Happily married… happily busy with work… Araj Keshav’s life so far is filled with superlatives (touchwood). There’s more to Araj than the shaggy-delic impersonation of Shaggy… He is a thinker and has a very good unit between the ears.
We stumbled upon the crooner / rapper / music director recently and got into an animated chit-chat. Our man takes a little coaxing before opening up; but once you get past that shy barrier he’s fun to converse and this is how it went…
Load shedding is the big pain in the back, how do you cope?
Try as I might I just can't seem to figure out the severe political stalemate of our country. It just frustrates me, somewhat frightens me. For me “load shedding” is almost like a metaphor to that deadlock condition. And when we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves… it’s hard but I’m learning to cope, have to for my peace of mind…
And what's your favorite load shedding activity??
I listen to music and go through radio stations… Music is my sanctuary. I read, write or maybe compose; the idea is to try and keep myself busy.
How would you describe your voice? And if you were to compare, who's a better singer, Prashna or you?
Hands down Prashna is a much… much better singer. There’s no comparison between us, singing wise. It’s just natural to her. I can hold a tune, and I guess everyday is a learning experience (grins). But I also think to be a good singer you have to be a good performer which Prashna does so effortlessly. I’m Prashna’s biggest fan.
Prashna as a wife or as a singer, choose?
We started as friends. Friendship brought us closer. I consider Prashna to be my soul-mate and I’m just happy to have her in my life. She’s a terrific singer; I’m completely in awe of her voice. I guess it’s hard to choose… Prashna fits the bill in both accounts, just perfectly.
(hmmm opting the safe way out, are ya? Don’t want to ruffle the singer, who also happens to be wifey dearest, right? wink)
How would you classify—if you can—your music?
I have a very simple approach to music, whether composing, arranging or singing… at the end it should feel good!! My emphasis has always been the heart factor; it should evoke those feelings in listeners, a singer should be able to connect with his subject, that’s when the magic happens… So I guess I could describe my music as “feel good”, any genre any style… it should have that quality.
Who is your inspiration?
Jems Pradhan… Not only a great singer, he’s a great musician. Creative is the word to describe the man.
So what's playing in the background, any current favorite?
My mood depends on music I'm listening at the moment, and my playlist depends on my mood… I guess it’s all related (smiles)…but of course quality of music should be good!! (no compromises)
So what is in the immediate future from Araj? Experimenting with your singing, style?
I have already finished work on my two albums… the whole process was pretty much accelerated, I didn’t want to take chance, you know the power outage and everything. I guess load shedding has its advantage, makes you efficient ay time management (chuckles). And yes, I did experiment with my singing style for the new movie “First love”, a slight modification here and there… it was a great learning curve. The movie is being directed by Shimos Sunwar.
You also direct music videos... So what's tough, singing or directing?
The visual aspect of music, the videos, and singing are totally different ball game. Both require creativity and oodles of patience!!… Patience to hone your craft (it’s a slow process); to improve on your mistakes and take criticism (that’s the hard part)… it’s a tough job. In fact, it's two tough jobs! But not impossible…
You are good looking... ever thought about movies? Is acting in the cards?
It’s high time somebody realized that... (Laughs) Hmmm acting in a movie? I don’t know… I guess it all depends on the material, the team behind the project. If it’s good… why not!! I’m always open to new experiences. (Yes, bring it on)
How would you like to be remembered?
A good human being above everything else!! Then of course there’s the music. If my work is able to make your seconds, minutes or hours special… if it’s able to connect with you; so much so that you retain it in your memory… then that would be the best prize of all.