Raghu Dixit in a happy musical place

SINGER ON FINDING A PURPOSE, INSPIRATIONS AND HIS ZEE5 LIVE SESSION SHOW

by ASJAD NAZIR

BRAND new ZEE5 serial Supermoon Live To Home sees 24 performances from top music and comedy talent across 12 weeks.

The various performances, which are accessible on the streaming site globally, include a standout turn from Raghu Dixit. The acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician, who has toured globally, including across the UK, swapped large crowds for a more intimate indoor setting.

He performed his greatest hits along with new material, and it is one of the many performances that is available online for those who have been missing out on live shows. It continues a remarkable journey for a self-taught artist who rose up from humble beginnings to gain global fame, which has included single releases, composing for film, playing at major music festivals and selling out concert arenas.

Eastern Eye caught up with Raghu Dixit during lockdown to talk about his musical journey, future plans, inspirations and his latest ZEE5 live sessions.

Your oxygen is travelling and being on stage; how have you coped with being in lockdown so far?

It has not been easy! I have to be honest about it. The first two months were hell and in fact, my mental state went downwards. It was crazy just performing on Instagram and Facebook live. Definitely, not the kind of concerts I would like to give, but I could only be hopeful. I am still struggling and really looking forward to lockdown being lifted, which doesn’t look like happening soon. I can only pray that things will be back to normal soon and I can do what I really love – being on stage with my band, travelling and performing for large crowds.

You have been performing online and getting a good response…

I have adapted and am doing these smaller concerts online, like the one for ZEE5. I hope I get a great response for that also. It’s not the ideal way for me to perform, but as long as I am connected to an audience in some way and get a response, I will be grateful for that for now.

Have you had a chance to reflect on you amazing musical journey during lockdown?

A lot has happened in the last few years and I have had a lot to think about, including what my musical journey will be from here on. More than looking back, I think I spend a lot more time looking forward. I realised that there was a certain lack of purpose behind what I was doing. Was it the money, going on stage, performing for a large crowd, fame and things like that? It was kind of a very introspective look into what do I really want from here on.

Did you come to any conclusions?

I have figured out that my music has always been found to be very happy and people found these positive messages in there. People write to me almost every day on how my music has helped them get through difficult times. So from now on, I think that is the direction. I would like to firmly tread a path and slowly design my concerts, songs and albums towards that. “I may feel low, but I know it takes just four minutes of this guy’s song to get me back on my saddle”. If I can achieve that, it will be amazing. My third album was written during lockdown and it’s about being broken, but finding that strength to rebuild bigger and better, and moving forward. So I am really looking forward to this journey now from here on.

What made you want to get involved with ZEE5’s Supermoon Live To Home?

(Laughs) I just got lucky, I would say, for Zee to pick me up as one of the artists they wanted for their series. It is amazing what they are doing because I don’t think many channels are thinking in the direction of actually creating new content through online concerts, to entertain and engage their audiences with positivity. For me, being part of the same is definitely key to my journey from here on. I am glad to be on it and very grateful for this opportunity because it is not just my own audience, but I am actually reaching out to those I probably would not have performed for.

Are you hoping to connect with new people through the ZEE5 performance?

Yes, for sure! People who go to concerts and watch me perform have largely been my crowd. But television has always been one of those latent media for me to explore. This is a great opportunity for me that I will be reaching into everyone’s home. Hopefully, someone will say, ‘Hey, I would like to be his fan, follow this guy and his music from here on’. That would be a great achievement for me.

The ZEE5 concert mixed up your greatest hits with new material. Is there any song you enjoy performing live most?

I think for the UK crowds it is, No Man Will Ever Love You Like I Do. My personal favourite has always been a song called Ambar, which is about reading those clues from the universe that a perfect love exists for all of us. So these songs for sure!

You have had some epic concerts; what has been the most memorable?

Performing in my home city here in Bangalore, definitely! There is a religious festival that happens here every year. Usually, I perform every year in some way or the other. I make sure I am on stage, either with my own band or someone else is performing and I do a guest set with them. It’s a must every year and definitely a highlight. But I also remember being very fortunate to have performed at Glastonbury. We have done about six gigs there over the years on six different stages, with different crowds and at different times of the day. We had an absolute ball doing that, so definitely Glastonbury as well.

What according to you is the secret of a great live performance?

I think it is communication. Although I sing in a language a lot of people don’t understand, it’s kind of about telling stories that are relatable to people. So, it doesn’t matter what language I am singing. People get involved in the music and attached to the emotions because I have explained the story before the song. I think any story behind each song really works for me.

What else is key to a good performance?

Also, connecting to individuals in the audience sometimes and getting them involved in some way. I love doing that, so overall, it is definitely the connection I feel with my audience, right from the moment I go on stage. That helps to reach out and get their emotions perfectly, even if they don’t understand the language.

If you could master something new in music what would it be?

You will be surprised to know that I have never learned music. I am completely self-taught and go by ear. So, I don’t really know music and music theory, but I have picked up this urge to finally learn music during this lockdown and started my first grade piano lessons.

What inspires you musically?

Musically, it has mainly always been my country. India is so rich in many varied cultures, and this land is absolutely rich with amazing messages. For me, it’s about taking that poetry and making modern music, and reaching it out to a younger audience who probably wouldn’t come across this poetry or even understand it. For me to see 18-year-olds singing and dancing along to songs that were written in the 18th century, and getting the messages behind each song and taking that back home in a positive way, has been the biggest ambition and achievement for me. So, I will surely continue doing that. I am motivated to take my culture and spread it around because it’s very universal and applies to the entire humanity.

Supermoon Live to Home is available on www.zee5.com