Raghav says he wants his single, Maayera, to become a classic like UB40’s hit song
Being in India for his new single Maayera is weird (interesting even) feeling for Raghav Mathur aka Raghav of Angel Eyes and Can’t Get Enough fame. He elaborates, “I haven’t done something here in a few years and it feels like I’m brand new but welcomed back as a veteran.” The artiste remarks about the change in the indie pop soundscape and says, “It disappeared for about eight-nine years in the interim and became a small part of the market. But looks like it’s coming back. It’s such an exciting time to be in the indie pop scene — like it was during Rishi Rich and my days.” The musician talks about his new song and more.
VINTAGE AND POP
Maayera has a retro Bollywood-meets-Indipop sound. Raghav points out that in India, he is known for his earlier works, which were urban pop songs with Hindi sentiments and reggae influences. He explains, “Bollywood detaches itself from reality, where a 55-year-old guy romances a 20-year-old girl. In pop, something like that looks disingenuous and fake. I could have made a club song but I didn’t want to be a 35-year-old guy talking about the booty calls and one-night-stands. I wanted to take the emotions of the original records — the Caribbean, pop, vintage Hindi and uniquely me — but in a new era.” For the song to sound mature, he kept it melancholic. “I want it to be like UB40’s Red Red Wine — a classic song played when the night at a club ends, with everyone slow dancing.”
BOLLYWOOD PROJECTS
Raghav’s last Bollywood number was Mawwali Qawwali (Lekar Hum Deewana Dil, 2014) with AR Rahman. While he has tried to do more film songs, going back and forth between Canada and India has its shortcomings. “Also, once you have associated with someone of his stature, you are called upon when you’re called upon,” he reasons. “But the kind of music I create is having a moment in the industry right now. I will be harassing the team to make sure Maayera appears in a Bollywood film,” he laughs.
NO ALBUM YET
The last album Raghav released was The Phoenix in 2012. But, he isn’t sure if it’s time to drop another one. “When I made Storyteller in 2004, I took a year to decide the definitive sound before making it. But, nowadays, if you take that long to put out a record, you’re dead!” he reasons. “While making an album artistically appeals to me, I’m not sure if the public craves it anymore,” he says, “Though I hope I’m wrong.”
FOR HIS DAUGHTER
Having a child has put things in perspective about the legacy Raghav wants to leave behind. He tells us that his two-year-old daughter Riya sings to him! “Jaanu Meri Jaan (Shaan) and Elmo’s Song from Sesame Street are her favourites. I’m going to start writing with Rishi Rich — I want to do something with a track from Shaan,” he concludes.
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