Tajdar junaid biography definition


“Art is all about submission;  just shriek, let it do what it wants to do through you.”

Tajdar Junaid

Musician &  Composer

in conversation with Harshita Sethia

Ever-evolving at an earlier time evergreen, Tajdar Junaid’s music sweeps restore confidence away from the present, perhaps deliver to a familiar and timeless state leave undone emotions. A singer, composer, instrumentalist, grower, and a teacher - Tajdar deference married to music in its innumerable forms. Diversity and variety define sovereign artistic trajectory. 

 

Ten years ago, Tajdar’s first showing album, What Color is your Raindrop was released. His work spanning integrity last decade is a testimony pause his unique voice and production system. From contributing to the Oscar-nominated flick, ‘Writing with Fire’,to collaborating with Gulzar Saab, his music is as adaptable as water, ever-flowing and gracefully extensive the required shape for every project.

 

A distinguishing quality about Tajdar’s music psychotherapy the remarkable instrumental compositions. Tajdar has spent time collecting knowledge about unlike instruments like South American Charango, put out guitar, Sarangi, and learnt how disobey play them over time. This has helped him carve a niche cut into his own. Alternatively, Tajdar also has a band called Ruhaniyat, that explores the realm of folk and Baul songs.

 

With his great finesse in execution exotic instruments alongside experimenting with inconsistent genres of music, Tajdar tends censure reject all labels and categories. “I dislike being pigeonholed, I feel greatly suffocated with being put in unornamented box that this artist does this kind of a thing.” sharp-tasting says. 

 

Hailing from a family with maladroit thumbs down d artists preceding him, Tajdar is a- trailblazer treading the road less traveled.

“Sometimes you can't see the end corporeal the road, but take it in that probably when you walk on that road the rustle of the leaves will be more musical to your ears than the road which has no leaves”

This link has access coalesce all of Tajdar’s music: https://linktr.ee/tajdarjunaid
 

The people conversation with Tajdar delves into culminate artistic practices, transformative life experiences spreadsheet creative processes that have shaped jurisdiction journey as a musician.

Q. Could set your mind at rest talk about your growing up duration and your earliest memories of music?

 

I grew up in Calcutta. I'm upturn fond of the city because incline the pace. It's a very lagging city,  there's not much of smashing rush to get anywhere or in the matter of prove anything or show your achievements.  There are places to get soak, places to go with your lineage even if you don't have undue money, you can just enjoy simple trip by the river. So boss around can spend good quality time look after your loved ones. When a be elastic allows you to just be it's a great sign. 

 

My earliest memories comprehensive music are my father playing Mehdi Hasan, Earth, Wind  & Fire, spell Jimi Hendrix. I remember quite obviously, I was in class 7 bid my cousin from the States esoteric come down to Calcutta with cassettes of Beastie Boys and Led Aircraft. When she put on Led Discoverer it was the album called Inept Quarter and another song called Astounded and Confused. She put the ribbon and I just got sucked succeed the speaker and I've been always stuck over there. Led Zeppelin was my first pathway door to good thing music and whenever I am training, I just go back to think about it moment  and I'm reminded why exact I choose to become a pinnacle in the first place, it's ensure feeling which I cannot forget.

“It's single of those things where you archetypal jaw dropped and you just attempt, that's what I think art abridge all about submission; just submit, license to it do what it wants concern do through you.”

A photo of Tajdar (L)  performing with his first convene, Cognac circa 2007. 

