Dhruv Ghanekar’s songs straddle different styles and genres. The musician talks about his latest music video, composing for movies, the indie music scene in the country and more.
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In December last year, the musical Mumbai Star – a story that follows the highs and lows in a young Kathak dancer’s quest for fame after arriving in India’s entertainment capital – staged its final shows as part of a Japan tour. Seen by a largely Japanese audience, the musical conceptualized by theater actor Devika Punjabi and directed by Nadir Khan received standing ovations in several cities. Artists Dhruv Ghanekar and Ishitta Arun were in attendance for the final shows in Chiba and Tokyo, watching the musical that they had composed, produced and written lyrics for, come to life. Ghanekar says, “Despite how complex some of the music is, especially the classical Kathak pieces, the music was extremely well received.”
Aspiring guitarists often start by trying their hand at playing covers, typically picking classics from bands like Eagles or Beatles. Dhruv Ghanekar, a guitarist, composer, singer-songwriter, and producer, cautions against falling into this trap. Unlike many musicians, Dhruv confesses to never engaging in covers, always striving to create original music. During a Zoom video call, Dhruv provides a view of his room adorned with an array of guitars, showcasing his passion for the instrument.
Between the two of them, Mumbai-based artists and entrepreneurs Ashu Phatak and Dhruv Ghanekar have arguably built the blocks for independent music in India. Around the time that they launched the venue, recording studio and label blueFROG in 2007 and before Phatak co-founded True School of Music (both in Mumbai), the duo recorded and released an album called Smoke Signals in 2008.
MUMBAI: A smorgasbord of sounds and styles from all over India and around the world, Dhruv Ghanekar’s upcoming album Voyage 2 stays true to its name. This ten-track album boldly combines Indian folk music with various musical traditions from all over the world, including Brazilian Samba, Balkan music, funk, and jazz. Voyage 2 is a celebration of collaboration and cultures, with noted musician Dhruv Ghanekar at the heart of the album fusing sounds to create a cohesive soundtrack.
What can be better than making music with family? Popular composer, producer and guitarist - who has also made music for ad campaigns, and for movies like Dhaakad and Bombay Boys has just released a 10-track world music album called Voyage 2 that features some of India's most amazing folk artists, including his mother-in-law Ila Arun
Voyage 2, a sequel to music composer and producer Dhruv Ghanekar’s 2015 release, Voyage, celebrates the concept of collaboration and diverse cultures. The album is in collaboration with well-known artistes like Rajasthani folk singer Ila Arun, vocalists Kalpana Patowary and Vaishali Samant, bassist Mohini Dey, drummer Gino Banks, percussionist Taufiq Qureshi and many more. The album amalgamates different soundscapes and styles of music from all over India and around the world.
Half-way through our conversation about the secrets of collaboration in music, composer Dhruv Ghanekar drops a line that sticks. “I remember a phrase from Quincy Jones,” he says, “When you create music, you have to leave enough space for God to walk in.” His latest album, Voyage 2 that released yesterday under his label Wah Wah Records, and features a veritable who’s who of artistes from Ila Arun, Gino Banks, Abhay Nayampally to bassist Tim Lefebvre, trumpeter Sam Dechenne, and saxophonist Artur Grigoryan, among others.
Composer and guitarist Dhruv Ghanekar offers the first glimpse of his upcoming fusion album Voyage 2 with “Suprabhatam” featuring vocalist Nandini Srikar, bassist Mohini Dey and guitarist Abhay Nayampally. “‘Suprabhatam’ is sacred on so many levels and this is an entirely surprising and new way at looking at it that I think will shock the listener,” Ghanekar says.
While drawing parallels between crafting tunes for films and stage acts, Dhruv Ghanekar, whose show Mumbai Star continues to travel across Japan, on having an edge as a composer while taking charge of a musical
It’s been a season of fantastic videos. After guitarist Warren Mendonsa released his brilliant new video recently, it’s fellow Mumbai guitarist and composer Dhruv Ghanekar’s turn to raise the stakes with his video for the track “Dhima” from his recent album Voyage. When we spoke to Ghanekar during the making of his new album, the composer said of “Dhima,” “This tune came out of a project I did with her two years ago where we took Rajasthani music and turned it on its head.” “Dhima” is indeed an extraordinary mix of African and Rajasthani influences that Algerian percussion prodigy Karim Ziad and folk star Ila Arun bring to the song.
