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Just music Manu Rajeev says he wants to make his mark as a good musician

With his academic qualifications and interests Manu Rajeev could have been a multifaceted person. But the fashion designer, artist and author chooses to be a musician. And he wants his life to be in tune with his passion for music.

“Ten years from now, I see myself as a musician. I am not aspiring to be the most popular or the richest musician but I want to do justice to music. That is my ambition,” says the Mumabi-based Manu who released his debut album ‘Aaliya’ a few months back.

Released by T-cassettes, the album has 10 songs in Hindi and a mix of Punjabi and English. Manu has composed, arranged and sung the lyrics written by Rakesh Nirala.

“Rakesh and I are friends and I enjoy the sufi touch to his lyrics,” says the vocalist. He adds that working on the album was a break from the psychedelic chants and lounge music that he was working on earlier.

“The songs in ‘Aaliya’ bear the imprint of the different styles of music that have influenced me. My training in Carnatic and Hindustani music has helped me build a strong base to build my career,” says Manu whose pantheon of musicians and singers include Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, Bhimsen Joshi, Vishal Bharadwaj, George Michael and many others.

“I enjoy Vishal’s work. I think he is one of the best music directors we have now,” says Manu who moved from Delhi to Mumbai to try his luck in the city of dreams.

Music direction and scoring for movies are high on his list and so is making an album in Malayalam.

“But for that I have to be in Kerala. In 2000, I did record two songs with G. Venugopal, my favourite singer. It was to have been for an album of eight songs. But then I got immersed in my work in Delhi and so we never got around to completing it,” he rues.

But then Manu’s road to music has always been a path filled with twists and turns at the most unexpected places. “Music has been a constant,” says Manu who hails from the city.

The younger son of author B. Rajeevan and artist Savitri Rajeevan, Manu’s upbringing was filled with a palette of rich colours that included books, music and art.

“I began learning Carnatic music from a very young age. Later, as a science student in Mar Ivanios College, I found that I was drawn towards colours and paintings. Eventually I joined National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi. But while working in colours and textures I found that it was the cadences of music that touched me. So I decided to become a full-time musician,” he says.

But for the former student of Christ Nagar and Mar Ivanios, the city is still home.

“It is when you live in a city like Mumbai that you realise how much you miss your city.” But he adds quickly, “Of course as time goes by priorities and ambitions change. But, now all I want to do is devote myself to music,” he signs off.

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