We recently had a rare opportunity to meet Arindam Mukherjee (Andy), who was visiting Bluefield – Virginia’s tallest town. He gladly accepted our invitation to share his experience and ideas. The multi-talented young musician who has played with multiple famous Bands, both in India and abroad, is an unbelievably simple and down-to-the-earth-person.

This Gaanmela.Com interview was taken by Shrabanti Basu. We had a great time chatting and enjoying the music and sunset on the East River Mountain top (Bluefield,West Virginia).

It was an excellent opportunity for the Gaanmela team members to meet Arindam. We sincerely thank him for his precious time.

We have created the Exclusive Photo Gallery for Arindam Mukherjee at Gaanmela. Check the link below.

Write up prepared for Gaanmela by: Kaustubh Adhikari.

Gaanmela: Tell us about your musical background; about the training you had in singing.

Andy: I boldly admit that I’ve no formal training in singing, because I’m not a professional singer as such. I just love to sing. If I feel I’m doing justice to the song I’m singing, then I do it.

I started learning classical music at the age of four, when I started playing tabla. I learnt tabla for 18 years – got all the degrees, with distinction; but I was more interested in creating tunes. I had always wished to become a one-man band and have all under my control. That’s why I started learning piano, and for the past ten years I’ve been into it. I also tried some violin and guitar classes.

Then happened a miracle when I entered into Presidency College. I met with a person who was the keyboardist of a music band, and he told me that he’s leaving, and I may take up his place. It started my musical career, and then everything became band-oriented.

Gaanmela: So after having a classical background, you ventured into western and band music. How was the transition? Was it helpful?

Andy: Not really transition in that sense. My father had a huge collection of records, not only English but even Lebanese music. We’ve grown up listening to it. I wouldn’t go to sleep without a radio beside my bed. We lived in a joint family where many had singing talents. There was definitely a family influence.

My father is a member in the theatre group Sundaram (Manoj Mitra’s group) for thirty-eight years, and also acted on television. Folk song was a specialty of my mother. When I was young, I played tabla a lot while my parents were singing on the stage. So I never had stage fright.

My father had the habit of tape-recording all my first steps in life, like when I started speaking, etc.; my first recorded song on tape is “Hoyto amake karo mone nei”. I was a regular bathroom singer (laughs). But I didn’t dare sing outside the bathroom, since other people in my family were such high-quality singers (laughs again). Or when I was alone, I’d close the door and match my voice with Michael Jackson or Abba; Manna Dey’s songs (who is my favourite singer) are, in particular, difficult but I hummed with them too. Then came Suman, Nachiketa, Anjan who became very popular. Later I felt interested towards Bangladeshi Bands, which rekindled my wish of becoming a band singer.

Under father’s influence I acted in some dramas in school or college, but singing was always my dream. It started happening properly when I got into college. It is an age where you do not bother that much about tune or lyric. I had people singing around me, enthusiastically, more aptly, aggressively (laughs). I thought, if they can, why not me? Then I participated in college fests, and got recognition.

Gaanmela: Andy, is this your first time in West Virginia? Do you like it?

Andy: Yes, and I’m quite enjoying it. I like mountains and seas, and the sunset across the mountains is wonderful.

Gaanmela: How do you like Anjan Dutta’s songs?

Andy: I always felt his songs are very close to me, I felt comfortable singing them. I really love them.

Gaanmela: Tell us about your western music training.

Andy: As I said, I started with Piano at Calcutta School of Music. Then I took lessons from Pranab Bose and Somendra Deb. But when we moved to US, I had to discontinue learning from them. Now I try to attend classes here. I’m also interested in brass instruments, which I like a lot but there isn’t much
scope of getting training in India. I hope to become a music arranger one day, so am trying to get exposure to a broad spectrum.

Gaanmela: Did you play in bands?

Andy: In a few bands for some time. I once played in a band which later disintegrated as some persons moved to Dohar. Just before coming here, I was involved with a band named Abbulish.

Even though I played dedicatedly for a band during a period, some people questioned my sincerity. Then I thought again of moving out and becoming a one-person band. Now I’m happy being a one-man show, arranging music myself on keyboard.

Still, some time I feel like playing with others. Here I had guest appearances for some bands, although I didn’t go to tours with them. I’m also very lucky to get some extremely talented friends who never look down upon me, but maintain an atmosphere of friendly exchange.

Overall I feel I got a larger perspective of music here. I got to know about Jack Johnson and Dave Mathews, see the live show of Sting or Cold Play.

