| k"> | | | | had broken up, and that Chandrani was pursuing a solo |
| Finally... here's the interview that I had promised my | | | | career. Isn’t that right? |
| readers. A detailed one-on-one conversation with | | | | Sanjo: I’ve read no such thing. |
| Sanjo, where he talks about his music, his style of | | | | Sunita: How long have the two of you been working |
| working, the delightful experience of having Chandrani | | | | together on music? |
| for a partner, and his future plans. | | | | Sanjo: Around five years. |
| A long, long time ago, I had promised to publish an | | | | Sunita: Oh, that’s a long time! How did the two |
| interview that I conducted with Sanjo, a marvellously | | | | of you meet? |
| talented musician in India whose debut album I had | | | | Sanjo: Oh, that’s an old story by now. It’s |
| stumbled upon by sheer chance (please read my | | | | out there, all over the Web. Don’t bore your |
| earlier article to know how it happened). The reason I | | | | readers, please. |
| took my own time is that I wanted the earlier article to | | | | Sunita: Well, I don’t know
so tell me. |
| gain some momentum in terms of page views. | | | | Sanjo: Okay, in a nutshell
I was in advertising back in |
| So here goes
| | | | those days, and the agency packed us off to |
| Introduction | | | | Mussoorie for a short getaway during a long weekend. |
| Sanjo is a multitalented person in the area of music. He | | | | Gaurav, a colleague who was also the first songwriter |
| writes English lyrics, he composes, he arranges, he | | | | on the project, brought a friend along and that |
| sings, and he produces his own music by playing a | | | | friend was Chandrani. We sang, we jammed and by |
| mind-boggling array of musical instruments in fact, | | | | the time the holiday was over, she was in on the |
| everything from keyboards, guitars, bass and flutes to | | | | project. |
| harmonica, drums and percussion. He has an equally | | | | Sunita: What happened to Gaurav? |
| versatile partner in Chandrani, who writes Hindi lyrics, | | | | Sanjo: He chose to quit the project after he got |
| composes, sings, harmonises, and also plays a couple | | | | married. And that’s when Chandrani took over |
| of instruments. | | | | as the lyricist. |
| So it is anything but surprising that the debut album put | | | | Sunita: And the two of you have been together since |
| out by this duo is fascinatingly rich in music, meaning | | | | then. How come you never invited anyone else to join |
| and moods. The album titled Barson Huey contains ten | | | | the group? |
| beautifully composed, lyrically rich songs that stand out | | | | Sanjo: We didn’t need to. We’re |
| as acoustic masterpieces with haunting melodies and | | | | self-sufficient. Writing, composing, arranging, music, |
| intricate instrumentation. | | | | singing, and harmonising. Everything’s in-house. |
| In this interview, I sent a questionnaire to Sanjo which | | | | We don’t need additional resources. |
| he answered in great detail. Unfortunately, Chandrani | | | | Sunita: But how do you play on stage if you |
| was away in London at that time and was not able to | | | | don’t have a band? |
| participate in the interview. The interview as it appears | | | | Sanjo: We don’t do live shows. We are studio |
| here is not a reproduction of the Q&A verbatim; | | | | musicians. |
| instead, I have restructured it to give my readers the | | | | Sunita: And you’re happy to keep it that way? |
| essence of Sanjo’s responses in an interesting | | | | Sanjo: Yeah. |
| and engaging manner. | | | | Sunita: So what are you two working on now? |
| The Interview | | | | Sanjo: New material. |
| Sunita: How do you account for the immense variety | | | | Sunita: Another album? |
| that Barson Huey offers to its listeners? | | | | Sanjo: No, we aren’t album-focussed. We |
| Sanjo: Yes, that was a deliberate move. I have noticed | | | | move forward, one song at a time. When we have |
| that most debutantes get stuck with a certain style, | | | | the material for an album, we’ll take a call on it, |
| and most of the songs on the album end up sounding | | | | when we want to. |
| very similar, stereotyped. I certainly didn’t want | | | | Sunita: And how far are you from having enough |
| people saying: hey, all their songs sound the same. So I | | | | material for an album? |
| painstakingly composed each song in a different | | | | Sanjo: We have enough material for two albums. |
| style
soft rock, reggae, pop, salsa, flamenco, | | | | Sunita: Wow! So what’s holding you back? |
