In conversation with Kailash Kher

He wears his many hats with equal ease. And makes it all seem so effortless. The wonderfully talented KAILASH KHER is set to perform live in Toronto next month and took some time out of his busy schedule for a nice, long chat...

Multi-lingual singer, musician, lyricist, TV music show judge, artist on tour - how do you do it all?

Ha ha..I am not sure.  By the grace of God, I have been blessed with these many opportunities.  It requires a lot of sacrifice, but more on the part of my family than myself.  I ultimately really enjoy it all.  It’s fun.   The key is to enjoy those moments to yourself and with your loved ones.   I try to cut myself off and spend time with them as much as I can.  They bring me back to earth.  When I spend sometime away, it recharges my batteries. 

You've come a long way in the last few years and people finally acknowledge your talent. How do you feel about your success so far?

I don’t take what you call “success” or myself very seriously.   I don’t believe “the hype”.   There is so much more to achieve, so much more to do.   I think that is why I keep working and why I stay motivated.  I never take for granted that one day all this attention and success could be gone. 

What do you enjoy most about being a known name now? Do you think your life has changed?

There are many perks to being famous but the most rewarding is being able to present your art and have people pay attention and enjoy to it.  I don’t have to struggle to have people or the press pay attention.   But to be very honest, being a known name has many burdens, burdens I didn’t realize when I first entered this business.   As soon as you become a known name, people have expectations and your time becomes increasingly scarce.   I have very little free time nowadays.  

You struggled for a while before the industry took notice of your unique talents. Have people changed how they relate to you?

Most of my close friends and colleagues treat me the same.   In fact they are proud of me for coming from nothing and to have achieved the little bit of success that I have.   It’s a huge blessing because most artists they struggle for a long time.  I never take that for granted.  I was very lucky and I owe a lot to many many people who gave me an opportunity… whether in the film world or ad world or even the recording industry.    I am very blessed. 

Your band has a sound that's very unique and immensely likeable. What do you think has made it so popular?

Thank you for the compliment!   It comes down to the music and the message. It’s very universal, danceable.  The  lyrics are positive and sometimes thought provoking.  It incorporates the lyrics and message that we often found in the poetry our parents would recite to each other on the dinner table and the music that we hear when we turn on the radio or watch music television channels.  

Tell us about your latest album.

The latest album is titled “Yatra (Nomadic Souls)” and it is on the American label Cumbancha Records.  It was recorded and produced alongside my co-producers Paresh Kamath and Naresh Kamath.   They are my creative partners in this project.   It is arranged and recorded differently with an eye towards my international audiences.   There are two or three songs that are brand new and two more that are completely “unplugged”.  All the songs were newly recorded.   It is an album that I am very proud of. 

Are you a spiritual person?

I would like to think so.   I find tremendous comfort in my faith.  All my lyrics reference spirituality in some form or another and are in some cases adapted from the spiritual poetries of famous 13^th  and 14^th  century poets like Baba Farid, Amir Khusrao, Kabir. 

You've made Sufi and that style of music appealing to kids and young people. Has that been a conscious decision? What about Sufi appeals to you?

It wasn’t intentional.   It’s just who I am and what interests me.  It’s the poetry that I enjoy reading.  That’s what I include in my music.   The fact that Sufism is a system of faith that does not require  you to follow one particular set of rules as set out by different religions – that is what I appreciate.   Sufism is about a longing and love for our God and the journey to come closer to our God.   That love is described in many of our songs.   Sometimes is sounds  like a love for a woman but similar to the poetry of many of our favorite 14^th Century Indian poets, this love is actually the love for God.  The true reason to have faith is because of love and thanks of the divine and not because one fears what will happen if they don’t have faith.  

What music do you listen to in your free time?

Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is a big part of my musical playlist but recently, especially because I have been traveling to North America, I have been listening to new albums such as those by African artists such as, Habib Koite and also Baaba Maal   I really love their sound because it has the raw earthy sound that I appreciate the most.  My manager in North America gave me a few albums by this band called 1 Giant Leap which is also beautiful because they blend music from all over the world.   

