Flutist Naveen Kumar is known to be the man behind the iconic flute tune from Mani Ratnam’s film Bombay. Over the years, he has performed numerous songs and recently even collaborated with Spotify along with veteran tabla player Anuradha Pal and sitarist Rishab Rikhiram Sharma. The trio create the soulful Kautilya, as part of the music streaming platform’s initiative called Echo. The collaboration has been loved by music lovers across the world.
Following the release of Kautilya, Naveen Kumar sat down for a quick chat with Showsha to talk about collaborating with the artists for Spotify, his three decade long bond with AR Rahman and the evolving music industry. Read the excerpt here:
What intrigued you to be a part of Spotify’s Echo initiative?
Spotify is one of the largest streaming platforms in the world and, I believe, a fantastic platform for musicians. As an initiative, Echo aims to preserve Indian classical music culture, so I’m excited to be part of this project. Music knows no boundaries, it’s in a fluid form. With Echo, Spotify is promoting classical music among the younger generation, which is a wonderful endeavour that hasn’t received much attention before. Collaborating with other musicians provides a deeper understanding and comes with a great deal of responsibility. Working with my fellow musicians and their respective companies for Echo has been a delightful experience. This project has truly grown on me, and I look forward to contributing to it.
How was the experience of shooting the song?
The song we created, ‘Kautilya’, turned out great. We also created a film or music video, which featured over 40 flute, sitar, and tabla players, and this turned out very grand. It was a fantastic experience to hear everyone playing the same music. Some of these musicians are my students and colleagues, and it was a great experience performing with them, recording them, and interacting with them.
Music distribution platforms have gone from cassettes to streaming. Has the change in mediums impacted your approach to music?
Nowadays, adopting digital streaming platforms is the norm, and physical sales have dwindled. Even when it comes to currency, we’ve shifted to digital transactions. Everything has gone digital, and these are positive developments. They won’t change the media landscape because everyone seeks the best quality. People who want to create their own content won’t compromise on their vision. Fortunately, digital media offers benefits like no generation loss or glitches.
The freedom to experiment has become incredibly convenient. In the past, we had limitations with spool recordings, such as limited tracks. Now, we have access to hundreds of tracks at our fingertips. This allows us to experiment with different aspects, like finding the best take, adding the best effects, and making the best edits. Essentially, we can shape the entire sound scenario with ease. Editing and moulding the sound landscape has become more accessible in the digital realm. It’s available everywhere and doesn’t rely on physical media. The quality is crystal clear, and overall, I’m very satisfied with these developments.
You have closely worked with AR Rahman since the start of your career. How is your bond today? Do you’ll meet up for jugal-bandis?
I’ve had a long-standing association with AR Rahman, who is undoubtedly a wonderful person. I used to reside in Chennai and had frequent interactions with him at his studios. We collaborated on numerous recordings and had great sessions. However, later I moved to Mumbai, at which time access to media had a significant impact on my career. It allowed us to record remotely and create our own material at home to share. Of course, this means there is limited physical interaction. Consequently, the jugal-bandi (collaboration) may not occur as it did when I worked closely with him, so the (geographical) distance does affect our lives in this way.
Your work on the Bombay theme continues to be one of our personal favourites. Tell us a little about working on the track.
The Bombay Theme is very close to my heart. I truly believe that a musician can create music, and when it becomes a hit number, they may not recreate the same thing over and over again. It depends on the situation and the time. My interaction with AR Rahman and playing the Bombay tune has also had a significant impact on my life because the Bombay Theme is very dear to me. Even though this composition is by him (AR Rahman), I play it. So, I’ve been given the privilege of playing Bombay Theme in different styles and on various stages, and each time I do so, it gives me goosebumps. The composition is so powerful, and it’s a great one.
In an era of remakes, if it were in your hand, which of your tunes would you hope doesn’t get remade?
Remaking tunes can be an enjoyable endeavour. As we keep up with media and evolving lifestyles, many changes are occurring. The challenge lies in how the younger generation can appreciate the older music with its traditional charm. It can be challenging to make younger individuals understand the significance of these older tunes. Remakes, however, breathe new life into these classic melodies by infusing them with modern trends and freshness. They are an attempt to introduce something novel. Therefore, I fully understand and accept the concept of remakes; there’s no harm in it. Certainly, the original music director might feel a sense of disappointment because their composition and the effort they put into it could seemingly go to waste. Nevertheless, how do we introduce these tunes to the younger generation? If we consider it from that perspective, I am completely convinced, and I don’t mind exploring different arrangements while preserving the essence of the original tune.
Do you think forms like electronic music and hip-hop have impacted the way people look at instrumental music in the film industry?
The question is quite tricky. I agree that electronic music and hip-hop are gaining popularity. As children grow up, they are often drawn to instruments like guitars, keyboards, or drums. Not many consider exploring Indian traditional or classical music. India offers a rich musical heritage and one should embrace it if they like it, just like picking a favourite sweet from a selection of fifteen.
When it comes to film music, it closely follows the storyline, poetic narration, and everyday life experiences of ordinary people. We need to adapt our music to fit the theme of the film. To do this, artists need to expose themselves to various genres of music.
Tell us about your upcoming work
Recently, I had the opportunity to work on two Hollywood films and also did some sessions in June. I also received a Presidential Award from Joe Biden, known as the Lifetime Achievement Award. I am immensely proud to receive this prestigious recognition, it’s a wonderful achievement for me. Furthermore, I am currently working on a new project of my own. I am releasing singles as an independent musician, with a plan to release a single track every month. The first track has already been recorded with Udit ji, featuring lyrics by Sri Ramachandran from Qatar, a talented lyricist. The track was produced and arranged by music director Shashwat Sachdev.
