“It’s always an overwhelming experience to play in hometown”, says lead vocalist Asif of band Swaraag.
Swaraag is an Indo Western Fusion Band from Jaipur which has its musical roots in various styles like folk, Bollywood, Sufi fused with the modern music. They use traditional instruments and spreads the cultural message of ‘Padahro Mare Desh’ in their fusion style. They create their own fusion style music by mixing the culture of Rajasthan with the Sufi and Bollywood music and are quite popular across the nation for their music.
Let us have a quick question round and see what the band has to say!
Tell us about Swaraag, when was it formed and who are the band members.
Sawraag was formed in the year 2014, and since then we are wholeheartedly devoted to our music. We play indo-western modern music which has a hint of the roots of the culture and dialect from where we belong. Our band consists of seven highly talented artists;
Asif Khan (Lead Vocal), Arif Khan (Sitar Player), Sajid Khan (Drums), Shahid Hussain (Tabla Player), Tasruf Ali (Saxophone), Arif Khan (Khartal Player), Rishabh (Guitar Player).
Arif is a great sitar player. The love of playing sitar filled him and he was further groomed in the art by Ustad Mahmood Khan [father] who made Arif into Arif Khan as the world knows today.
What is the one challenge that you face while performing in your hometown Jaipur?
Our challenge has always been one, which is to make sure that we keep people of all ages entertained and hooked. Overall, it’s always a great experience being in our hometown Jaipur and performing for our people.
How many shows have you guys done?
Giriraj (Manager) of the Band told us “It’s been five years got to tap every single town in India and abroad, traveled thousands of miles and got the opportunity to meet different people and culture” We have performed close to thousand shows, nationally and internationally. But the journey is far ahead and we are enjoying every bit of it to its fullest.
What are your views on today’s music?
We grew up listening to some beautifully composed and well-written songs, an art that seems to have lost its way these days. Most of the newer music we hear today lacks the soul and complex compositions that we enjoyed listening to.
How is your music different than what we hear nowadays?
As a band, we decided to make our own renditions of the amazing songs we grew up listening to. We aim that the newer generations must get a chance to listen to some well written and composed creations. Our renditions also connect with the older audiences because they get to hear their favorite songs presented to them in a new way. We give it our own sound and flavor, but the soul of the song remains intact.
Pratap (Founder and Manager): I enjoy a wide variety of music, so inspiration flow not only from one source but you can say that there is a separate universe of inspiration. I listen to music and discuss it with the team when I like something. I follow several artists on Youtube and sometimes tries to think from their perspective.
Where is Swaraag heading to, what are your future plans?
We would love doing more of college fests, public concert, festivals etc. They have so much energy in them, they respond to every track you play. The kind of love and respect the college audience shows towards music is amazing!
We hope you enjoyed the brief conversation between our team and the band Swaraag!!
To connect to the band, you can contact on the below-given details:
Website: http://www.swaraagmusic.com/