| country, and so on. | | | | Sanjo: Nothing. It’s just that we aren’t in |
| Sunita: Which is which? | | | | any hurry. |
| Sanjo: Well, the title track, Barson Huey is composed in | | | | Sunita: Okay, let’s go back to the first album |
| a reggae style. Then there’s this song which | | | | once again. Everybody’s talking about the |
| opens Side B Zindagi. That’s out and out | | | | passion with which you’ve played the guitar in |
| flamenco. Chandrani’s solo, Palkon Pe Thaa is in | | | | the intros and interludes, each solo being in line with the |
| a Latin American style. There’s a salsa piece: | | | | specific style of the song. In particular, they’re |
| Khushiyon Se Hai Duniya. Sapno Ka Ek Shahar is | | | | talking about Woh Shaamey, Shaayad Kabhi and |
| much like a ballad, while Aanchal is a country styled | | | | Sapno Ka Ek Shahar. Did you have to work very hard |
| song. Mujhe Tumse Kuchh Kehnaa Hai is soft rock. | | | | on them? |
| Shaayad Kabhi is a bluesy piece. And so on. | | | | Sanjo: I love all these three songs. I’m also very |
| Sunita: That’s fascinating! You’ve | | | | passionate about the interludes in Palkon Pe Thaa and |
| covered a whole lot of genres there. | | | | Zindagi. Yes, I had to work very hard on them
most |
| Sanjo: Yes, I know, but we weren’t consciously | | | | of them, but I enjoyed it. The reason I said most of |
| trying to span genres. We just went with the mood of | | | | them is that some of the best interludes (and a lot |
| each song
and we wanted it to be refreshingly | | | | of people don’t know this) were composed in |
| different. And things kind of fell into place. | | | | the studio at the time of recording. Right there on |
| Sunita: Tell me about Barson Huey, which incidentally is | | | | the spur of the moment! |
| my favourite. Everyone who has been in love at some | | | | Sunita: Which one precisely? |
| time in their lives can identify with this song. So who is | | | | Sanjo: The lead solos of Zindagi and Shaayad Kabhi. |
| it written to? | | | | Sunita: Wow! That’s incredible. Both the solos |
| Sanjo: (Laughs) Chandrani should be answering this | | | | are so complex and well-structured. Did that happen in |
| question! I am just the composer. But let me tell you | | | | a single take? |
| this: the sheer beauty of the lyrics and the evocative | | | | Sanjo: Now don’t get carried away! It took |
| sense of nostalgia that surrounds them helped me to | | | | several takes, especially that swinging bluesy piece in |
| come up with a beautiful melody. People talk about | | | | Shaayad Kabhi, but somehow the mood was right
|
| how lovely and soothing the tune is. Well, I thank | | | | and everything just fell into place. |
| Chandrani for giving me those lovely lyrics to work on. | | | | Sunita: So Sanjo, tell me, what lies ahead. |
| Sunita: You give Chandrani a lot of the credit for what | | | | Sanjo: Lots of music. I have a lot of music in me that I |
| you do, don’t you? | | | | want to leave behind when I’m gone. So |
| Sanjo: Yes, obviously. It’s a perfect | | | | I’m in a bit of a hurry. In fact, I’m positively |
| partnership
total teamwork. She thinks. She writes. | | | | hyperactive right now. Full steam ahead |
| She explains the song to me much like an advertising | | | | that’s my mantra. |
| brief meaning, mood, target audience, visual clues, | | | | Sunita: Why the sudden gloomy reference to Death? |
| et al. And then I go to work. She adjusts the lyrics | | | | In fact, it isn’t there in any of your songs, so |
| wherever they need to be tweaked, for reasons of | | | | why is it in your thoughts? |
| metre mainly. And the song just happens. | | | | Sanjo: It’s there in my English songs alright, the |
| Sunita: Do you have creative differences? Do you | | | | ones I’ve written. Death is an inevitable end, |
| fight? | | | | why shy away from it? |
| Sanjo: I won’t answer that question. The last | | | | Sunita: Enough, I don’t want to end this interview |
| time an interviewer asked me this, my reply was taken | | | | on that kind of a note, so why don’t you deliver |
| out of context and misinterpreted, and I ended up | | | | a positive, forward-looking message for all your fans. |
| getting a lot of flak for it. So
no comments. | | | | Sanjo: All that you think
you become. So think BIG! |
| Sunita: Come on! I won’t twist your answers. | | | | Sunita: Thank you. That’s so much better. |
| Sanjo: No comments. | | | | Sanjo: You’re welcome
thank you. |
| Sunita: Some websites did report that the two of you | | | | |