What's a typical day like for you?

My days start early, at least for a musician and they are never the same.  Often at 7 or 8 in the morning.  I try to have breakfast with my wife and family and soon I am off to various appointments or studio sessions – whether working on a song for Salim & Sulaiman’s latest film or going to work on an ad.   Sometimes if the band and I are working on a project that recording session will happen in the evening.   But there is a lot of industry events, or sometimes if we are recording a television show, that will take an entire weekend of work.   In between I am talking to my managers, in India and in New York, conducting interviews, talking to the accountants, meeting with the record labels.  Not to mention the shows.  This is the peak season in India and we are touring ten to fifteen times a month sometimes.   It’s very very busy. 

Where do you get inspiration for your music? What's your creative process like?

I write my lyrics and work on the basic compositions often very odd hours and the source of my inspiration can come from various places…sometimes it is a song or lyric my father taught me as a child, sometimes it is a line of poetry that I am reading in my free time, and sometimes it is based on my day to day experiences with family and loved ones.   I spend a lot of time outdoors outside of Mumbai.  If I had my way I would spend all my time there.  It’s a small simple farm and being there in fresh air, sunshine, birds, trees reminds me of how small and insignificant I am and how beautiful the world is.  That is my inspiration. 

Tell us more about your band. How did you get together?

The band was formed after a few years of me being in Mumbai in 2000 when I was introduced to Naresh and Paresh Kamath through a very dear mutual friend and respected composer, Salim Merchant of Salim & Sulaiman.   They made the introduction.   At that time Naresh and Paresh were in various rock bands in Mumbai like the one band called “Bombay Black”.   So when they met me it was a new experience for them because they never thought that the traditional folk music could be modernized.  For me it was a new experience to have rock and funk blend with traditional music.  The chemistry was right away and it was amazing.   From there we started working with musicians all of whom are based in Mumbai and all of whom you will see on the road with Naresh, Paresh and myself.

Do you ever feel that your individual success overshadows your band's success?

It does happen.  People tend to focus on the “voice”.  It is natural.  Also I work on a lot of film projects for esteemed composers such as AR Rahman, Salim & Sulaiman and others so people associate me with everything that has to do with my voice, forgetting that the Kailasa projects would never happen without Paresh Kamath and Naresh Kamath.  So I try to make it about “Kailasa” as much as I can.    But everyone focuses on what is on TV and in the films so it becomes very difficult.  Luckily the band is very understanding and supportive.   As much as is possible, I try to remind promoters, press, everyone – it’s not just about me.  It’s about Kailasa.

Do you see yourself taking more control of your music - would you consider a full-time career as a music director/composer?

The Kailasa project is my attempt to take control of my music and work on music that is solely from my heart.  With Naresh and Paresh, we have started working on a handful of film projects and yes, I would welcome the opportunity to do more of that kind of work. 

You've moved into singing in Telugu and other South Indian languages - how did you manage that?

When asked, I rehearse and train in those languages for a particular song.  I am still not very good at it but I have enough of an understanding to make it happen.  I haven’t learned to speak them fluently but I know just enough to get around.  With time I will hopefully learn more.

Audiences in Canada are waiting to hear you. Do you have any message for them?

I really hope that my friends in Toronto are ready to DANCE.   I had such a good time when were last here in 2008 and I am looking very forward to coming to Toronto.  I feel like I am coming home to my family when I am in Toronto.  Not sure what it is about the people and the city. 

What new songs/albums can we expect to hear from you this year?

Right now I am working on supporting the Yatra album on Cumbancha records and touring/meeting my fans.   There are a number of projects that are about to be released as I have been called on to sing for many composers.   But I won’t give it away just yet.   You have to stay tuned!

Kailash Kher performs live at Massey Hall on November 12th. The concert is in collaboration with Small World Music.