There is always a grounding aspect to music, in spite of it being transcendental by its very nature. It can tie you to your roots, encapsulating the essence of your cultural identity in its entirety, while still being an unbound medium of creative freedom and expression. That is exactly what music has done for Saveree Joshipura. Originally from California, Joshipura takes a practical approach to music, one that is, simultaneously, an outlet for her creativity and also a pragmatic career option. There is passion here, but it is also tempered by a singular realistic perspective on her part. And that, alone, is enough to take a closer look at her journey and her work.

A data scientist by profession, Joshipura began her involvement with music at the tender age of 3. Her parents, both trained in Indian Classical Music, felt it was important for them to share the music they, themselves, had been exposed to. She began her formal training in Indian Classical Vocal Music at the age of 8, under the tutelage of Vidushi Kala Ramnath. It was around the same that she started doing local performances. Her big breakthrough, however, came at the age of 18, with the television show Rising Star India. It was an important moment in her life, one that was further compounded with the issue of her exams being just around the corner. Joshipura took her exams a week early so as to be able to go to Mumbai for the show. It was a risk, she states, well worth taking.

Getting the opportunity to perform as the US winner of Rising Star India opened up numerous avenues for Joshipura, both in terms of getting more involved with the Hindi music scene and just building on her already established foundations. It was a whirlwind of a time for her back then. She went on to build her portfolio on social media, posting videos of her music on Instagram, judged multiple singing competitions, collaborated with other talented artists and, perhaps most importantly, released her first single ‘Main Agar Kahin’.

For Joshipura, music has always been a calming escape and a tangible motivating factor. However, motivation does not always go unchallenged. The degree of a challenge may differ, but it exists all the same. 

Joshipura asserts that, luckily enough, she has not faced significant challenges or setbacks. There have been times when she was reprimanded by her teacher for not practicing enough. However, that was only another driving factor in her journey on getting better. Indeed, she counts her teacher, Vidushi Kala Ramnath, amongst those who inspire her.

Inspiration is important. But, as Joshipura claims, inspiration coupled with innate talent is never enough. Her love for music and her own voice is something that she has religiously nurtured and worked on. For her, any talent or ability must be further made to evolve through dedication and consistent practice. Without dedicated work and effort, talent is just something someone might be mildly good at. It does not go on to become an actual skill if left unattended.

Moreover, she reasserts the importance of not being blinded by your dreams. There is an impressionable importance in being able to have an option to fall back on, in case one has to put a brief pause in the pursuit of their dreams.

There is a sense of practicality in Joshipura’s words, not to be mistaken with pessimism. It is a pragmatic approach to life that balances reality and ambition. And, it is a beautiful balance at that.

Covering songs require a lot of skill and the said talent is often overlooked by masses. To cover an already released which is also loved by the masses requires a lot of courage as well. To be able to completely mimic the artistry of popular artists and sometimes maybe also sprinkle some of our own flavor is an ability that definitely deserves more appreciation. We bring you these heart-touching covers of three of the most beautiful songs of their time.

In one way or the other, we have all been inspired by musicians or their music at some point in our life. Sniti Mishra pays a tribute to the legend Rafi Sahab with her cover of ‘Toote Hue Khwabon Ne’. With her voice that sounds so soulful which leaves goosebumps rising on your skin- we’re sure you’d not want to miss this! Her perfect falsetto and stable voice are totally the epitome of beauty!   

One-sided love and its power shouldn’t be underestimated but it can also get tiring; at times like this we often go to songs that we can relate to and also get comfort from. ‘Mann Mera’ is one of those comfort songs and the brothers duo JalRaj have covered the song and given it a twist lyrically. Their voices blend so well together and are so comforting to listen to. This reprised version just reminded us how beautiful of a song ‘Mann Mera’ is. The ‘reprise’ also shows its ability to sound even better in a different semblence.

We all went through that phase where escaping ‘Beykhayali me bhi tera hi khayal aaye’ was just next to impossible. Keshab Dey has covered this heartbreak anthem and we just can’t seem to get enough of it. The cover is a ‘sad version’, Dey’s voice reflects the pain in the song. The strumming guitar in the background compliments the voice and the rearranged music really well. Comfort your broken heart.

Mumbai-based singer-songwriter, Sanjana Devarajan’s latest single, ‘Bhool’, takes her well-crafted pop cadence to speak about the complexities that come with a relationship. Often, our relationships do not resemble the picturesque stories we find in our fictional escapes. Sure, there are glimpses of it, moments of absolute peace and laughter that make everything seem okay. However, relationships rely on work, patience and, most importantly, the ability to forgive and move forward. Unconditional love only comes with the unconditional commitment to making things work. Produced under the banner of Victory Music, ‘Bhool’ is a track that speaks explicitly about the struggles of a relationship. And what better way to speak about love than music, itself?

Devarajan’s single continues the pop influences that you would find in her debut EP, ‘Mood’. ‘Bhool’ is a mellow pop track that lends itself to warm background beats and synchronized stringed leads. It is, quite literally, a song you send to your significant other when you can’t find the right words to ask for forgiveness. Mayur Jumani, as the producer for the track, has done an excellent job at building an instrumental base, laden with soft percussion beats and muted stringed backing, upon which Devarajan’s sound sits.

The official music video, released under the same banner as the track, is now available and features Avinash Mishra & Shivya Pathania. It is as much a standalone story as it is a depiction of Devarajan’s music. 

Give ‘Bhool’ a listen. Better yet, send it to someone you care about.

