Journalism of Courage
The lights are dimmed in anticipation at a Kolkata nightclub. The stage is dotted with an assortment of table lamps. A boy in chinos and a formal shirt,his hair neatly parted,makes way to the stage. Fashion magazines would describe his look as nerdy,but stereotypes fly out of the dark tinted windows when 20-year-old Nischay Parekh takes to the mike. You hear him talk about love as he slowly envelops you in a haze. Before you know it,you are in Parekhs world,where one has New York state of mind/In Indian standard time.
This Kolkata-based pop artiste is one of the few musicians to perform in all the four editions of NH7 Weekender (Pune,Bangalore,New Delhi and Kolkata). His debut album,Ocean,has received rave reviews from across the country. Rolling Stone describes the album as: Its got pop hooks youre not going to tire of very easily. Yet,success doesnt seem to have gone to the head of this bhalo chele (good boy),who is studying music at Berklee College of Music . I get to hear that a lot. But I realise music is all about collaborations, says Parekh.
Parekhs song Me and You from his debut album was written when he was 13 and its deceptively simple words are laden with deeper thoughts. In Love me baby,Parekh confesses about his past relationships,while Philosophioze is a wry take on the pressures of fitting in.
The success of his debut album and his cult following in the music-festival circuit has changed Parekhs perception about a thing or two. Its amazing how music festivals in places as far-removed as Ziro and Kohima are bringing artistes together. Music festivals are cutting through demographics and independent artistes like us owe a lot to them. They make us work hard because now we feel we need to earn our gig in such prestigious festivals, says Parekh.
2014 will see a song from his debut album in a forthcoming indie film. I cant reveal much more about that, he says. But what he can tell us is that his band,Monkey in Me,may,very soon,begin recording a double album.
