Journalism of Courage
Ahead of his gig in the city,singer Nikhil D’Souza talks about his ‘Bollywood’ job and his passion for alternative pop
Singer-songwriter Nikhil D’Souza,known in mainstream Bollywood for songs like Aisha,Shaam,Gubbare Gubbare,finds solace in producing music in the alternative pop category,weaving words as he progresses with the melody. Bringing his passion to the city,D’Souza will perform along with guitarist Warren Mendonsa of Blackstratblues,on Friday evening at High Spirits.
Music may be his passion but when it comes to his profession,there are rules to be followed. Does Bollywood offer enough creative freedom? “It’s a job at the end of the day. It has to be done in a certain way. Essentially,you are a voice. The music director uses you as an instrument to finally produce something that is commercially viable. If this approach is followed then it becomes easier. I mean,we all can say that a song should be recorded in a certain way,but its the director’s vision mostly,” he answers.
Currently working on personal projects,D’Souza feels that independently marketing one’s own music is still a difficult venture. “Online marketing and similar things are still in a nascent stage. We need support in terms of licensing and merchandising. There is still a lot of struggle to get the rights of what one produces,” he says. In Pune,the singer will present fresh work from his studio. “The audience will get a new batch of songs from me this time. Half of the songs I have written in just the last week. My essential style is western alternative pop. I am open to experimentation but the final aim should be that it sounds good. It has to reach out,” he adds.
