What is the primary objective in creating the album Reincarnation?
Amaan: Reincarnation is the product of about thirty months of thought. We always wanted to involve the youth in our music without deviating from our forte. But we waited out till we thought of a clear concept. We also waited till we had at least a dozen traditional albums to our credit so that it did not appear as if we were straying. We would have hated it if it was said that we are taking shortcuts. It is important to be accepted by the age group that traditionally does not go in for our classical music, but we cannot forget our forte. The people should spontaneously feel that we are serious musicians, jo yeh bhi karte hain.
Ayaan: Yes, we thought that people should understand us completely first, and that we should have an identity and a brand, Even if we come up with a successor to this genre, it will be after a few years, and after some more traditional albums. We want to attract the youth, but not go out of the way in doing so. And I think that seeing two young people holding the sarod is a definite statement.
You talked about shortcuts. Why do the children of Indian classical luminaries take so much to Western, or fusion music? Is that a shortcut to fame?
Amaan: In a way, it is. But fusion will always be like a gamble.Main maafi chahoonga but today the names of classical maestros live on after 50 or more years, while so many of the Indipop artistes of the ‘90s have long disappeared from the scene - literally! In a classical concert, you are out there alone in front of a thousand people, where within an hour people are going to assess ke aapke poore khandaan ki taalim kya hai.
Ayaan: We too have done what may be termed as fusion concerts, but we have never compromised on our music. And for every one such concert we have done 10 classical concerts.
There is a prevalent view tht most fusion is about jamming an Indian instrument with a Western one.
Amaan: Yes, and that is what we have avoided in this album. There is no sarod and guitar combo. We know our responsibility towards our khandaan and our roots. It’s important that today’s youth are also in sync with our music and that’s why we thought that we have to do such an album. I also believe that every second- or third-generation musician should have a strong identity of his own.
Ayaan: There was also the desire to prove that we could do such an album. Maybe at some level, we began work on Reincarnation with this motivation, but gradually we started loving what we were doing.
The video looks very classy and young.
Ayaan: Yes, the video angle was another challenge. Though we have vocals in the form of alaaps, and we have done that for the first time in our careers, a video without lyrics was a great challenge. The best thing about the video is that there is no skin-show - either male or female! - and no vulgarity and yet the 4-1/2 minute video seems just a minute long, which means it holds attention and is not boring. We shot the video in and around Agra Fort. Sumit Dutt is the director.
Our final aim is that just as you hear every kind of light Indian and Western music in lounges, bars, clubs, cars and trucks, you hear the sarod too there, and do not find it out of place. Sarod, to speak in contemporary lingo, should be a fashion statement and a brand equity!
But do you not feel some kind of risk when you want to extend the reach of classical music yet do not cater to trends?
Ayaan: I do not think that cheapness in videos or music is a trend. Yes, the wrong kind of stuff does attract transient attraction, but I think today only those artistes and video directors who do not resort to such gimmicks are recognized.
So how has the electronic element come into the album?
Amaan: We have used the piano in one track for 30 seconds. We have also used chords, drums, samplers and grooves, and there is even a whiff of film music. So we have a sarod plus vocal combination, but in this electronic CD you are primarily hearing programmed bandishein and raags that are a 1000 years old.Yeh hamari hi cheez hai jisse hum ne dil se, sacchai se aur saadgi se pesh ki hai.
You have never done vocals before. Have you trained in vocal music too?
Ayaan: Before we learnt the sarod we learnt the sargam. Our musical thoughts come out through the sarod.
And for this album, are the raags used in pure form?
Amaan: Absolutely. Every track is based on a pure raag, and there is no mishran. We have been taught that raag and gaana are two distinct aspects in Indian classical music. The basic ‘funda’ of classical music is that you cannot break a raag. The essence of its longevity is freedom - but with discipline.
And what did your dad think of the album?
Ayaan: Well, we made the first track in a casual spirit of masti, just to try out whether we could do it. Then we made three other tracks, and that’s when dad heard them all. ’It’s sounding nice!’ he said approvingly!
You have grown up in a culture that had an integration of religions as well as cultures. What was the experience like?
Amaan: It was truly a great mix. Our maternal grandfather was Parshuram Barua, the first ever Assamese film actor. Grandmother named our mother Subbalakshmi because she loved the music of the Southern legend, and the South influence also led to her mastering Bharatanatyam.
We were always exposed to a variety of people coming into our homes, friends and relatives of both mom and dad. Our experiences of going on stage right from the ages of 7 or so exposed us to audiences all over the world.
Ayaan: My dad would always say, “Be a good human being first, and good music will follow, because music is a reflection of one’s nature.”
Amaan: Dad always says that people will love your music only if they love you.
Ayaan: We were always taught values, and to be open-minded and believe in one supreme power and be good human beings and not fanatics.
Amaan: Like we are very modern in attire, and I am a shaukeen guy, but I know that deep inside I am a faqeer.
What about going beyond classical music? Like films?
Amaan: Why not? We have already scored music for an English film,American Daylight, in which we also composed a qawwali. We would love to work on Indian films too.
And would you have a purist approach there as well?
Ayaan: I think that a film composer’s duty is to enhance the director’s canvas of thought. It’s like baking a cake not for yourself but for a customer and to his exact specifications. Filmmaking is a team effort and egos should not come in. We would definitely mix raags if it was necessary for a film song.