Indian-American musician Karsh Kale, who was recently in the city, on his memories of childhood being a key component in his compositions

Today is the eve of Karsh Kale's performance at the second edition of the York Live Festival in Nasik. His next stop takes him to Delhi, where he will perform on the day after Republic Day.


Pic/Anja Matthes

We caught up with the artiste considered a key figure in the Asian Underground scene, to ask him about his latest album, Cinema. Excerpts from the interview:

Can you tell us about Cinema?
I grew up in New York, so I had a very different take on Indian films through the American landscape. Also, I have been listening to Indian classical music and film music from the '60s and '70s since I was a kid. The film music that I listen to ranges from Hans Zimmer to AR Rahman. The soundtrack of a film is always highlighted, but people often miss the background score, which can be very powerful, as the same piece of music when used effectively can either make you laugh or cry. This is what led to Cinema. As a kid, I would listen to sound and create my own visuals to accompany the music in my mind. The sound from Cinema is like that: You close your eyes and visualise something, while you absorb the music. The music is like my memories. For example, my father would be playing something in the car, but then my brother would change the song and play Led Zeppelin instead. The album is a mix of those sounds.