Musical tastes are a very personal affair. What sounds lyrically beautiful to someone may sound crass to another. It is a delicate subject to be broached, requiring some semblance of prudence and gentle prodding. Push something onto someone a little too hard and it can ruin the experience of listening to something new. Sometimes, it’s just better to let things speak for themselves instead of adding your own voice to it. Three artists, three excellent instrumental covers and some beautiful music from 1964 to 2019. It’s best if you just listen.

Yash Garg is a skilled practitioner of fingerstyle guitar. With the technique, itself, comes a whole host of opportunities in his music. Able to fit multiple parts of the musical arrangement in his solo performance, from harmonic melodies to deep chord progressions, Garg plays a beautiful instrumental rendition of Arijit Singh’s ‘Shayad’. There is a certain charm and ease in his instrumental cover, a sort of playful, laidback attitude that resonates through his cover.

Soumyajit Pyne, in his guitar cover of Lucky Ali’s ‘O Sanam’, plays in an unconstrained manner. There is a fervency in his approach to music that is evident in his notes. With melodic flourishes and makeshift percussion beats that he assimilates into his acoustic cover, Pyne builds up to a dramatic climatic melody that is sure to catch your attention. This is a performance of undisguised and unbridled emotion.

Kapil Srivastava’s instrumental performance leans towards some old world magic. Choosing to play a rendition of ‘Deewana Hua Badal”, a classic composed by O.P. Nayyar and sung by Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle, Srivastava’s piece is a beautiful acoustic cover accompanied by a medley of backing percussion beats that complement his, otherwise, solo performance. It is as much a cover as it is an ode to older days.

There is a charm about success stories which make them irresistible. For how self-centred we can be, we truly do enjoy when someone dedicated their entire being to a craft. These are people whom we love to follow. And it makes it even better when the world aligns itself to support the dreams and ambitions of those who we look up to. Having  Dj’ed for the last 17 years and produced music for the last 20. And Not to mention scoring for 21 Bollywood movies and touring in 14 countries, DJ NYK has certainly experienced a lot of highs and overcome a lot of lows.

He is also a 3-time winner of VH1’s My fav award for BEst Bollywood DJ and Fun Fact: he’s also the Indian DJ to score a remix for a Playstation Video Game. The man behind the awards is dedicated, patient and extremely unlimited. And his philosophy in life reflects that. He has continuously adapted and grown in the span of two decades, not only limiting himself to disc jockeying but also in other endeavours.

Apart from continuously creating fresh beats, his EDM project ‘Play Life’ has also taken a lot of hard work. It comes with its own Podcast & Record label to support & nurture the homegrown electronic musicians. The project has garnered appreciation from world-renowned musicians including Steve Aoki (who quite gracefully slid into his DMs).

But the epoch of success in one’s professional life is almost always backed up by an equally meticulous and dedicated personal one. The man behind the podium is one who loves to travel, read, photograph and trek.

Today, we’ll tell you his story.

Initial Days

Born and brought up in Delhi, Nikhil Sahni (better known to us as DJ NYK)’s first touch with music came at 8 years old, when his father gifted him a Casio. As he played keyboard and drums in his school orchestra, he realised that in music lied his life’s calling. Understanding tempo and rhythm helped him there. He got exposed to remixes and djing back in 1999 when he heard some mindblowing remixes in a car. It was the beginning of a long ride. He dove into the software used to create these remixes and started uploading them on the internet. The rise of the internet made sure that new and more listeners heard his renderings of Bollywood Music (which was something very rare back then).

After finishing schooling in 2003 he took formal DJ training under the guidance of DJ San in Jangpura (New Delhi). In 2004 he got his first job as a resident DJ at club Moets, New Delhi. In his own words, these were the biggest formative days of his career, as he understood the intricacies of performing and different genres.

Then in 2004, he moved to another club called Urban Pind in GK for a year. His music started to reach global audiences and the rest, as they say, is history.

Struggles and Breakthrough

Failure and pain can reveal themselves to be the biggest opportunities. In his early days, his family was going through a financial crisis. Consequently, he couldn’t get the gear he required to produce good quality music. But slowly and steadily he got himself back up and now operates from two studios.

Struggles can come anytime, it is how we channelise and overcome it that makes the difference. And so it was as the year 2017 saw him go through an emotional and physical upheaval. But he emerged from that pain, as a champion.

His renditions of  ‘Maula Mere’, ‘Ya Ali’ & ‘Toh Phir Aao’ back in the days went viral and were responsible for his discovery as an artist. Eventually, his big break in Bollywood came where he & Chetas scored an Official Remix for SRK & Irfan Khan’s Billu.

Motivations..

DJ NYK’s mantra to success is having these things sorted in one’s personal life: Career, Finances, Relationships, physical/mental health and of course, spirituality. An avid reader of Osho, Robin Sharma and the Hindu scriptures, he derives much of his ‘life force’ from these strings of knowledge.

Finding that delicate-yet important balance in physical and mental health is also important to keep yourself in the hustle! Well, take it from someone who’s done this for the better part of his life! Learn to channelise that energy, and all expression will come naturally.

His Message…

Regretting things that you could’ve done in your career is the most painful thing when you grow old. So go ahead and do the things that your heart tells you to do. If you want to be truly successful you can’t be content with being talented. There’s a lot more that goes into carving a niche & building a long artistic career. Talent is secondary. What sort of a person you are is primary. So be nice, to begin with.

“I can write at length but I’m gonna keep this short – Patience, Perseverance & Consistency is the key to being a successful artist. Besides that remember to bring value to people’s lives with your content, keep evolving your sound & stay relevant.
And yes, KEEP IT REAL, always !”

DJ NYK

So, what is your next step to success?