The Festive Mood of Navratri Inspired Me To Write Chhori: Girish Prabhu
Reshmi AR in conversation with renowned singer, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist - Girish Prabhu in a Sakshi Post Exclusive.
You have infused more flavours into your music with fusion of Hindi with English. What made you do that in your original Chhori?
Hinglish is what a majority of the urban population speaks of today. That includes me as well. I feel that we Indians adapt everything and make it our own, especially languages...most of us, despite knowing many other languages, think in English...so it's only a natural extension of our vocabulary...and when two of the most common languages are used together it just adds the flavor of reliability!
What was the inspiration behind Chhori?
The festive mood of Navratri..people dressed in bling head to toe, wanting to dance together, couples stealing their moment to create one. I was born and raised in Gujarat, where Navratri is the most colourful time of the year...being in Bangalore for the last 20 years, I witnessed the festival in its full glory after a long time...I would say a bit of nostalgia of those times as well.
It's uncommon for independent musicians to collaborate. What made you initiate Girish Prabhu collective?
Music to me is universal and as a musician, I love listening to all kinds of music. Collaborating with other musicians has expanded my sensitivity toward various genres of music.
What is your take on TV reality shows in music?
It's amazing to see so much talent in our country. Some of them stand out. Some of the best singers from our industry have come from these reality shows, especially Shreya Ghosal and Arijit Singh. But now there are just too many of them and people do not have the same recall value. Also, the drama for the TRP is something that I personally do not enjoy.
Is talent enough to survive in the music industry?
No, it's not! They say na 'jo dikhta hai wo bikta hai'! Also, LUCK is a significant factor! One has to be in the right place at the right time. Yes, if you are talented, you will make a mark sooner or later...one has to believe and keep the pursuit on! The industry is not an easy place. The only mantra is NEVER GIVE UP!
You are also a multi-instrumentalist. Tell us more.
I started playing guitar in my college days. I was mesmerized by the sound of it...to a level of obsession...with more exposure to various genres, I realized that composing music is what comes most naturally to me. Learning different instruments was a natural progression...also if you know one instrument thoroughly, picking up another is not that difficult... requires some hard work, practice, and above all love for the instrument!
What made you open 9th Chord academy?
My story of 9th Chord could sound a bit filmy. So I am a trained Electronics Engineer who secured a great job overseas right after college. But 10 days into it and I realised it wasn't for me. I came back to India to pursue a career in music but I also had to pay my bills...so I started teaching in a small rented garage to support myself financially. I started enjoying teaching a lot. It's a very fulfilling job. In the part of the city where I lived, there was no structured learning in music that was offered. 9th Chord is a place that I am very proud of. We have trained thousands of students over the last 15 years and when I see my students perform and pursue music today, it feels like I am contributing to my music community.
What next afterSufi music?
As I said earlier, music is not confined to genres. Pop is just one of them. I like to infuse them together and create my own flavour!
Also Read: Divo Signs Indian Music Composer And Artist Duo Vivek-Mervin