Hers is a name music lovers swear by in Kolkata, while youngsters love
her gigs in city clubs. And for mother and storyteller Jayashree Singh,
music is a way of life.
This was even more evident when we stepped into her intimately decorated apartment overlooking Ballygunge Circular Road. Hundreds of books and DVDs greeted us."That's my favourite corner in the house, apart from the music room," Jayashree said, pointing to a couch and a bookshelf in the living room. What followed was a freewheeling chat over coffee. Jayashree opened up to CT about how she started singing, her biggest musical influences, life with and after Gyan and the current music scene in the country . Excerpts:
Like most girls in south India, you, too, must've trained in Carnatic music, but your forte is Western music. How did it happen?
Well, my tryst with Carnatic music was very short. In fact, I can't even call it training, as I was not at all interested. I did it because my best friend in school was doing it. We'd go for the classes to make fun of the music teacher. But I really wish I'd paid more attention, as these classes were priceless. Western music, on the other hand, just happened to me. Unlike the West, where you are groomed to become a singer, in India, you just start off by singing in school and college bands and even before you know it, you are singing professionally . Gyan and I started singing and gradually , people joined us to form a band.
How has the musical journey been for Jay Singh, the rock star?
I'm not a rock star (laughs)! For me, the journey has been a happy one. If I look at the graph of my life and musical career, there has been an even flow to it. I've always had the good fortune of playing with the best musicians in town.They were either my family or my friends. And I never sang with anyone else but Gyan. He was part of every band I was in. Then Amyt joined us after four-five years. I've been very blessed to have these people around. I was kind of cocooned and never had to move out of my comfort zone. Things were done for me and I was taken care of. All I had to do was go up on stage and sing. However, musically , I have that doubt with Pinknoise. I have been singing for this band for the last 7-8 years and have been really pushing my limits. It's kind of a challenge for me.
Tell us about your greatest musical influence.
There are several. I started listening to music as a child, but the first song I heard was not from a record; it was a lullaby sung by my father. He was a brilliant singer and could've been a professional. He would sing ghazals, jazz and Carnatic music. That was my first mem ory of music. My mother sings too and is an awesome whistler.I was made to listen to a lot of pop and jazz standards. Composer Madan Mohan was my father's friend and I would spend a lot of time at the mehfils they had. When I went to school, I had this incredible music teacher who would make us sing some of the toughest music by George Frideric Handel, Edward Elgar and Richard Wagner. It was a great learning experience.
But one of the biggest influences in my music career was Gyan. He was a great guitarist and a fabulous singer. He made me listen to a lot of different music like Queen, Traffic and The Beatles and broadened my horizons. I must mention Pam Crain, who I met in 1975. She changed the way I looked at singing and taught me how to sing, how to use the mic, how to dress and how to behave on stage. She was my mentor. She gave me the much-needed training. She would even make my outfits and when I performed in the last gig before Jivraj was born, she made a special one for me. She had her own boutique, Madame Butterfly , and made me a dress with a lot of glittery accessories. My stomach looked like a big balloon with butterflies on it (laughs). I'll never forget that evening. Most importantly , she taught me how to listen...to those intricate nuances that go into creating the tapestry of music.
Then there's Amyt Datta. He joined us when he was in his teens, but within two years, he had forged his way ahead of us.He studied music and had become a teacher to Gyan and me. He taught us how to challenge ourselves. Now it's Jivraj who pushes me at every step. Very few people are as lucky as I am. The only thing I missed out on was learning music theory .Though it's never too late to learn, I don't know if I'll ever do it.
How did you meet Gyan Singh? Was it a fairytale love story for you two?
I met Gyan through his best friend when I was in college in Mumbai and he'd come for a rugby tournament. He was quite a sportsman and played tennis and hockey too. I wouldn't say it was a fairytale love story but well, not all are lucky enough to get married to their best friend. I was.
According to you, how has music changed over the years?
Music hasn't really changed much. What Led Zeppelin did in the '70s is still very valid and people are still playing their compositions, trying to sound like them. Rock 'n' roll, blues, Carnatic music, they are all classics. These never change. You can bring in different elements into these, but the very essence of the music remains the same. Rock music has not changed either, apart from the introduction of supersonics in it. But if you strip away the technique part, the base is what the legendary bands had done 25 years ago. Whatever new you try to do today , the classical composers have done it all. The only kind of music that has changed radically from generation to generation is jazz. Music for me has not changed at all. I don't think music is any less meaningful now; there are only 12 notes and will always remain so. If the music moves me in whatever way it does, I'll listen to it.
