‘Call Me the Masala Man’

Isn’t the remix industry an illegitimate child?
If writers and journalists can survive churning out clones of hits, why can’t musicians?

But you will never be recognised as an original composer…

I have never tried to be original. If I claim that I can become Mohammad Rafi or Kishore Kumar, I would be a liar. They were geniuses. I pity those who try to compete with legends. It’s better to be a minor artiste than a second-rate imitator.

You were in Sweden. How was the idea of Bombay Vikings born?
During a train journey in Stockholm, the song O Mere Sapnon ki Rani from Aradhana suddenly came back to me and I had this urge to form a band with some European friends. We worked together from 1992 to 1995. After we split, I retained the name Bombay Vikings.

Despite living in Europe since the age of 15, your Hindustani is perfect.
Hindi and Urdu run in my blood. My father Omprakash Arif — better known by his pen name Arif Hoshiarpuri — was a contemporary of poets like Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Sahir Ludhianvi. They would visit my house. Though I am no poet, I write lyrics. And I compose too.

You’ve just released your third album. If you’re an established singer, why do you need to promote yourself so aggressively?
Publicity is never harmful because public memory is short. People will not buy my latest album just because they liked my last. I have to tell them there’s something new… something different.