Shillong is known for its music scene, regarded as one of the best in the country. Meet Shubham Roy, a Shillong boy who is creating a buzz in the Bangalore music scene. Trained in Hindustani Classical Music, he has quickly made a name in the folk and fusion genre.
Sunday Shillong caught up with him. Here is the full interview:
SS: Tell us something about yourself. What are your earliest memories of singing?
Shubham: I am currently based out of Bangalore and I work for Amazon Prime Video as a Catalog Specialist. Outside of work, I spend a significant amount of time composing new songs. I have been trained in Hindustani Classical Music and Rabindra Sangeet, among other music schools, under Shewli Dhar, Satchit Roy and Shukla Dam.
There are a couple of originals like Aankhi and Wings of Fire(tribute to The Missile Man of India) that got featured on MTV Indies.
I grew up with music around me. I later picked up singing from my mother and grandmother who played a lot of Kirtans and Bhajans. It was my mother who taught me my first song “Ma Amader Manush Koro”, and I remember performing it in front of a huge crowd, prior to the auspicious occasion of Durga Puja.
SS: Can you tell us of that ‘Aha” moment when you realised that music is your calling?
Shubham: I was always shy to get on stage and perform in front of a crowd until I started playing in College. It was Sir Monotosh Chakravarty who insisted that I take music seriously and encouraged me to play a lot of Rabindra Sangeet and Bengali Folk music during the College week, inter-college events and other music festivals. With every performance on stage, I realised that the energy which was exchanged on stage had a surreal experience to it and I was quick to respond to that call.
SS: Which singers, songwriters and bands have influenced you?
Shubham: If I have to name a few amongst some of my favourite bands and artists, Mehdi Hassan, Jagjit Singh, Ghulam Ali, Agnee, Euphoria, John Mayer, Bryan Adams and Queen have hugely influenced the way I perceive music.
SS: Can you share the experience of writing your originals, Aankhi and Cherrapunjee?
Shubham: I used to perform a lot of folk and fusion in and around Shillong, till I met an old friend who was a music enthusiast as well as a poet, Shiny Das. She took an interest in few of the original tunes I had composed and wrote lyrics for them. That’s how Aankhi came into being. Being born and brought up in Shillong we really enjoyed the time of monsoon and there is no place like Cherrapunjee which is at its best during this time of the year. We drew inspiration from all this and composed another song dedicated to all the rain lovers. The unplugged version of this song was aired exclusively on Red FM, Shillong. Shiny is an offstage member of the band and continues to write lyrics for all the original songs.
We are also adding a produced version of this song in our EP which is being produced by Argenil Music.
SS: What is your method to madness like?
Shubham: I am usually at the mercy of my creative calling. There are times when I usually lock myself for days to get the tune of the song right.There are dry spells too when I don’t feel inspired to write music at all. I don’t decide when I want to write music, it’s always the other way around.
SS: Where artistic expression is concerned, how has 2020 been for you? Have you composed an original song?
Shubham: As an artist I really had the time to work on my craft this year. In order to put our best foot forward as performers, we really have to grill ourselves before we go up on stage, and this year has given us that opportunity to experiment with a lot more folk and fusion elements.
The conception of our EP which has a total of 4 songs started towards the end of 2019 and I have had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the best musicians in the country.
SS: Tell us something about the Bangalore music scene.
Shubham: Bangalore has some of the best venues for live music and it has given me the opportunity to perform for a variety of audiences. It is a haven for music lovers. The crowd accepts and nurtures all kinds of music, celebrates authenticity and cherishes the classics.
SS: How has online platforms like Spotify, for instance, changed the music scene?
Shubham: We live in the digital era, and the music scene is no different.Spotify, as a platform, has given artists the liberty to release their music independently without the support of any label. Artists can set up their own bedroom studios and get their music out to their audience.
SS: How has Shillong, and North East region shaped your musical sensibilities?
Shubham: As a Shillongite, I have always been exposed to the diverse musical elements, it was also during my College days that I learnt how to play the guitar and eventually, gained identity as a folk and fusion artist.
SS: What would be your message to people who want to pursue music professionally?
Shubham: The idea is to keep writing songs, give it a shot; no dream is too big or small. It’s always worth a try for anybody who is anyways half way through the journey. You should definitely write more original songs and put it out.
SS: Coming from this region, we are shaped by different world-views, and now, more than ever, we need art. What would you like to say in that context?
Shubham: Art forms unify people.There is no caste, religion or class when it comes to defining artistic prowess. It is a great equaliser and the only thing you stand for is your talent when you are an artist.We need more art and artists in the world.
SS: Have you collaborated with fellow artists from Shillong and North East India?
Shubham: I do have a few folk projects in the pipeline for which I would love to collaborate with musicians from North East India.
SS: Finally, where do you see yourself, five years from now?
Shubham: I really don’t plan that far ahead. I just hope that I am able to create more music and share it with the world.