Karsh Kale, Salim Merchant, DJ Rekha defines Music Beyond Boundaries !
NEW YORK: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and Molecule Communications along with Pria Haider organized a panel discussion recently on Music Beyond Boundaries featuring composers Karsh Kale, Salim Merchant and DJ Rekha. Sharda, singer of Bollywood movies of yesteryear graced the event that was emceed by Geetika Agarwal. Also present on this occasion were Dr. Navin Mehta, President of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and Ajay Shrivastav, Director of Molecule Communications, New York.
The panelists described how Indian music has gone global and their contribution to the music world. Each speaker narrated how they were inspired by music and the richness and mosaic of Indian music that has crossed seven seas now. The panelists also attempted to answer the question why Indian music is very much Bollywood-driven and is there music beyond cinema?
Emmy Award-nominated Salim, one of Bollywood’s hottest music composers, said, “One should not attempt to swim in the vast ocean of music but get drowned to feel the rhythm of it inside out. You can’t play safe if you want to succeed or merely survive.
There should be a fire of knowledge about music that should keep burning.” He also narrated how Indian music has been adapted in various countries and blend perfectly with global music in different forms.
Karsh, described by Billboard Magazine as a visionary composer and producer, explained how to find a perfect match between Indian music and rest of the world. He said, “Truly music has no boundaries and musicians are the children of the world. One should follow the heart if he or she wants good music.”
DJ Rekha of Basement Bhangra fame narrated how she saw music through her DJ angle and how she adapted different forms of Indian music in her career. Indian music has engulfed the world”, she added.
Dr. Navin in his address praised Molecule Communications for coming up with the idea and inviting three best performers to showcase and discuss how Indian music has gone global.
Ajay said, “Based in New York and Mumbai, Molecule Communications is a unique 360 degree media solutions and content provider company, one of the few which is adept in both events and strategic media relations for brand building, TV and film production. Our Goal is to bring the creative worlds closer through our events and movies etc after the successful launch of Ticket2Bollywood and FFFAC with Betsey Johnson Bollywood style. Music Beyond Boundaries is another step in bridging the gap between the east and the west.”
Kiren Shrivastav, CEO and Director Molecule Communications P Ltd said, “We create brands in the most diverse verticals, be it in sports to fashion to TV to cinema to social services to women empowerment as our annual properties and aiming to create more. Our success is a direct result of knowing how to market a brand. We do something worth remembering. Our vision is to become a contemporary brand that is not only recognized in India but also in the international arena.This year also we would be conducting Ticket2Bollywood – Cinema Beyond Boundaries on Sept 28 and 29 in collaboration with one of the leading art schools in the United States, The School of Visual Arts and The Screen Actors Guild (SAG).”
Karsh is one of global music’s brightest stars. For over a decade Karsh has been a solo recording artist, producer, composer, live performer and DJ. Karsh has set the world of electronic fusion on fire and has helped to create a genre of new music and culture that continues to influence an entire generation. Karsh has also developed a reputation as a genre bending collaborator and a world renowned tabla player and musician, exploring the worlds of electronica. Karsh continues to reinvent his ever-evolving sound and has established himself as one of the world’s most sought after fusion artists. He has worked and collaborated with musicians who influenced his sound, from Pandit Ravi Shankar to Sting to Zakir Hussain, Herbie Hancock and Bill Laswell Salim Merchant and many more.
Today the two Emmy-nominated duo – Salim and Sulaiman are among Bollywood’s hottest music directors, and everyone is dancing to their tunes. By incorporating western, folk, Hindustani and Sufi influences to their music, the duo has managed to enthral audiences across the world and not only keep up with the changing face of India’s film industry, but also help redefine it. For the past few year Indian Idol 5 puts them in the spotlight with Salim on the panel of judges in search for India’s next singing superstar. If the fan following and regular additions to their awards list – Filmfare, Zee Cine, Screen, IIFA – are anything to go by, Salim and Sulaiman have earned the respect and adoration of both the audiences and the film industry in India.
Rekha is a curator, educator and activist based in New York City and founder of Basement Bhangra, Bollywood Disco and cofounder of Mutiny Club nights. She teaches at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music and was named Ambassador of Bhangra by the New York Times. She has curated events for Celebrate Brooklyn, Central Park Summer stage and has performed internationally.
