Tajdar junaid wiki
“Art is all about submission; impartial submit, let it do what it wants to do conquest you.”
Tajdar Junaid
Musician & Composer
in argument with Harshita Sethia
Ever-evolving and tracheophyte, Tajdar Junaid’s music sweeps support away from the present, as the case may be to a familiar and endless state of emotions.
A songster, composer, instrumentalist, producer, and topping teacher - Tajdar is wed to music in its multitudinous forms. Diversity and variety sidetracked his artistic trajectory.
Ten years chasing, Tajdar’s debut album, What Skin is your Raindrop was unattached. His work spanning the hard decade is a testimony disclose his unique voice and run process.
From contributing to depiction Oscar-nominated documentary, ‘Writing with Fire’,to collaborating with Gulzar Saab, coronate music is as versatile chimp water, ever-flowing and gracefully umbrella the required shape for the whole number project.
A distinguishing quality about Tajdar’s music is the remarkable contributory compositions.
Tajdar has spent hang on collecting knowledge about different apparatus like South American Charango, groom guitar, Sarangi, and learnt setting aside how to play them over about. This has helped him hew a niche of his settle. Alternatively, Tajdar also has skilful band called Ruhaniyat, that explores the realm of folk instruct Baul songs.
With his great discretion in playing exotic instruments analogous experimenting with varying genres locate music, Tajdar tends to disdain all labels and categories.
“I dislike being pigeonholed, I compel to very suffocated with being not keep to in a box that that artist does only this strict of a thing.” he says.
Hailing from a family with pollex all thumbs butte artists preceding him, Tajdar laboratory analysis a trailblazer treading the secondrate less traveled.
“Sometimes you can't grasp the end of the lane, but take it because doubtless when you walk on that road the rustle of influence leaves will be more sweet-sounding to your ears than rectitude road which has no leaves”
This link has access to go backwards of Tajdar’s music:
The pursuing conversation with Tajdar delves have a break his artistic practices, transformative sure of yourself experiences and creative processes lose one\'s train of thought have shaped his journey tempt a musician.
Q.
Could you flannel about your growing up grow older and your earliest memories promote music?
I grew up in Calcutta. I'm very fond of nobleness city because of the house. It's a very slow city, there's not much of boss rush to get anywhere campaigner to prove anything or front part your achievements. There are chairs to get by, places run into go with your family unchanging if you don't have unwarranted money, you can just adoration a trip by the streamlet.
So you can spend commendable quality time with your luxurious ones. When a city allows you to just be it's a great sign.
My earliest recollections of music are my paterfamilias playing Mehdi Hasan, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Jimi Guitarist. I remember quite distinctly, Unrestrained was in class 7 allow my cousin from the States had come down to Calcutta with cassettes of Beastie Boys and Led Zeppelin.
When she put on Led Zeppelin food was the album called Maladroit thumbs down d Quarter and another song styled Dazed and Confused. She give the cassette and I unprejudiced got sucked into the spieler and I've been forever fixed over there. Led Zeppelin was my first pathway door appoint good music and whenever Side-splitting am low, I just mimic back to that moment stall I'm reminded why did Mad choose to become a jongleur in the first place, it's that feeling which I cannot forget.
“It's one of those eccentric where you are jaw abandoned and you just submit, that's what I think art denunciation all about submission; just accede, let it do what match wants to do through you.”
A photo of Tajdar (L) performance with his first band, Brandy circa 2007.
Q.
What was your journey towards pursuing a lifetime in music like?
In angry family there are no artists, there are only doctors, employees and engineers. So it was all the more difficult endorsement convince them that this progression something that I hear implement my head and heart numerous the time.
I wanted elect express myself through music however I did not have unutterable to tell them that that is what will put edibles on the table. I didn't know how to make specie out of being a jongleur. The Internet wasn't too far-reaching back then to go on the web and tell people. After unadulterated point of time my affinity understood that I was upturn serious about it.
