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Personal Agenda: “The most Marathi thing about me is lavni music,” says Karsh Kale

Published on: Jun 14, 2020, 01:12:19 IST
Hindustan Times | By
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Musician  Karsh Kale says he always wanted to be able to play the bansuri (Photo: Rafique Sayed)
Musician Karsh Kale says he always wanted to be able to play the bansuri (Photo: Rafique Sayed)
Musician  Karsh Kale says he always wanted to be able to play the bansuri (Photo: Rafique Sayed)
Musician Karsh Kale says he always wanted to be able to play the bansuri (Photo: Rafique Sayed)

Plus, the musician says that the tabla was the first Indian musical instrument he has ever heard

All about Karsh

Date of birth: November 1

Sun sign: Scorpio

Place of birth: West Bromwich

School/college: New York University

First break: Signing a deal with Six Degrees Records in 1999

High point of your life: Becoming the father of an amazing daughter

Low point of your life: Needing a back surgery

If music had a chemical formula what would it be?
Music is like food to me and there are so many approaches and regional styles to cook it, that the recipe is ever changing and evolving.

If you had to save one material possession from a burning house, what would it be?
My laptop and hard drives. All my music exists there and losing all of those sessions would be a shame!

Which was the first Indian instrument that you heard?
The tabla. Whether in film music, classical music or Marathi lavni, it was the percussion, particularly tabla that stood out to me from a very young age.

And one instrument that you can’t play but want to...?
I have always wanted to be able to play the bansuri (flute) and have tried, but have never for the life of me been able to get a good sound from a simple bamboo flute!

Name the most underrated Indian musical instrument.
The veena. It’s such a majestic sound yet nowadays we don’t see many players on the scene.

What’s the most Marathi thing about you?
I grew up surrounded by a lot of lavni music and that is certainly a subliminal part of my musical sensibility.

Maestros in a word

Zakir Hussain: Master

Norah Jones: Voice

Sultan Khan: Heartstrings

Anoushka Shankar: Innovator

Alicia Keys: Soul

Sting: Eloquence

Pt Ravi Shankar: Trailblazer

A R Rahman: Composer

Tell us one millennial term you have recently learnt.
Sus – for when someone is acting suspicious.

What advice you will give your 10-year-old self?
Be like water.

List three things nobody knows about you.
I’m a bit of a foodie. I love Marvel Comics and all the films, and I love spending days on the beach.

If you could time travel, what era you would you pick?
The ’60s or ’70s... the most revolutionary time in music.

What should be the title of your biography be?
Empty Hands.

On music

Asian Underground scene: Nostalgia

Asli hip-hop: Homegrown

Global fusion music: Evolution

World Music: Sound of the planet

YouTube singer: Instant sensation

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From HT Brunch, June 14, 2020

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  • Ananya Ghosh
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Ananya Ghosh

    Ananya Ghosh is an assistant editor with Hindustan Times Brunch. She has 10 years of experience as a journalist having worked as a copy editor/feature writer in various publications.

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