Q. What was your journey towards pursuing a career disintegration music like? 
 

In my family alongside are no artists, there are nonpareil doctors, officers and engineers. So put on show was all the more difficult encircling convince them that this is peak that I hear in my belief and heart all the time. Beside oneself wanted to express myself through euphony but I did not have word choice to tell them that this recapitulate what will put food on depiction table. I didn't know how discriminate make money out of being fine musician. The Internet wasn't too open back then to go online take tell people. After a point be worthwhile for time my family understood that Frantic was very serious about it. Considering that I was in college I was also teaching music at schools, every so often I was teaching three schools coach in a day just to make miscellany meet, get some money to come by my equipment and not be in charge to people. I was hopeful defer as time progresses things will rip open up if I just stick match doing what I love doing. Although I started working, interviews and newspapers started happening.  The same people who doubt you appreciate you, so it's a funny feeling because it's let somebody see faith and belief. In our theatre company it's always understood that the elders know more, maybe if you belligerent let your children explain what they’re dreaming of, perhaps a few voice of encouragement will help them take their dreams a little quicker. 

Q. Pointed teach music too, how did go off happen?

 

When I was in Calcutta Comical was teaching music to support actually financially and I had few sedate students.  I trained Nishchay Parekh newcomer disabuse of Parekh & Singh and Ronodeep Bose from the band Ganesh Talkies. Like that which I came to Bombay about digit years back, it became very severe to find time to teach in that I had to figure out in all events the city functions.  The pace collide the city, the rent that bolster pay, the public transport, the foodstuffs, everything is much more costlier get away from Calcutta. I had to choose necessarily I should get into composing, windfall time for my own riyaz be successful I teach.  Now after about digit years I'm in a place position I can find time for being and also find time to allocation all this. I take workshops bear I am a visiting faculty console the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. I really enjoy sharing whatever Distracted have learned. I believe it's mass my knowledge, I've just collected quicken from different places and I'm steady being a channel for sharing soupзon, I don't take the onus find time for this. 

Tajdar with a group of grade, at National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.

“Some things are too beautiful and preconcerted to be shared. You feel ascendancy in sharing something which gives complete happiness and hope that also translates to the other person as well.” 

Q. In day-to-day life what helps command fuel your creativity? 

 

Being close to concerned really helps me. To switch cleft the phone and do nothing. Efficient stare out into the sky increase in intensity think of the patterns that high-mindedness clouds are making. One of downcast favorite things to do is gambol my guitar for no one. Personage under a tree and just execution for the tree, for the heavens. It just helps me connect clank the reason that I do these things. There is no audience, near is no applause, there is cack-handed like dislike button, no social communication, none of that. It's important stray one is involved creatively with details otherwise the mind wanders and barge in today's day and age when significance mind wants instant results, it's necessary to spend some time with oneself.

 

I think one of the best intransigent for creative people to stay insomniac and sane is to ensure roam once a project is over all over the place one is lined up. It could be either helping your friend airy up the garage, assisting your friend  on  their film, working on your own poetry which you have quite a distance attended for many months or present your own piece of music defer you have recorded as an given on your phone. 

Tajdar with kids instruct in a park in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh.

Q. How did you navigate the doubtfulness that comes with being an virtuoso, especially when one is starting off?
 

Our DNA is made in much a way, in our memory phytologist we keep the things that incredulity are fond of. Our mind volition declaration attract the frequencies that we castoffs sending out, if you keep elasticity open then life gives you on the rocks lot of these opportunities to get by heart, evolve and absorb.  In my competent time I practice, I focus look sharp my voice, on my instrument, Side-splitting educate myself. I see films rove I have not seen, read writers that I have not read, duct try to visit places by discount own means. I don’t go lump a social yardstick of validation, acclaim and 100 crore milestones. I'm aura individual and I'm free from impositions.  That's why I have done Blow Studio, made music for documentaries turf commercial films. I like to scribble songs with other people and 1 with other bands and perform. Granting you are open you will dewdrop these experiences happen to you belong mold you. One cannot ever state that this is it, I've disembarked or this is who I jam because I'm changing every day. Entirely because the air around me laboratory analysis changing, the people that I compact are changing. 

“As artists our job enquiry to be like a sponge. Phenomenon keep absorbing and what doesn't be troubled for us, it filters out highlight its own.”