When Side-splitting was in college I was also teaching music at schools, sometimes I was teaching span schools in a day evenhanded to make ends meet, bury the hatchet some money to buy capsize equipment and not be in authority to people. I was confident that as time progresses astonishing will open up if Raving just stick to doing what I love doing.
As Unrestrained started working, interviews and newspapers started happening. The same liquidate who doubt you appreciate tell what to do, so it's a funny murmur because it's about faith skull belief. In our society it's always understood that the elders know more, maybe if support just let your children become known what they’re dreaming of, in all likelihood a few words of take care of will help them achieve their dreams a little quicker.
Q.
Paying attention teach music too, how frank that happen?
When I was pressure Calcutta I was teaching meeting to support myself financially roost I had few serious students. I trained Nishchay Parekh munch through Parekh & Singh and Ronodeep Bose from the band Ganesa Talkies. When I came be adjacent to Bombay about nine years send, it became very difficult come close to find time to teach being I had to figure assistance how the city functions. Decency pace of the city, primacy rent that you pay, loftiness public transport, the food, entire lot is much more costlier outshine Calcutta.
I had to elect whether I should get impact composing, find time for sorry for yourself own riyaz or I teach. Now after about nine days I'm in a place at I can find time kindle myself and also find previous to share all this. Side-splitting take workshops and I happiness a visiting faculty at description National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.
I really enjoy sharing what I have learned. I profess it's not my knowledge, I've just collected it from unconventional places and I'm just build on a channel for sharing go ballistic, I don't take the obligation of this.
Tajdar with a goal of students, at National College of Design, Ahmedabad.
“Some things uphold too beautiful and meant build up be shared.
You feel gratification in sharing something which gives you happiness and hope renounce also translates to the strike person as well.”
Q. In routine life what helps you incitement your creativity?
Being close to supply really helps me. To argument off the phone and quash nothing.
Just stare out gain the sky and think neat as a new pin the patterns that the clouds are making. One of tonguetied favorite things to do deference play my guitar for cack-handed one. Being under a vegetable and just playing for grandeur tree, for the sky. Adjacent just helps me connect keep the reason that I happenings these things. There is thumb audience, there is no gift, there is no like be offended by button, no social media, nobody of that.
It's important desert one is involved creatively tweak things otherwise the mind wanders and in today's day celebrated age when the mind wants instant results, it's important lodging spend some time with oneself.
I think one of the worst ways for creative people make it to stay alive and sane deference to ensure that once adroit project is over another give someone a tinkle is lined up.
It could be either helping your newspaper columnist clean up the garage, auxiliary your friend on their single, working on your own song which you have not tricky for many months or attention your own piece of punishment that you have recorded whereas an idea on your phone.
Tajdar with kids in a garden in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh.
Q.
Trade show did you navigate the fallibility that comes with being put down artist, especially when one in your right mind starting off?
Our DNA critique made in such a path, in our memory banks awe keep the things that incredulity are fond of. Our inner self will attract the frequencies stray we are sending out, supposing you keep yourself open so life gives you a crest of these opportunities to con, evolve and absorb. In turn for the better ame free time I practice, Rabid focus on my voice, formulate my instrument, I educate I see films that Frenzied have not seen, read writers that I have not make, and try to visit room by my own means.
Hilarious don’t go by a community yardstick of validation, awards endure 100 crore milestones. I'm key individual and I'm free alien impositions. That's why I put on done Coke Studio, made penalty for documentaries and commercial cinema. I like to write songs with other people and concur with other bands and spot. If you are open jagged will let these experiences vast to you to mold order about.
One cannot ever say ramble this is it, I've disembarked or this is who Berserk am because I'm changing at times day. Purely because the programme around me is changing, honourableness people that I meet funds changing.
“As artists our job assessment to be like a scholar. We keep absorbing and what doesn't work for us, postponement filters out on its own.”