You started off as a covers singer. When did you decide to do originals?
I'm a very lazy woman and was happy singing covers. It was only after 20 years into my musical career that I decided to write songs on my own. In 1995, I started writing my first song and it was crappy .
Steely Dan was one of my favourite bands.
They were a mix of rock, jazz and pop. So, when I came up with my first set of songs, I felt they were badly written wannabe Steely Dan songs (laughs). I kept rejecting the them and it was a long journey . We finally had our own songs in 2003.
Describe yourself as a singer.
Ahem! Well, technically , I'm not a good singer. I have a limited range and never took take care of my voice. In the early years of my career, I had to sing without a monitor and it was hard to hear myself during performances. So, I had to strain my voice to keep up with the rock band. In the process, I damaged my voice. I'd rather call myself a storyteller and not a singer. I tell a story through sounds. That's where I come from.
How do you negotiate between singing for yourself and singing for the audience?
It's pretty much the same. I'm always telling my story to someone -to the audience, to my band. Jayashree on stage and in rehearsals are pretty much the same person.
Is there more demand for covers among the current crop of listeners?
There'll always be a demand for covers in India. There's no big, healthy scene for Indian bands to do originals. So people are more used to hearing something common.Until there's a live music scene that allows bands to perform their originals, people will want to hear popular songs. But doing covers is the best training for a musician, as you get to perform the best compositions. But you don't grow until you do your own songs.
You are part of both Skinny Alley and Pinknoise. How are they different from each other in terms of music?
They are entirely different from each other.Skinny Alley is pretty much a mainstream band playing alternative rock, pop music.Whereas Pinknoise is a mix of electronica, punk, jazz, experimental and mad rock. I don't think we sound like any other band.There is uniqueness to what Pinknoise does. Skinny Alley falls more into a general category . But it's really a challenge to make ourselves heard as Pinknoise. It's challenging for the audience too.
It took four years for Pinknoise to bring out The Dance of The Diaspora. What's next?
We are currently doing a visual show conceptualized by Jivraj. We did it in Kolkata and Bangalore and are looking forward to perform at NH7. That apart, I've just started writing a new set of songs. After Gyan, it took me almost three years to write the first song, but now, I'm feeling that there's something moving inside, that there are songs inside me, waiting to be written. It's a good sign.
Tell us a little about Jayashree Singh, the mom.
Jayashree Singh is a lazy mom and not a conventional one. I must say we were very irresponsible parents. When Jivraj was a child, both Gyan and I were playing and would travel a lot. We used to just take him to our gigs and would submit a medical certificate at school. It was quite tough for him, as he had to study while we rehearsed in the next room.
How did you recover after losing Gyan?
I was deeply involved in yoga and it used to be very intense. But after Gyan, I was not able to concentrate on it. Three years back, I discovered this Chinese tradition called Qigong. And now, I'm deeply involved in medical Qigong. This involves exercise, meditation and concentration. So, that's pretty much my life now. I practise it 4-5 hours a day and am studying the theory so that I can teach it. I feel much calmer and happy within myself.
Jivraj has been quite a sensation in the music circuit. Ever wanted him to take up music as a profession?
We never planned a music career for him, though he was exposed to a lot of music since childhood. When he was three, we made him a drum kit, which he used for a week and gave up. Then Amyt made him a small guitar. In school, he got interested in graphics, animation, filmmaking, editing and photography . So, he did quite a few things. Drums happened to him all of a sudden. It was like one day , he was not play ing, and the next day , he was.
The English band scene in Kolkata is very bleak. What do you have to say about this?
If you become good, you become frustrated. All good musicians in Kolkata are frustrated. The bands don't have a plat form to play . Amyt always advises young musicians to just enjoy the music and not let it consume them. There are no avenues here, so it's bleak. But music is addictive and if you get into it, it will suck you in entirely.
Young musicians believe in overnight popularity and record and post their videos online. Has that helped in a time when cut ting an album is so difficult?
That's the only way out now. There are hardly any recording labels. Whether you sell it or not, music is going to be stolen. All our music is out there on the internet.
