Apr 12, 2008, The Indian Express
Saregama goes alternative and introduces Bombay Underground
An ambitious project that searched out new artistes and created space for new sounds in the industry, the Underground series (hopefully, a landmark three-album series) features bands, deejays and solo artistes from Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. “The music business has always been about young people and new sounds. Our album refers more to the artists than the music. These are musicians you won’t see and hear every day,” says Atul Churamani, vice president, Saregama India, who says that the label thought about the idea because “they were crazy and that it’s been too long in the making.”
The album is 27-year-old Shatadru Sarkar’s labour of love, whose idea it was in the first place to do something fresh, work with new artistes and not studio musicians for contemporary talent. “Last July, I was sitting with DJ Kris and thought of the idea for Bombay Underground. Later, we asked why just Mumbai, why not Kolkata and Delhi too,” says the A&R manager for Saregama.
The Mumbai chapter of the series features a roll-call of talented musicians who have been part of a scene that is itching to break into something bigger. Artistes like Kris, Tarun Sahani, Gaurav Issar, Sid Sharma and Suhas Shetty, Parvati Kumari and Bliss Logic (Lima, Lindsay and JD). While the series has been in the making however, several of the artistes have already stepped out of the bracket of the Underground, tugging on the coattails of success and fame.
Shaair n Func are established performers, signed on the newly set up Blue Frog record label, DJ Nasha is part of the wildly successful Sub Swara nights in New York, Hamza Farouki has several solo Bollywood soundtrack efforts lined up and DJ Tushqa has his own record label.
Also interesting are the differing perceptions of the ‘Underground’.
“As much as there is popular scene, there is an undercurrent of artistes who are not exactly part of the typical music and art scene. It isn’t thriving, but a decent, small culture of people who are doing something different, something that’s close to their heart still exists,” says Kris Correya, a veteran of the electronic scene in the city. “What’s not in your face is not underground. I’ve struggled for nine years to get to where I am, starting as a playback singer,” says Faruqui, who dabbles in songwriting, singing (as an Arabic singer) and has contributed a retro house track with Hindi vocals for the album.
One of the few rock acts on the Bombay Underground, Lima Yanger, vocalist and songwriter of Bliss Logic, which has the talented Lindsay D’mello (on drums) and JD (on bass), says that since such an album has never been attempted before, it will put the focus firmly on the artistes: “Us musicians have been bitching about record companies forever, but Shatadru’s finally said put your money where your mouth is.”
