Tell us your songwriting
process
QUIRKS & QUERIES
ISHEETA
CHAKRVARTY
I am drawn to melodies so my
songwriting process dominates
that. My training in Hindustani
music also helps me to draw
from the all the tools that that
form offers me with in terms of
scales and notes if one were to
look at it from a very technical
perspective. For me choosing
the 'right' harmony for that
melody comes after the melody,
because for me the harmony
has to sit in with the essence
of that melody. Even if I am
working on a re-harmonisation
or re-interpretation of an existing
traditional melody, that melodic
content takes centre-stage for
me. And then of course there's
the rest of the body and form and
arrangement that slowly and
steadily build the whole song.
Working with two forms like
classical music and Jazz and
trying to bridge them both can
be a tricky one so the melody
and its essence is where I begin.
Then after a point you just
get out of the way and let the
song takes it own shape. I feel
that at one point you have to
surrender to the process itself
and see where that takes you.
Sometimes a song takes fifteen
minutes and then sometimes
days and months. Having said
all this however, I don't believe
that there are specific hard
and fast rules to song writing.
Different people have different
approaches. No matter what the
approach or the state of being is,
at the end of the day it needs to
make sense to you and only then
can it translate to an audience
and of course it sounds good.
How do you manage to
sing both classical and jazz
music? Tell us how you got
trained to be good at both?
16
The
Score Magazine
highonscore.com
I have been training in
Hindustani classical music
since I was four years old and
that has been a constant since.
Jazz happened to me in college.
I did not receive any particular
training in Jazz but I did have
a mentor in Carlton Kitto back
in Kolkata, who was one of the
last surviving Bebop guitar
players in the country back then.
I began singing with him and
his band directly by just starting
to learn some standards and
since then it has been a constant
process of learning on the job. I
sing Jazz purely out of instinct
and the love for the music. I
have had musicians along the
way help me out whenever I
needed help in understanding
something. I continue to train
in Hindustani classical music,
visiting my Guru, whenever I
get a chance. The two may seem
to have completely different
approaches and ways of singing
but at some point, emotionally
and psychologically, the lines blur
and then it’s just two or possibly
more ways of expressing oneself.
Loving both deeply and constant
practice is where its at I guess.
Who did you get formally
trained from?
I have been trained for many
years in Hindustani classical
music under Pandit Ajoy
Chakraborty and Kaushiki
Chakraborty and later under
Arati Ankalikar Tikekar. For
Jazz, Carlton Kitto had been my
earliest mentor. Since I moved
to Bombay, Louiz Banks has
been like mentor figure for me
constantly challenging me with
his music. When I was in Kolkata,
I was mentored under producer
and composer Mayookh Bhaumik
for a number of years who taught
me the basics of musicianship
and how to be a musician, lessons
that have held me in good stead
since. I recently started taking
lessons in Konnakol from Viveick
Rajagopalan so I am excited
to see where that takes me.
How would you describe the
jazz music scene in India?
How has it evolved?
I think the jazz scene in India is
thriving. The sound is definitely
evolving. A lot of us are breaking
out of the traditional forms
and are experimenting with
Jazz in our own ways. A lot of
independent artists are taking
up Jazz across the country.
There are so many venues that
are supporting Jazz. I’d like to
mention Gatecrash here because
they have been consistently trying
to promote Jazz throughout the
country programming at different
venues so the future looks good.