There are barely any music outlet in Kolkata from where people can buy CDs or DVDs. We were lucky to have recorded our album, but for the youngsters, that's difficult.
This was even more evident when we stepped into her intimately decorated apartment overlooking Ballygunge Circular Road. Hundreds of books and DVDs greeted us."That's my favourite corner in the house, apart from the music room," Jayashree said, pointing to a couch and a bookshelf in the living room. What followed was a freewheeling chat over coffee. Jayashree opened up to CT about how she started singing, her biggest musical influences, life with and after Gyan and the current music scene in the country . Excerpts:
Like most girls in south India, you, too, must've trained in Carnatic music, but your forte is Western music. How did it happen?
Well, my tryst with Carnatic music was very short. In fact, I can't even call it training, as I was not at all interested. I did it because my best friend in school was doing it. We'd go for the classes to make fun of the music teacher. But I really wish I'd paid more attention, as these classes were priceless. Western music, on the other hand, just happened to me. Unlike the West, where you are groomed to become a singer, in India, you just start off by singing in school and college bands and even before you know it, you are singing professionally . Gyan and I started singing and gradually , people joined us to form a band.
How has the musical journey been for Jay Singh, the rock star?
I'm not a rock star (laughs)! For me, the journey has been a happy one. If I look at the graph of my life and musical career, there has been an even flow to it. I've always had the good fortune of playing with the best musicians in town.They were either my family or my friends. And I never sang with anyone else but Gyan. He was part of every band I was in. Then Amyt joined us after four-five years. I've been very blessed to have these people around. I was kind of cocooned and never had to move out of my comfort zone. Things were done for me and I was taken care of. All I had to do was go up on stage and sing. However, musically , I have that doubt with Pinknoise. I have been singing for this band for the last 7-8 years and have been really pushing my limits. It's kind of a challenge for me.
Tell us about your greatest musical influence.
There are several. I started listening to music as a child, but the first song I heard was not from a record; it was a lullaby sung by my father. He was a brilliant singer and could've been a professional. He would sing ghazals, jazz and Carnatic music. That was my first mem ory of music. My mother sings too and is an awesome whistler.I was made to listen to a lot of pop and jazz standards. Composer Madan Mohan was my father's friend and I would spend a lot of time at the mehfils they had. When I went to school, I had this incredible music teacher who would make us sing some of the toughest music by George Frideric Handel, Edward Elgar and Richard Wagner. It was a great learning experience.
But one of the biggest influences in my music career was Gyan. He was a great guitarist and a fabulous singer. He made me listen to a lot of different music like Queen, Traffic and The Beatles and broadened my horizons. I must mention Pam Crain, who I met in 1975. She changed the way I looked at singing and taught me how to sing, how to use the mic, how to dress and how to behave on stage. She was my mentor. She gave me the much-needed training. She would even make my outfits and when I performed in the last gig before Jivraj was born, she made a special one for me. She had her own boutique, Madame Butterfly , and made me a dress with a lot of glittery accessories. My stomach looked like a big balloon with butterflies on it (laughs). I'll never forget that evening. Most importantly , she taught me how to listen...to those intricate nuances that go into creating the tapestry of music.
Then there's Amyt Datta. He joined us when he was in his teens, but within two years, he had forged his way ahead of us.He studied music and had become a teacher to Gyan and me. He taught us how to challenge ourselves. Now it's Jivraj who pushes me at every step. Very few people are as lucky as I am. The only thing I missed out on was learning music theory .Though it's never too late to learn, I don't know if I'll ever do it.
How did you meet Gyan Singh? Was it a fairytale love story for you two?
I met Gyan through his best friend when I was in college in Mumbai and he'd come for a rugby tournament. He was quite a sportsman and played tennis and hockey too. I wouldn't say it was a fairytale love story but well, not all are lucky enough to get married to their best friend. I was.
According to you, how has music changed over the years?
Music hasn't really changed much. What Led Zeppelin did in the '70s is still very valid and people are still playing their compositions, trying to sound like them. Rock 'n' roll, blues, Carnatic music, they are all classics. These never change. You can bring in different elements into these, but the very essence of the music remains the same. Rock music has not changed either, apart from the introduction of supersonics in it. But if you strip away the technique part, the base is what the legendary bands had done 25 years ago. Whatever new you try to do today , the classical composers have done it all. The only kind of music that has changed radically from generation to generation is jazz. Music for me has not changed at all. I don't think music is any less meaningful now; there are only 12 notes and will always remain so. If the music moves me in whatever way it does, I'll listen to it.
