We had an interesting chat with the Grammy Award-winning Indian Music Composer who talks about his latest track “ Himalayas ” and a little bit about his upcoming album ‘ Divine Tides ’. Read on to know more .
1 . Talk to us about your latest track ‘ Himalayas ’
Himalayas is a song that is very close to me , it was the first piece of music that we created for Divine Tides . It is a tribute to the mighty Himalayas . Along with Stewart Copeland and me , it features some of my favorite musicians who regularly tour with me for my concerts - Arun Kumar ( Vocal Percussion ), Varijashree ( Flute and Vocals ), Sumarani ( Sitar ) and Manoj George ( Violin ). The Himalayas contain some of the highest peaks on the planet and the third-largest deposit of ice in the world after the Arctic and Antarctica . These mountain ranges are also considered sacred in many religions and are the source of some of the world ' s major rivers such as the Ganges . Most importantly , it is said that every human being on this planet depends on the Himalayas for their sustenance .. directly or indirectly . So we felt strongly about creating our own musical interpretation of this mighty range . The entire Divine Tides album is a tribute to the magnificence of our natural world and the resilience of our species . So the Himalayas is a perfect representation of this .
2 . We absolutely love the video . How did you manage to do this during the pandemic situation ?
So glad you liked the video . The video for " Himalayas " was filmed at an elevation of over 12000 feet ! In 2019 , I was invited by the Indian Army to perform a full length concert at Leh , to 10,000 soldiers . It was the greatest experience of my life , a performance to 10,000 of India ' s finest , in their uniform , surrounded by mountains .
We had arrived in Leh 5 days in advance to acclimatise to the altitude , and we took that opportunity to film the video . Later on the pandemic hit , so we filmed Stewart in Los Angeles and edited it in . The film was created by my close friend and ace film-maker Sairam Sagiraju .
Through this music video , we showcase the pristine beauty and the spiritual aura of The Himalayas .
3 . What can we expect from your entire album ?
The album has 9 songs with 8 music videos . Nature is the greatest artist and there is beauty everywhere you look . Nature is also my muse and my music is very often a celebration of our natural world . All of the songs in ‘ Divine Tides ’ are a reflection of this . I have always believed that we only protect what we love and that is what I hope to achieve by showcasing the magnificence of our natural world through my music . Despite what we have done to our planet through our unsustainable ways , humans are an incredible species who have survived dire situations such as wars , pandemics , various forms of persecution , extreme natural events and so much more through the centuries . From living in caves to walking on the moon , we have come a long way in such a short span of time . I believe that if we celebrate our differences instead of letting them tear us apart and if we learn to live in harmony with nature , all living beings on our planet will thrive . ‘ Divine Tides ’ illustrates these musings through its diverse soundscapes and music videos . I am very happy with the way the music videos have turned out . I collaborated with several acclaimed film-makers from around the world to shoot these videos and I am excited to showcase them . Videos from this album were shot in Leh , Tamil Nadu , The Western Ghats , the North-East of India , Thar Desert and Los Angeles . As you can imagine , it was a challenge to shoot these videos during the pandemic but it was also a blessing in disguise as we could showcase Mother Earth in all of her glory since most of the world ’ s population were indoors . We will be releasing a new music video every fortnight starting from the 7th of July 2021 up until September 28 .
4 . Tell us about the process of producing your latest track ?
Himalayas , as mentioned earlier , was the first piece of music that I came up with on the album , and Stewart took it to a whole new level . After I came up with the melody and structure of the song , we first recorded a string section arranged and conducted by the virtuoso violinist Manoj George . A male choir by Devan Ekambaram was next , and some really cool flute and vocals by Varijashree , and Sitar by Sumarani . We also have some fast-paced Kunakol ( vocal percussion ) by Arun Kumar . The keyboards and programming went through several iterations through the years , and we finally decided on a fantastic arrangement by Vanil Veigas , my most frequent collaborator and colleague . Stewart Copeland , in addition to cowriting and co-producing the piece , played the Spin Gong ( first time I heard of it !), it ' s a gong that spins as you hit it , creating some great resonance . He also played some toned Tympani ' s , a cymbal tree and of course , the Drum Set .
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