Indi pop band Aasma are put to test by Ninad Umargekar, market researcher with IMRB international
Were you happy with the non-serious ‘Chandu Ke Chacha’ image you had?
It was a song for the masses. People loved it including the kids and we have broken that image with later songs like ‘Tumse Hi Pyar...’
Singing is an unconventional career, where mediocrity is out of question. Does that thought make you insecure?
Jimmy: We were launched after a nation wide search, so we know the importance of creating good music.
Vasudha: My parents were insecure about my choice of career and not very supportive initially. Now, however, some of our families have shifted to the city to support us.
How many shows do you do in a month for publicity?
We do about four shows in a month and this time we also appeared in most of the college festivals where we were chief guests.
How is Aasma different from other bands?
Being a mixed band the emotional connection is a lot more. Besides being singers we are also good performers, which is our USP. On stage all round performance matters a lot.
Has singing taken a backseat due to pressure on good performance?
On stage, singing without performing is not very appealing. These days even playback singers like Sonu Nigam have groomed themselves to perform on stage. Singing is, however, a priority. If you are a pathetic singer you will be booed off.
Is Bollywood an option?
Yes, of course. We did a song for the film ‘White Noise’, but we aren’t planning to shift from the pop scenario neither are we looking at solo careers.
Viva, a product of a similar talent hunt, split. What is the fate of Aasma?
We never plan to split. We know what we have gotten into and there is a lot of focus required. We are here to produce music and we are making a conscious effort of not being derailed from the band.
Now that you are free of the Channel V contract when do we listen to songs written and composed by you?
We got the best of everything in the course of the contract and Salim - Sulaiman turned out to be lucky for us. We are mature now, out of the parenthood of Channel V. You will hear a few of our compositions in the next album.
Do you ever get jealous of each other?
Unlike Viva or Band of Boys, we are a mixed band, so jealousy does not creep in. No one wants to outshine the other.
Do you ever feel attracted to each other?
We all love each other and it’s like a family. Besides we have other relationships on our plates. When we opened the Bryan Adams show, he’d told us to get married to each other and make music!
-Co-ordinated by Shridevi Keshavan
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