Dhruv Ghanekar’s new album Voyage 2 introduces a refreshing energy, style and mix of sonic influences from Rajasthan to the Balkans, and Brazil. The composer decodes the sounds of this collaborative creation
Ila Arun and Dhruv Ghanekar in a video for the song, Nacho
Half-way through our conversation about the secrets of collaboration in music, composer Dhruv Ghanekar drops a line that sticks. “I remember a phrase from Quincy Jones,” he says, “When you create music, you have to leave enough space for God to walk in.” His latest album, Voyage 2 that released yesterday under his label Wah Wah Records, and features a veritable who’s who of artistes from Ila Arun, Gino Banks, Abhay Nayampally to bassist Tim Lefebvre, trumpeter Sam Dechenne, and saxophonist Artur Grigoryan, among others.
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The album is a follow-up to Voyage (2015). It has been in the works for almost a decade, he admits. “Unfortunately, in this city, commissioned work takes precedence over passion projects. It was always on the table, but I lacked the time,” the Mumbai-based composer says. Over the last six months, he has been working furiously to compile the albums, bringing together the collaborations over a collection of 10 songs.
Tim Lefebvre and Mohini Dey
For this writer, it was the surprise of contrasting sounds that made the listening experience of the album so enjoyable. Where the first Voyage felt like a soulful journey through the heart of Indian folk, the new version is a kaleidoscopic explosion of sounds. “Even in the first project, there was a theme of marrying two diametrically opposite cultures. I wanted to take it further and stretch it,” Ghanekar explains.
Songs like Suprabhatam, with its blend of Carnatic melody, drum and bass, and a wonderful guitar solo are examples. Another is Jatra — featuring the vibrance of Vaishali Samant’s Maharashtrian vocals with Costa Rica-based musician Gina Mirenda’s South American flair and Brazilian choro. A similarly surprising combination is that of the Indian-American hip-hop artiste Illa Straight with the Assamese folk of Kalpana Patowary in Deuri and O sorothia.
Yet, through it all, the key was to retain the individuality of the folk element and the artistes themselves. “Whatever else I add to it [the melody], it should retain its cultural imprint. Similarly, I have known some of these artistes like Mohini Dey, Ila Arun ji, or Taufiq [Qureshi] bhai for decades now. Taufiq bhai for instance, is intuitive with rhythms. Tim Lefebvre has played with David Bowie. You have to let their individuality shine,” he notes.
“Fusion and collaboration are about mutual learning. Musicians enjoy breaking their own barriers,” says Arun, one of the collaborators. Songs such as the folk tunes of Rasiya and Jadu, a childhood memory of Holi celebrations, discover a new colour with the elements of Motown funk or reggae influences.
The work also has an outward vibrance, a quality that starkly differs from the soulful first album. “The ambition was to create something for a live audience. It was something I learned over the years on tour,” admits Ghanekar. He adds, “In fact, we are waiting for the monsoon to end before we take the album on tour.”
With work on OTT projects, films and advertisements taking up time, the composer states that the voyage will continue. “It remains my passion project, and I will keep pursuing it. For now, this is a celebration of Indian folk music and dance,” he says.
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