*This story was originally published on November 24th, 2013. [Best remembered for his unlikely creation of Acid house music, 75-year-old Charanjit Singh passed away in the early hours of Sunday morning, July 5th, in Mumbai. Over two years ago, we were lucky enough to not only watch Singh perform live at Magnetic Fields Festival but also get to know his gentle nature, his wonderful wife and their shared innocence towards the unexpected fame they experienced since the 1980s, more intimately through an interview. A one-time Bollywood composer who collaborated with the likes of R.D. Burman and Shankar Jaikishen, he retained his streak of experimentalism right through his life as one of the earliest champions of the synthesizer, consistently making his own way in a field filled with formulaic tendencies. Best seen, of course, in his iconic 'Ten Ragas To A Disco Beat.' In memory of the most unlikely musical legend of them all--who kept a ground full of us young Indian mavericks dancing for hours on a cold Rajasthani night in 2013--this is his story. In his own succinct words.]
The story of Charanjit Singh stands out as a singular feat in the universe of electronic synth and syncopated disco beats.
A sessions player in the Bollywood film industry, Charanjit spent a chunk of his career covering popular film songs and performing in soundtrack orchestras from 1960's to the 1980's.
It was the (more) recent hysteric response to his 1982 seminal album "Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat," that garnered him an international audience and credited him as the "pioneer of acid house music." Ironic because when it was released in India so many years ago, it was quickly deemed a flop, only to be massively re-popularized again in 2002 by a new generation of electronic musicians and enthusiasts alike. Among the most instrumental in creating a space for the veteran artist in India was Rana Ghose, a documentarian/film-maker/writer/producer, who created a short documentary on him nearly three decades after he'd created his own 'cult genre.'
[You can watch the documentary below]
Charanjit Singh
"We haven't stopped traveling."
"Its a different experience, everywhere. The culture abroad is very different from that in India. Around two thousand people come to watch every weekend, and the energy is contagious. "
PHOTO-CHARANJIT-synthesizin
You are credited with creating what some have labelled 'the first ever acid house record'. Were you aware of engendering a defining sub-genre of music going in?
"That time I was mainly working in films. And a lot of times, music directors used to record songs in disco themes. Like the "disco dancer" by Bappi Lahiri. You know?"
"I wanted to do something different from different songs; ragas, so to speak. I decided to add a disco beat to the ragas, which remained consistent through all, but the ragas were all different."
"The baseline is very important. (sings) Na din din dha . I would improvise with the ragas in different ways, but not mix any other note in the raga. Although, in a live show I would give vocals with the raga, the main thing is the disco beat is common but the songs keep changing."
So you weren't necessarily aware of the "acid house" elements?
charanjit2
What was the experience like with your band "The Charanjit Singh Orchestra"?
"Oh that was in school. How do you know about that?"
"You're on the internet?!"
"That was during school,"
"I used to love singing that song "Ive come from alabama" (laughs). I used to sing as a small kid."
"I was from the world of film, I was a classical dancer. Kishor Kumar decided to introduce me to Charanjit, and that's how we met. We got married in '78. It's been more than thirty years now."
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"Still going strong!"
"I didn't sing, and neither did she. But one day we just started singing. She said come on let's sing, I said no problem!"
"We are very popular in Canada!"
"That's you! I didn't even realize. You had curly hair just like me!"
Charanjit Singh
You stood out in the Hindi film industry with your "unconventional" tastes; turning up at sessions with the latest synthesizers. What drove you to experiment with new equipment?
"How do you know I am unconventional? (laughs) Yes I did work with a lot of different instruments and all the latest equipment. Every time I went abroad, I would bring back something new. In the morning at rehearsals I was always the one testing. As for different, I always experimented with things. I started playing the bass guitar, R.D.Burman was very fond of the bass guitar. We would play the keyboard together. Sometimes I would play the Hawaiian guitar..(trails off singing hai hai yeh majboori). Everyone had their own edge, today its difficult being your own person because everyone copies each other."
You have worked with established composers such as Shankar-Jaikishan, R.D.Burman, S.D.Burman etc. Which artist inspired you as a musician?
"All were my favorite. (laughs) Anyone who wanted to work with me."
"Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat" was your first original album of electronic disco compositions, combining western dance music with droning ragas of Indian classical music. What inspired you to fuse elements of separate genres?
"When people play ragas they always use the tabla as that is the way they are played, but I wanted to do something different so I used a disco beat instead."
"Ten Ragas To A Disco Beat" was a commercial failure at the the time of its original release (1982). How does it feel post its re-discovery when people deem it as a " pre acid house cult hit that is way ahead of its time"?
"It wasn't popular. People didn't like it, I said it's no problem. I have no idea how Mr. Edo from Holland found it."
"Chor Bazaar!"
"He came home and asked me if he could take it with him to Europe. I said yes, I had no idea it would be received so well. I'm feeling the best now that my old work has received some good appreciation. The Indians didn't understand the tone at that given time. It would play sometimes on the radio as an interlude. Mr. Kalyanji heard it once and congratulated me."
Charanjit Singh
You will be performing at the Magnetic Fields festival this year. How does it feel being part of a musical event that is magnified in scale as compared to other live performances? "I will be playing seven different ragas, and my instruments are being shipped from Holland, the Roland 808 and Jupiter 8. It's always exciting to play live.
Rajasthan?
"Waha pey electronic music bahut zyada hai, latest dj aa rahe hai!"
Words: Shreya Vaidya
Image Credit: Rana Ghose