Musician Dhruv Ghanekar has announced the launch of his new label, Wah Wah Records, which will be an extension of his award-winning music production house, Wah Wah Music. Ghanekar, along with Ashutosh Phatak and Kailash Kher, has released a music video titled 'Summertime Rocks' under their album 'Smoke Signals'. Ghanekar describes the song as a coming-of-age track that speaks from the heart. He also discusses his experience in balancing composing for films and creating independent music, stating that experience helps but it's important to retain the irreverence and spontaneity of youth.
MUMBAI: Dhruv Ghanekar, one of those behind the path breaking blueFROG, Mumbai, is making waves with his tunes across the country over a decade now. Honest and straight from the shoulder, that's how one would describe him. The self-proclaimed ‘gear junkie’ recently performed at Paddy Fields Festival on 16 October (2016) and in Bacardi Nh7 weekender at Shillong on 22 October (2016). In a conversation with Radioandmusic.com, he shared his music inspirations, musical distinctiveness, his method to fuse various styles in his music, his collaborations and upcoming projects.
You have been in this industry for quite some time now and your music is experimental in its approach. How would you describe your genre?
Progressive Indian Music. There you go! It’s catchy and perfectly sums it up. Though I hate labels, as they can be quite limiting, it’s a necessary evil. I think I am a musical schizophrenic; I love a lot of different types of music. Partially, this is due to my childhood years, even though I didn’t come from a musical family, my family enjoyed different types of music, my father on his trips abroad would buy the top 40 cassettes. My mother was into classical music and old Hindi film songs, ghazals and more traditional music. So, I landed up listening and absorbing a lot of different music between the age of 7-12. When I turned 13, I got turned on to Jazz music and that changed my world.
The genre world music is vast, how do you fuse various elements and styles?
I guess we are victims of our upbringing. Since I had such a wide musical exposure, my grown-up life has been trying to make sense of all these influences and organise it into one cohesive sound.
I like the idea of fusing opposites. Mashing a culture against another that is diametrically opposite end of the spectrum. It’s challenging but when it works the results can be wonderful and surprising. ‘Dhima’, the song that I did with Ila Arun is one such example of fusing Rajasthani and West African blues. ‘Baare Baare’, which features Kalpana Patowary is another piece that fuses Assamese folk with a North African influence.
How do you carry out the creative process? According to you, what is unique about your sound?
If you say it is unique, I’ll take the compliment! (smiles). I guess it’s the juxtaposition of various cultures into a single sonic identity, that’s what is exciting for me.
I spent a lot of time studying and playing purely single genres. However, eventually, you get to a point where you want to create your own identity. I guess that’s the mission that I am on now to create a modern Indian tapestry and present that to the world. Our Folk music is so rich and 100’s of years old and is timeless. Every country celebrates its own culture. In Spain – it’s Flamenco, In Brazil – its Choro and Samba and Bossa, and every African country has its own unique sound. I think in India due to the heavy marketing machinery of Bollywood, our culture has gotten sidelined. As an Indian musician and artist, I am determined to bring our folk culture to the foreground but in a modern avatar!
Independent artists and the music scene are booming in India over time, how do you escalate that?
I think it’s great, it’s very nascent, but it’s promising. We need certain infrastructural elements in place - venues, music schools, artist management, government grants, and lower entertainment taxes for the scene to flourish and eventually become mainstream.
Your live shows are full of the oomph factor, how do you incorporate so many things altogether?
I think again the whole endeavour is to keep it fresh and interesting for myself and to make the show unique so the audience feels that they were a part of something completely new and different from the last one.
I also am grateful that I have such incredible talent in the band, Kalpana Patowary – who is just a ridiculously talented singer. A new member, Illa Straight who is from Philadelphia has just joined us is a rapper and MC who can improvise just like a jazz musician. Artur Grigoyan, who is an amazing saxophonist from Armenia and can play Balkan folk, Jazz, Funk and anything in between adds an international colour. Then there’s Rohan Rajadhyaksha, who’s a young and talented keyboardist who has recently come on board.