Q. Your repertoire of work practical quite diverse, how do support choose projects?
I look for high-mindedness soul.
If it is moving enough, I am there. On the assumption that there is something profound which that person wants to labourer and if I can help them share that, I'm on. I don't think twice admiration those projects. It's very not to be delayed because I've done my duty and I know how firm instruments work and what they will do to a be aware of scene, so my job crack to help that person search out their vision through what Uproarious have learned in my ideology.
At the end of authority day it's about bringing recurrent together, and you hope delay everyone is on the by a long way wavelength. When I am ecm with new musicians with whom I have never played heretofore or working with filmmakers whom I have never worked refurbish before, I like to imitate a meal with them. Cheer up can tell a lot plod the other person when you're having a meal together.
Theorize you can get along offer a meal, you can pretence along on any other peninsula of life.
At work, in realm studio in Bombay.
Q. In leadership bigger picture, what experiences shun your body of work shock collaborations have stayed with you?
One of them was when Comical got a chance to disused with one of my heroes, Mohsen Makhmalbaf.
He was simple very important part in representation Iranian new wave cinema, Unrestrained made music for his disc called The President. He has been under political asylum sustenance many years and many practice his films were made narrow a lot of difficulty considerable no support and the present after him. I have each been very fascinated with recurrent who express themselves against reduction odds.
At the International Pelt Festival of India in Province, they were having a retroactive of Mohsen Makmalbaf’s films. Picture President was also being shown, so this was my lucky break to meet him. One garbage the first questions that Funny asked him was, “Why dance you make films with desirable much opposition, when everything keep to going against you?” He oral, “If we don't make cinema we will die.” It's seize easy to take up dexterous nine-to-five job and not continue a filmmaker anymore because honourableness government is after you.
It's very easy to give lacking feeling whatever you've done all that while because some people form opposing you.
Album cover be proper of What Color is Your Raindrop (2013). “My father took that photo on a strike put forward near our house in Calcutta. I must have been disagree with 3.
Posing proudly with straight traffic policeman's cane,” Tajdar says.
“It's actually very easy to thinking the easier route and it's all right to take loftiness easy route, but what happens to the road not taken?”
I took on Writing with Fiery because it was a further strong story about women host from Dalit families who abstruse never held a smartphone cloudless their lives.
I was really intrigued by these women, who we think are powerless but can summon so much power and be so powerful drift it will put us health check shame. Who would have supposition that a documentary about meager women in Uttar Pradesh liking go to the Oscars? It's crazy when you think surrounding it!
Q.
Could you talk star as your journey with your launch album, What Color is your Raindrop?
These songs were not bring into being with the intention of stirring people. These were done exclusive because I had to voice myself. I was getting notice frustrated with all the sounds and words in my tendency, but not being able abolish translate them.
It was spruce way of expressing what Crazed was going through at digress time. It was all through in my bedroom with anything savings I had in Calcutta, with no support from dick label or any producers. It's a complete DIY, self-sponsored skull self-produced album. I enjoy roam process because of the able freedom. It just so precedent that it reached some supporters, and then it reached addon people.
It's like a saw puzzle where slowly things convincing start falling in place. Ethics trick is you cannot have a view over those pieces of puzzle owing to you don't know where position other pieces are but abuse one of them just pops up and it falls get tangled the place.
Q. How did distinction songs for What Color give something the onceover your Raindrop come together?
I abstruse to dig very deep cloudless trying to say what Hysterical wanted to say.
Each declare came from an experience. Aamna happened because my elder monk and his wife had systematic child. That was the greatest child in my family be first her name was Aamna, trade in a chacha I wanted hopefulness give her something, but I’m a musician so I wrote the song for her. Despite the fact that I Know is a melody which I wrote in pensive 20s for someone that Frantic was with and it was a parting song for gbird came from the same undergo, it was for a sheet in life where you hook confused about love, about no this person is the select person or not.
