There was a strong connection. He was looking at entering new territories and, career-wise, I find myself in the same mindspace I was seven years back when I was doing classical music and wanted to expand. After a few phone calls with Sonu, we started talking about an album. Both of us felt that the time we have as artistes has to be utilised. It’s not about success or having 12 films in the kitty but doing substantial work that’s not just for us but also for the cause of music.

What is the album about?

It’s a world music album. There are strains and ideas from almost every possible world music genre we do — Sufi, Latin, jazz. It’s ethnic sounds mingling with niche, semi-popular electronica elements. Sonu is doing the melodies and song compositions and I’m designing the rhythms. We’re trying to feature guest artistes on every track. Till now we have Greg Ellis as a guest rhythm player on his drum kit. He has been the main rhythm player for films like The Matrix series, Iron Man and The Wolfman. There’s also Viswamohan Bhatt on his Mohan Veena and Giuliano Modarelli playing Italian guitar. We’ve laid down the structure of four songs and are through with 30 per cent of the album. Most of the work is happening in parts in Mumbai.

SONU NIIGAAM JI ..............................................................

How is it different from other world music projects?

My previous albums have primarily been driven by Indian sounds. This time I’m bringing in sounds and ideas I’ve gathered while hanging out with other musicians. World music albums don’t always feature songs and rhythms and are more often instrumental. Here we have songs that are in Hindi, English and even Gujarati. Sonu Ji is trying to get on board some American rappers and African vocalists, too. And then there are floating vocals, minimal words and beats that one wouldn’t expect to drive a song. It’s not about loops but raw acoustic energy.

Who’s producing it?

Manisha Dey, who has produced most of my albums, is producing the yet untitled album under the label of a new music company Veecon Music. Ours will be their second product after Amitabh Bachchan’s Hanuman Chalisa.

Weren’t you starting your own music company?

Yes, and I just registered it 10 days ago. It’s called Melting Pot Productions and should be up and running in the next few months. We’re starting off as a music label and then will move into content for television, films, events and artiste management. It started with the idea of keeping my copyright to myself. I was inspired by Shubha Mudgal, who started her online company some years ago and is doing phenomenally well. It’s allowing me to move into a different space and look at a gamut of possibilities. The way forward may not be completely clear but the instincts are strong.

What about composing for films?

I’m not looking at film music as a way forward. I don’t enjoy it half as much. I’m happier making music that is an alternative to Bollywood. I’ve not enjoyed doing music for many of the Bengali films that I have done. I got into it under pressure, gave it a shot and realised I had wasted crucial time.

So films are off at present?

I’ve said no to around three film score offers in the past month. Tomorrow if Sooni Taraporevala offers me another film, I’ll probably jump at it because I had great fun working on Little Zizou but I was never set to become a music director and never will be. I’m on a certain musical journey where I’m happy if something I identify with comes my way. I’m 40, not 22, and I’ve been going through this change over the past year.

How would you describe this transformation?

I’ve minimised my so-called social activities. I hardly go for parties. It doesn’t matter how much of a celebrity I am. If I don’t do substantial work now, I’d have missed the bus. Cutting ribbons and showing my face is not a benchmark for me as a musician. I spent three or four hours every day doing that. Now I want to move away from it. People misunderstand me but I feel I’ve found my space over the past two months. I work like a madman now. Not flippant anymore.

What about your solo projects?

I’m working on a solo experimental album called Tabla Sphere but my solo work is on the backburner at present. I need to expand as a musician and collaboration is the best way to do it. I started the process a few months ago with Remo and what I’m doing with Sonu or Greg Ellis is far deeper. Greg and I are working on a separate project called Rhythm Voyage. It has Zimbabwean musicians, Sufi and classical singers.....

Cheers!!