You started off as a covers singer. When did you decide to do originals?
I'm a very lazy woman and was happy singing covers. It was only after 20 years into my musical career that I decided to write songs on my own. In 1995, I started writing my first song and it was crappy .
Steely Dan was one of my favourite bands.
They were a mix of rock, jazz and pop. So, when I came up with my first set of songs, I felt they were badly written wannabe Steely Dan songs (laughs). I kept rejecting the them and it was a long journey . We finally had our own songs in 2003.
Describe yourself as a singer.
Ahem! Well, technically , I'm not a good singer. I have a limited range and never took take care of my voice. In the early years of my career, I had to sing without a monitor and it was hard to hear myself during performances. So, I had to strain my voice to keep up with the rock band. In the process, I damaged my voice. I'd rather call myself a storyteller and not a singer. I tell a story through sounds. That's where I come from.
How do you negotiate between singing for yourself and singing for the audience?
It's pretty much the same. I'm always telling my story to someone -to the audience, to my band. Jayashree on stage and in rehearsals are pretty much the same person.
Is there more demand for covers among the current crop of listeners?
There'll always be a demand for covers in India. There's no big, healthy scene for Indian bands to do originals. So people are more used to hearing something common.Until there's a live music scene that allows bands to perform their originals, people will want to hear popular songs. But doing covers is the best training for a musician, as you get to perform the best compositions. But you don't grow until you do your own songs.
You are part of both Skinny Alley and Pinknoise. How are they different from each other in terms of music?
They are entirely different from each other.Skinny Alley is pretty much a mainstream band playing alternative rock, pop music.Whereas Pinknoise is a mix of electronica, punk, jazz, experimental and mad rock. I don't think we sound like any other band.There is uniqueness to what Pinknoise does. Skinny Alley falls more into a general category . But it's really a challenge to make ourselves heard as Pinknoise. It's challenging for the audience too.
It took four years for Pinknoise to bring out The Dance of The Diaspora. What's next?
We are currently doing a visual show conceptualized by Jivraj. We did it in Kolkata and Bangalore and are looking forward to perform at NH7. That apart, I've just started writing a new set of songs. After Gyan, it took me almost three years to write the first song, but now, I'm feeling that there's something moving inside, that there are songs inside me, waiting to be written. It's a good sign.
Tell us a little about Jayashree Singh, the mom.
Jayashree Singh is a lazy mom and not a conventional one. I must say we were very irresponsible parents. When Jivraj was a child, both Gyan and I were playing and would travel a lot. We used to just take him to our gigs and would submit a medical certificate at school. It was quite tough for him, as he had to study while we rehearsed in the next room.
How did you recover after losing Gyan?
I was deeply involved in yoga and it used to be very intense. But after Gyan, I was not able to concentrate on it. Three years back, I discovered this Chinese tradition called Qigong. And now, I'm deeply involved in medical Qigong. This involves exercise, meditation and concentration. So, that's pretty much my life now. I practise it 4-5 hours a day and am studying the theory so that I can teach it. I feel much calmer and happy within myself.
Jivraj has been quite a sensation in the music circuit. Ever wanted him to take up music as a profession?
We never planned a music career for him, though he was exposed to a lot of music since childhood. When he was three, we made him a drum kit, which he used for a week and gave up. Then Amyt made him a small guitar. In school, he got interested in graphics, animation, filmmaking, editing and photography . So, he did quite a few things. Drums happened to him all of a sudden. It was like one day , he was not play ing, and the next day , he was.
The English band scene in Kolkata is very bleak. What do you have to say about this?
If you become good, you become frustrated. All good musicians in Kolkata are frustrated. The bands don't have a plat form to play . Amyt always advises young musicians to just enjoy the music and not let it consume them. There are no avenues here, so it's bleak. But music is addictive and if you get into it, it will suck you in entirely.
Young musicians believe in overnight popularity and record and post their videos online. Has that helped in a time when cut ting an album is so difficult?
That's the only way out now. There are hardly any recording labels. Whether you sell it or not, music is going to be stolen. All our music is out there on the internet.
There are barely any music outlet in Kolkata from where people can buy CDs or DVDs. We were lucky to have recorded our album, but for the youngsters, that's difficult.
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