It took you quite a long time to release your second album ‘Voyage', any particular reason that you want to share? How tough is it to be collaborating with so many different musicians?
I got really busy between 2009-2013. I moved studios, finished three feature films and was swamped with advertising projects. Also, I was finding the right musicians to collaborate which took time. So, I traveled to France to record with Karim Ziad and Linley Marthe, getting their dates also took some time. The collaboration part wasn’t that difficult, just a logistical challenge. Most of the musicians heard the tracks and agreed immediately to come on board.
Also, the mixing took about a year, due to my commitments. Since the album was totally self-funded and released on my own label Wah Wah Music, and since this was the first time that I had undertaken such an endeavour, a lot of decisions and tie-up’s took the time to close up. I also shot four music videos that had to be planned and shot and executed.
As a wise man said – “Making music is easy; it’s the people that are difficult.”
What’s your take on the youth who are inclined to electronic and disco music? Do you think people are growing their musical knowledge over time?
I think diversity is a good thing. It’s not necessary for everyone to have the same interests. It’s also naïve to think that all Indians have the same exposure. Someone who grew up in Chennai will have a different take on one thing. That’s what is amazing about our country, that there is some much diversity. We should celebrate it. If someone is interested in becoming a DJ, great, go for it. But learn music. It will only help in making the music richer.
Bollywood conventional music takes the biggest piece of the pie and then comes regional music. How hard does it become being a music producer who incorporates sound for his originals to accomplish something?
Back in the day, in Bollywood, the most successful composers were the ones who had their own unique sound and identity. Being successful and being original is not mutually exclusive. One has to still introspect and find oneself to create any music. We tend to be dismissive of successful people. But, everyone has their own arc and journey. If you are really talented you will run the 55 km marathon, if you are a fly by night guy, your career will be over after 100 m.
You have performed throughout the nation, and abroad too Which is your favourite venue?
It will always be The Blue Frog, Mumbai. It was very close to my heart.
Music influences you all would like to mention? Any favourite artist you’re currently listening to?
This is currently on my playlist: Laura Mvula, The Roots, Coke Studio Pakistan – Season 9, Songhoy Blues, The Witch – Soundtrack, Band of Gypsies, Kaushiki Chakraborty – anything from her, she’s incredible and Mozart’s Lullabies, to put my kids to sleep (wink).
As you are the man behind the path-breaking blueFROG; do you think it will be the unchanged after heading towards different location/s?
Of course, it will be different. But, that’s life, change is inevitable. We had an amazing run at Lower Parel, Mumbai. However as it is with all good things, they have to evolve.
What are the five things that we absolutely don’t know about you? (Smile)
I am a closet drummer.
I love stand up comedy.
I am borderline O.C.D.
I actually love good electronica.
I am a gear junkie.
Having composed for a dozen Bollywood films and performed live at concerts across the globe from Norway to USA, Dhruv Ghanekar has worn many a musical hat with elan. With virtuoso arrangements, peaceful orchestration and an ability to bridge Jazz and contemporary Indian sounds, Dhruv is a guitarist, musician and songwriter.
The Mumbai-based artiste began studying Indian classical music from the age of nine. He went on to study under sarangi maestro Sultan Khan. His permanent love affair with the guitar began in school and in a few years, he founded the rock band Chakraview. The mid-90s 1996 saw the beginning of his working relationship with rock musician Ashutosh Phatak and they went on to become music-makers for ad films and alternative movies, with over 3,000 projects delivered to date.
Read full story on timesofindia.indiatimes.com
When you take time off for travel, you seldom want the journey to end. Guitarist Dhruv Ghanekar explains that making an album is no different. It’s no wonder then that his second album is named Voyage. “One of the problems with doing your own music is that you never actually finish it. You can continuously keep working on it; it’s one of those things,” says the composer, guitarist and singer, when we meet him at his recording studio in Khar. A dozen glistening guitars are neatly stacked in one corner and several hard-cased pieces of what looks like a large percussion set-up have just arrived, informs the staff, from Taufiq Qureshi’s group. Now that the album is done and dusted, Ghanekar looks relieved and stage ready even.
