Monday 30 December 2013

Take Five: Ideas For The Music Industry in 2014

The Desi music industry is often accused of being unoriginal and copying other music styles. Here are five things that I would like to see in 2014.

Acoustic Music

There are many good vocalists working in the industry at the moment. But all too often their vocals are drowned out by samples and producers overusing their special effects. I'd like to see more artists singing a Capella or accompanied by just a few instruments. Two artists who could pull this off are Bikram Singh and Parichay. Both have gorgeous, powerful voices that suit a lack of accompaniment.

Harmony

Vocal harmony is not part of the Indian musical tradition. It's something that Desi music has yet to borrow and I think it could be done well. I would love singers such as Gunjan, Guru, and Mehi to collaborate and produce complex vocal harmonies, preferably unaccompanied. It is hard to do and requires real musical talent

Interesting Videos

Bhangra is notorious for the lack of creativity in videos and from 2013 there are only a few that stick in my mind. A lack of budget is often blamed for the lack of quality, but good videos do not have to be expensive. I'd like to see captivating story lines, surprises and dance moves that rival Strictly Come Dancing. No flashy cars, clubs, alcohol and bored models please!