I got into Chandrabindu in 1995. Then the band was not popular to this extent. We had only one confirmed show in a year – the Shibpur B. E. College fest. We really looked forward to it. And if somebody came and said that they liked our songs, we felt elated. There was no such fan hype. We just carried on for our love of music, not for earning. Now things have changed completely. In a house there are now four bands – one each of father, mother, son and daughter. In my youth when we went on streets with a guitar, people who thought he must be a guitar student now think he is a band member. Band has become a status symbol.

Gaanmela: Your attitude towards piracy?

Andy: I support piracy in the sense that it is promoting the awareness and spread of music. As students we could not afford buying every record we loved, so we had to share.

I have seen many music companies giving a hard time to not-so-famous artists in terms of money. Some even had to stop recording in the middle after company stopped providing them financial support. I won’t take names, but you can understand the general picture.

Whatever, in the world of internet, someone downloading pirated songs means he is interested in listening to it, and is actually listening to it, which both are good. If I ever release a CD, I will write on it that do not hesitate to copy my work, please share it.

Gaanmela: Formerly there was classification among singers in the sense that some sang primarily Rabindrasangeet, some Najrulgeeti etc. Now everybody sings everything. This certainly increases versatility, but does it include risks of having people perform poorly in some sections by going into things they have a weakness in?

Andy: If a singer tries a particular genre and if people buy it, then, of course, he should continue.

Earlier releasing albums was more difficult. Now anybody can go into a studio and have all music arranged and CD compiled for a mere thousand rupees. Even you can employ someone else to sing for you. So why don’t experiment? I hope someday hip-hop will be sung in Bengali. Remake was once a huge hit, especially with Indranil Sen. People didn’t even know those were remakes. He sang well, it was hit, and that’s all.

Now most of those who sing modern songs do not have any specialization. And they don’t need to. They probably sang first on FM and became a hit, so whatever they produce now sells. FM has indeed contributed a lot towards music. It reverted the audience from Hindi boom towards Bengali songs. I first heard Srikanta Acharya on FM. And what has he not sung, with equal grace?

What is popular will survive for a period. So things are being oriented in that direction. It is not that there have been no bad outcomes, but there are many wonderful efforts as well. I have heard on YouTube many nice songs of bands I didn’t know at all.

Gaanmela: Bands do use guitar a lot. Do you think recent songs are being more guitar-oriented? Are songs being made to be accompanied with guitar?

Andy: Yes, probably, and it is natural to blame it on band songs. But even in the black-n-white days with Manna Dey or Sandhya Mukherjee on television, you can notice someone playing guitar in the back. Guitar was present then also, but didn’t get the exposure. Now it is popular, so it’s getting noticed. See, I’m sitting with one too.

Bands now play octapad or drum, so you can see them. Bengali music hasn’t matured to the level to playing trumpet or trombone directly; the sound is made on keyboard. But if they become popular, we’ll see them also.

Gaanmela: With your classical training, are your created tunes are a bit different than traditional band style?

Andy: I didn’t learn western classical music. Although I learnt Indian classical, and have some favourite raagas too, I didn’t incorporate them. My music is solely band-ish. I like Hansadhwani raaga the most.

I use various instruments while making a tune. Sometimes I just sit with a guitar and try to come up with something. I never force myself.

I had friends in university here with whom I made a fusion-type music group. Kausik Pathak of Nagpur played sitar, and Narayan Sreenivasan played mridangam or ghattam; and we practiced together for 2 years. We had to move out, but plan to get together soon and make an album.

Gaanmela: Whose work has influenced you?

Andy: It’ll be an endless list. Pankaj Mullick to SD >Burman, RD Burman to Salil Chadhuri, Naushad to L-P. Same for English singers – Beatles to Eric Clapton. To be more specific, my father was Debrabrata Biswas’s absolute fan, I’m of Manna Dey.

Gaanmela: You said that Bangladeshi bands had influenced bands in Bengal. Can you illustrate?

Andy: Bangladesh has maintained the band culture for long. Whether their band culture started before Mohiner Ghoraguli I can’t say, but Masudul Haque, Ayub Bachchu to James have kept on that practice. Rock was verypopular in clubs and events there, and they added Bengali lyrics to it. They
are very professional about their rock, comparable to English groups. We tried to adopt that attitude. Here, the efforts were more in relation to college fests, and Suman and Anjan brought forward a change to that. Of course, bands like Dohar are very different.

Band is a complete package; but if you only consider the lead singers and evaluate their singing qualities, few will pass a stringent test. Surajit of Bhoomi is exceptionally talented, but I’m not sure about others. Some are certainly classically trained, but I don’t know whether they’ll be able to make albums solely on their own.

The Videos are coming soon followed by a complete write up. The first part of the video is online. Watch and come back to see rest of the interviews and songs.