Arindam Chakraborty eats, breaths and sleeps music! The young producer, musician and lyricist who is on his way to fame has accomplished what many thought would never be possible.

Arindam started learning music from Pt. Raja Bose and Pt. Mani Prasad. He was among the top 15 in the reality show, Voice of India season - 1 on Star Plus. He was also awarded as Best Vocalist for the rock competition called Band-e-Mataram".

In a short conversation with Radioandmusic.com's Shikha Shah, Arindam Chakraborty gets candid about his fondness for music and his dream to be as eventful as the Bollywood biggies.

Excerpts from the interview:

Tell us more about your journey into the world of music.

Performing live has always been my first love. To take it further and to keep alive that zing in me, I have my own rock band based in Kolkata and Mumbai. Our band is quite active and we indulge in live performances on different occasions. Apart from singing jingles, I have done playback singing for Bollywood as well as regional films and all my experiences have been memorable. I have also released two of my albums in Bengali and both have done gracefully well. It was a great feeling.

What kind of music do you enjoy? (Any specific genre or language)

I thoroughly enjoy Bollywood music but I am also quite passionate for Jazz and Rock. Most of my songs are in Hindi and Bengali.

You are a producer, singer, lyricist as well as musician. How do you manage to excel at all the tasks?

I firmly believe �Only practice makes a man perfect'. Practice or 'riyaaz' plays an important role for a musician to become perfect. Music can't flourish without 'riyaaz'. Every good musician takes proper education or 'talim' from his master or guru. I try to put my best efforts in whatever I do and do it with all the zeal and enthusiasm. This makes me excel as a singer, lyricist, musician and producer.

You have been trained under Pt Raja Bose and Pt Mani Prasad. What was your period of training and what kind of music are you trained in?

I have graduated as a scholar of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa-Dha-Ni-Sa international academy in Mumbai. I started learning the essentials of music under Pandit Raja Bose. He trained me for five years and it was during this time that I found my calling with music. Currently,  I am further educating myself in music with Pandit Mani Prasad and Goutam Mukerjee as my gurus.

You think it is important for a musician to be formally trained?

Yes, undoubtedly. People who have formal training in music have a better understanding of its importance in all of its facets. From my personal experience, I can say that one should definitely opt for formal training as it helps the artiste recognize his/her talent, extends it and gives it a platform.

Apart from your gurus, who has been your inspiration?

My mom and dad have been my inspiration since I was a child. Today, I am recognized as an artiste only because of their wholehearted support and motivation. From the time I have started developing my fondness for music, they have always been with me to guide me and help me do my best.

What are the important projects you have worked on? Have you sung composed music or written lyrics for any films?

I am currently working on this project called �Laal Salaam', which will be releasing shortly. I have a few other projects but currently I would not like to say much about them.

You have been a part of reality show phenomenon. How has it helped you to gain popularity or facilitated your career?

I was among the top 15 in the reality show, Voice of India season - 1 on Star Plus. I was also awarded as Best Vocalist for the rock competition called Band-e-Mataram". I was also a part of the slick music performances on reality shows like, Voice of India, Star Jalsa, and Bharat ki Shaan on Doordarshan to name a few. These reality shows are a pedestal for the budding talent and play a great role in exposing the artistes to the world audience. When I started my career, very few people knew me but after I started becoming a part of these reality shows, large number of people have started knowing me by face. Reality shows have given me popularity have and helped me shape into a better musician.

 
Tell us something about your association with ArtistAloud.com. How did you come on board with them?

There are very few portals/services like Artistaloud that help an artiste display his/her talent. One of my friends introduced me to Artistaloud and recommended me to become a member. A real artiste has to be on Artistaloud.

In the absence of physical sales, is online/digital medium the future of music industry?

Yes of course. People might say that the record industry is dying but the music industry is healthier and more vibrant than ever, with limitless possibilities for change and growth due to the internet and the digitization of music. The near future will bring in cool new ways to find music and connect with your favorite artists.

Would we see you going the Bollywood way?

My biggest dream is not only to enter Bollywood but make a mark for myself here. I wish to improve my standing as a singer by being a notable singer in Bollywood.

What is your take on Bollywood music and its trends? Who is your favourite singer/composer/lyricist in Bollywood?

The trends in Bollywood music have been changing over a period of time. It's a good experience to experiment with the change in sounds and music. Versatile and exceptional singers like Kishore Da, Lataji, Asha Tai, Rafi Saab, Manna Dey and Shankar ji have been ruling Bollywood since ages and they all are my favourite. I respect trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and A R Rehman for taking Bollywood music to a different level. And I extremely adore lyricists like Gulzar Ji and Javed Akhtar Ji who own the credit to make all the beautiful compositions all the more meaningful with the lovely words flowing through their pen  

What are your future plans? Do you plan to launch an album?

My dream is to launch an album of my own not only in Bengali but also other languages which I would fulfill very soon.

Apart from that,  I aim to get a break by composing songs that are a breath of fresh air sung in a very honest non-pretentious style. I wish to be creative in my compositions and present something that's never heard before with my voice which is distinct, raw, honest, seductive and refreshing. My sassy lyrics, recognizable voice, and street credibility have kept me popular in my hometown, Kolkata and I hope the same continues to happen elsewhere too.

And lastly, I want to become a busy composer and a play back singer just like the Bollywood biggies.

Send in your comments to: shikha.shah@indiantelevision.co.in