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Shaan unplugged

Shaan talks about the track he has composed for the Hindi version of Narnia

PHOTO BY AUTHOR

FOR ALL SEASONS Shaan: `I don't follow trends because I believe music is timeless'

After collaborating with the Brit pop band Blue and being part of an Asian musical tribute for John Lennon, Shaan adds another feather to his already crowded cap by writing, composing and singing a track for the soundtrack of the upcoming Hindi version of the movie, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

Shaan, who began his musical career with a remix medley song that was part of a compilation called Q-Funk, has come a long way and is today one of the big singers both in Bollywood and the non-film Hindi music scenes. Having established himself firmly in IndiPop with Naujawan, where he collaborated with his sister, Saagarika, Shaan's career has been a roller-coaster ride. The man was in Bangalore to sing at a corporate show and spoke about the inspiration behind the track "Shuruaat", which is included in the music album of Narnia.

Full of emotion

Shaan says: "It's a very lyrics-driven song, which is slow at first and picks up tempo as it proceeds. I thought of the wordings about five years back during the Bhuj earthquake, where shocking news stories about how relief materials were stolen and sold in Mumbai markets. Then we witnessed the tsunami and the Mumbai floods. And that is when I decided to come out with this album. When I read the book about Narnia, I realised it was a story about the good and the evil, and how they battle hard and ultimately good wins. It was the right platform for me to give a musical shape to my ideas."

Shaan adds: "I didn't want to scare people by saying that the world is headed for doom. But its about time humans gave up their reckless behaviour against nature." The song is the last track, which is included as a bonus in the soundtrack. "But I am not here to preach. I just want anyone who has bought the album to think for a while about the last song in the album, if they like," he says.

The track is also included in his new full-length album titled Tishnagi. Shaan says about the album: "Just like any of my earlier albums, this one too is a mixture of various kinds of songs to suit every mood. The title track (which means Thirst), is a rock number which is energetic and talks about the undying thirst of people to achieve something, in spite of having everything they need. The album has a couple of dance numbers and a few soulful tunes as well." Explaining his method of creating songs, he says: "I don't follow trends because I believe music is timeless. I want my audience to listen to one track from any of my albums 10 years down the line. And they wouldn't feel what they are listening to is outdated."

About non-film music getting heavily inspired by Bollywood, Shaan says: "Though the twain is meeting, Bollywood and non-film music will remain separate as two distinct genres of music. This is precisely because creating film music comes with a lot of constraints as the song has to fit within a particular situation within the film and the music has to cut across regions and age groups. But with IndiPop, one can carry the music towards a structured audience. There is no way anyone can strike a balance between these two different forms of music."

How does Shaan view the progress of his own musical career? "I haven't moved as much as I have stretched. There is that bubbly `Love-ology' guy in me still, and at other times, a more creative, reflective side of me comes alive. Musically though, I try and strike a balance between the two. My songs are sensitive, but they are fun as well."

The ever-smiling Shaan has just one message for his listeners, particularly the youth: "Don't rush to anything. These days, by the time you are 10, you are thinking of what job you want to do, what sort of a girl you want to get married to and how much you want to earn. Please take life a step at a time and don't miss out on the more lively, jovial and fun moments of your life as a youngster, which is never going to come back to you." And he adds: "Responsibly, of course."

A. VISHNU

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