Kailash Kher is not just a name but a phenomenon to reckon with on the contemporary Indian musicscape. The granular earthiness in his tone is finely brewed and blended with a hint of folksy flavours and rustic charms that come alive in each song, he lends his vocal chords. The singer has sung all kinds of songs with an amazingly adept grip over his gayaki.
But ask him about his favourite pick from and he rattles of without batting an eyelid: “I’m always up for soulful soft ballads. That’s my poison. Period.” After a brief pause he adds, “If you have heard my albums, you must have noted that all my themes and words mostly revolve around love. One has to be honest and selfless in it. Love is as holy as divinity, and cannot be tampered with. I always draw the analogy of atma-parmatma (soul and Almighty) in all my odes.”
Currently working on an untitled album, which is yet again based on the premise of love, Kher informs that he has already recorded three to four tracks for the album. When nudged a bit to divulge the USP of his next, Kher philosophises: “Well, everything that emerges under the sky above is certainly a new experience in a way. But as an asset, I can vouch for a gamut of emotions and an organic sound.” Also on the anvil is a spring sonata for this desi rockstar, a prestigious concert at London’s Kennedy Centre, this March as part of the Indian diaspora festival to be hosted there, says the singer. Kher says Indian music is finding a new ground both among the NRIs as well as Westerners. “The response is huge and encouraging,” says an elated Kher, adding, “The revival of the good old golden era is difficult but this is no mean feat either!”
When asked about the ruling perception that states the general Indian music scenario solely reclines on Bollywood, Kher feels that it’s up to the new-age breed of independent bands to push the envelope further and alter this apparently pre-conceived scene with more and more non-film covers. “There is a crop of few good promising bands like the Hipnotribe, Pentagram or Bangla band Cactus, who are increasingly showing strong signs of sustenance and power to shrug off the hollow commercial frills. It’s necessary that they stick together in the long run,” he says.