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Indi-pop as the name goes is
a fusion of various styles of music - from raga to reggae, from jazz to
bass; from rap to bhangra. Having sourced its stimulation from Hindi film
music, this genre has managed to imbibe within it the best of both worlds
- the Indian refinement together with the modern 'pop' culture, thus breaking
musical barricades to cater to a universal audience.
The fast-beat numbers of the eighties can well be termed as the 'inspiration'
that led to the evolution of the Indi-pop genre, be it 'Aap Jaisa Koi' (film:
'Qurbani') or even Runa Laila's 'De De Pyaar De.' But it was only in the
nineties that this category occupied a niche of its own for it was then
that the market was flooded with young, exuberant aspiring singers all trying
their hands at their vocal chords. Nazia Hassan, Zoheb Hassan and Biddu
could well be considered the inaugural artistes of this genre with Bappi
Lahiri, Usha Uthup, Remo Fernandes, Sharon Prabhakar having taken it a step
further.
The earliest recollection of a success story in this category of music is
Alisha Chinai's album 'Made In India' that soared the music charts and sold
over a record 24-lakh tapes. Then came Daler Mehndi's 'Bolo Ta Ra Ra'; Sukhbir
contributed to Indi-pop with his own style of music - bhangra with traces
of rap and techno. And while the fast-paced world rotated to the fast beats
of Indi-pop, Lucky Ali made his entrance with a new tune and a new style,
where lyrics and music catered to a softer world. His albums 'Sunoh' and
'Sifar' made waves in the music industry. Anamika was next in line - on
the prowl with 'Catwalk' and 'Intezaar.'
And soon the Indi-pop proscenium became a rendezvous for people from diverse
professions - be it VJ Raageshwari or cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar; be it
dandiya singer Falguni Pathak or actors like Govinda and Amitabh Bachchan.
It marked an era of opportunity - a chance of being seen and heard, as albums
besides being an audio medium were also novel television-driven concepts
then.
Thus the hype and rise of 'Indi-pop' as a genre was short-lived. It was
not very long before every other Indi-pop song reflected a 'me too' syndrome
and the novelty value metamorphosed into a boring and conventional rhythmn.
Every individual seemed to be getting onto the bandwagon, and it became
a career-move that was decided more by chance than by talent.
The Indi-pop phylum of music re-gained respect when stalwarts such as Asha
Bhonsle, Alka Yagnik and A.R. Rehman entered the arena to keep up with the
changing notes of the music world. And while playback singers were busy
making their debut in this category, Indi-pop's successful artists like
Shankar Mahadevan, Sonu Nigam, Ila Arun, Late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Qawwali
singer Altaf Raja, Lucky Ali, classical singer Shubha Mudgal, Kamaal Khan,
Daler Mehndi and Adnan Sami were deemed 'fit' for playback singing.
The globalisation of Indi-pop was earmarked with the advent of Hariharan
and Leslie Lewis' (together called the 'Colonial Cousins') album in 1994.
Their style consisted of a balanced mix of classical (contributed by Hariharan)
and western (contributed by Leslie), and was intentionally targeted at the
non-residential Indians (NRIs).
The success of musicals such as 'Taal' and 'Dil To Pagal Hai,' has ensued
in Indian music going International, thereby bringing together the Indian
and pop cultures. Westerners are currently working on trends that combine
the two - for e.g. A.R. Rehman's album 'Ekam Satyam' with Michael Jackson,
his work in Lloyd Weber's 'Bombay Dreams'; Rahul Bose's directorial debut
'Everyone Says I am Fine' employs Carlos Santana.
Today the 'Indi-pop' base has risen to a higher level in an attempt to cater
to the demands of global citizens for neoteric products that spell out quality
and authenticity. A good voice is definitely a pre-requisite but it does
not remain a sufficient indispensability. Having crossed international boundaries,
a good marketing strategy coupled with Promethean ideation seems to be the
order of the day and no run-of-the-mill product will have a success story
to narrate. |
