Dressed in a black blazer over a black shirt, a branded ponytail and earrings in place, Kailash Kher loves to sing while having a conversation. This time was no different. Smiling, he shares how important music is in times of turmoil. Its grip is precise but significant. “There are the United Nations and so many human rights organizations all over the world. They talk so much about peace, but to no avail. They offer no solution. Music is the only way to heal the world. The music doesn’t speak much. It just heals, ”says Kher.
Kher faced the pandemic in his own way. “It’s a warning sent by nature that once we go without limits, there is no turning back. Nature will strike back at us in one form or another, ”he says. Kher and his musicians did not stand still. They did what they do best: create music. “There were people who were going through limitless stress. We created music for them. The problem was that there was no one there to understand that we too went through a lot of stress during this time to create the music, ”he shares.
There is a deep spiritualism in him. He lives the life of a ‘sadhak’, which is expressed through music. How did this spiritualism influence his music? “Since my childhood, I was surrounded by saints and tapasyis. I am self-taught because I have never had the chance to train with a guru. The only thing I had was my voice. I learned music by listening to them. I have been influenced by the music of Pandit Kumar Gandharv, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Lata Mangeshkar. Listening to them, I imbibed a strong feeling of spiritualism. That’s why all my songs are more or less spiritual. Today, even if I write a romantic song, there will be spiritualism in it, ”says Kher.
His arrival in Calcutta to launch SNV Shoppee’s Durga Puja song “Nammo Durge” is also an extension of this spiritualism. “That’s the reason I decided to sing this song,” he says bluntly.
Spiritualism is part of Kailash Kher’s daily life. “I meditate, chant many mantras. And as you should know, I am a Mahadeva sadhak. For me, the practice or sadhana is done 24/7, ”he says. For him, God is omnipresent and the last word. “The breath I take is not controlled by me. So who’s in control? Of course, God. So, there is no other way than to be a sadhak.
Kolkata has always been special to him. “Calcutta is different. When you land in Kolkata there is a different feeling – that of art and creativity. I still see it as a center of tradition, music, painting and sculpture. It is the hub of the arts. Every house in Calcutta still retains its connection to the arts in one form or another, ”he concludes.
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