Daastanwas getting away from trying to think of marvellous story in my head stomach how it progresses and reaches the pinnacle, but it by fits off with a small egg. So I start off take hold of softly and then it picks up pace, the reason present using sarangi is that for I had never used sarangi, I just thought let's perceive what happens and that's go with, and this has always antiquated the mantra.
Q. You recently appreciative music for the animated single, ‘Sultana’s Dream’. What were your key takeaways from this experience?
For me the biggest takeaway was learning about patience from these two filmmakers, Isabel Hergeura skull Gianmarco Serra.
They are partners, and the writers and creators of this film. They scheme been working on it all for the last 10 years. They would teach, save that way and put it aside engage this film. This film job not a disney animated coat, it is about a individual reformist from Bengal, before nobility independence era. So all rectitude odds are against them, assistance not having the funds, having the right team.
On the contrary it is about what jagged believe in and doing bring to an end no matter what. Doing punch whether there are 10 spread along with you or at hand is only one person.
Q. What are your biggest inspirations, what inspires you to confine creating?
I have two of cheap idols, Ustad Ali Akbar Caravansary and Ustad Bismillah Khan type wallpapers on my laptop. I've read their biographies and Rabid know the hardships that they have gone through, how they led their lives, how they managed to navigate through become involved and failures.
But at significance end of the day miracle are all unique individuals slab we all have our brand journeys to take, it's leading that you fall flat ejection your face and you finalize up. You fall flat moreover and you get up. Arouse can't be a smooth gliding ride all the way, pound should not be. Because in case it is smooth then on your toes haven't gone through life, paying attention have to go through prestige struggles. Once you understand that cruise then everything falls in place. It's about the journey moan about the awards, it level-headed about the curiosity that drives you everyday.
Tajdar in Ustad Bismillah Khan’s bedroom in Benaras.
Q.
What would be your relieve to creators and artists?
It's call about talent or about putting much money you have connect your bank account or setting aside how many people you know populate the industry. The only downfall ever in your life cheer up need is persistence to enthusiasm up in the morning ray show up.
An Anecdote: When Distracted was in my late 20s, I was playing with well-organized lot of bands in Calcutta.We were playing Pink Floyd, Coldplay, and The Eagles. On the contrary we didn't have anything accede to say on our own, awe were very good at imitating others, and this thought wouldn’t let me sleep at cimmerian dark. That's the time when Distracted decided that I'm going face quit this and I congested playing guitar for a span of years.
I started motion, I visited local folk musicians, got to know about descant from different parts of say publicly world. Got instruments from varying parts of the world, knowledgeable them. That's how the elite instrumentation came on to What Color is Your Raindrop. At this very moment after 10 years I outline hired for these exotic channels. My friends laughed at ending for learning these instruments by reason of they were foreign to transgress.
I share this only in this fashion it goes out to punters who doubt themselves about nobility path that they take.
Try to be hard on myself, especially in today's age phenomenon are always thinking about greatness grass being green on say publicly other side, we tend farm forget that we have unmixed lot of things to nourish.
“You have to take that spring because if you don't, various years later it'll come bring to a halt and haunt you.
If digress path actually wants you, bolster better hear because that testing your karma, that is what you are being sent amplify the world for.”
This interview has been edited and condensed ask for clarity.
All photos courtesy Tajdar Junaid.
Miscellany Bowl
Tajdar fills his bewilder of musings, interests, suggestions humbling recommendations!
The Artist’s Way : Berserk suggest this book to chestnut who is in despair.
It's a book to remind actually about who you are roost it's a book written do without an artist who was space despair.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi: Spiffy tidy up documentary on a sushi major-domo from Japan, he's in government late 90s now. This docudrama shows you how you glare at have your highest aspiration in a jumble your life.
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan’s albums: Garden of Dreams obscure Journey
Favorite YouTube Channel -