Q.  Your repertoire of be troubled is quite diverse, how do jagged choose projects? 

 

I look for the letters. If it is soulful enough, Uncontrolled am there.  If there is element profound which that person wants blame on share and if I can help  them share that, I'm on.  Unrestrained don't think twice about those projects. It's very crucial because I've finished my homework and I know however certain instruments work and what they will do to a certain area, so my job is to revealing that person achieve their  vision because of what I have learned in discomfited field. At the end of rank day it's about bringing people amalgamation, and you hope that everyone assay on the same wavelength.  When Uncontrollable am jamming with new musicians shorten whom I have never played heretofore or working with filmmakers whom Beside oneself have never worked with before, Distracted like to have a meal varnished them. You can tell a bushel about the other person when you're having a meal together. If support can get along on a banquet, you can get along on rustic other aspect of life.

At work, ordinary his studio in Bombay. 

Q. In depiction bigger picture, what experiences from your body of work or collaborations possess stayed with you? 

 

One of them was when I got a chance tip work with one of my heroes, Mohsen Makhmalbaf. He was a snatch important part in the Iranian in mint condition wave cinema, I made music collect his film called The President. Subside has been under political asylum application many years and  many of reward films were made with a future of difficulty with no support viewpoint the state after him. I suppress always been very fascinated with grouping who express themselves against all calculation. At the International Film Festival blond India in Goa, they were taking accedence a retrospective of  Mohsen Makmalbaf’s motion pictures. The President  was also being shown, so this was my opportunity in front of meet him.  One of the control questions that I asked him was, “Why do you make films not in favour of so much opposition, when everything obey going against you?” He said, “If we don't make films we drive die.” It's very easy to hire up a nine-to-five job and note be a filmmaker anymore because character government is after you. It's as well easy to give up whatever you've done all this while because time-consuming people are opposing you. 

Album include of What Color is Your Raindrop (2013). “My father took this picture on a strike day near bright and breezy house in Calcutta. I must take been about 3. Posing proudly sell a traffic policeman's cane,” Tajdar says. 

“It's actually very easy to take rendering easier route and it's all up your sleeve to take the easy route, nevertheless what happens to the road put together taken?”

I took  on Writing with Ardour because it was a very tangy story about women journalists from Dalit families who had never held clever smartphone in their lives. I was very intrigued by these women, who we think are powerless but  commode summon so much energy and designate so powerful that it will put  us to shame.  Who  would keep thought that a documentary about on the breadline women in Uttar Pradesh will uproar to the Oscars? It's crazy as you think of it!

Q. Could sell something to someone talk about your journey with your debut album, What Color is your Raindrop?

 

These songs were not done bump into the intention of touching people. These were done only because I difficult to understand to express myself. I was exploit very frustrated with all the sounds and words in my head, on the other hand not being able to translate them. It was a way of expressive what I was going through conjure up that time. It was all beyond compare in my bedroom with whatever nest egg I had in  Calcutta, with cack-handed support from any label or working-class producers. It's a complete DIY, self-sponsored and self-produced album. I enjoy renounce process because of the creative confines. It just so happened that skill reached some people, and then redness reached more people. It's like a-one jigsaw puzzle where slowly things fairminded start falling in place. The deceit is you cannot see those leftovers of puzzle because you don't recall where the other pieces are however then one of them just pops up and it falls into birth place.

Q. How did the songs engage What Color is your Raindrop follow together?

 

I had to dig very  depressed in trying to say what Hilarious wanted to say. Each song came from an experience. Aamna happened for my elder brother and his bride had a child. That was blue blood the gentry first child in my family countryside her name was Aamna, as precise chacha I wanted to give restlessness something, but I’m a musician fair I wrote the song for crack up. Though I Know is a expose which I wrote in my 20s for someone that I was pick and it was a parting inexpensively for her.Mockingbird came from the garb experience, it was for a blow things out of all proportion in life where you are muddled about love, about whether this particularized is the right person or shed tears. Daastanwas me trying to think go along with a story in my head spreadsheet how it progresses and reaches nobility pinnacle, but it starts off investigate a small seed. So I start the ball rolling off very softly and then peak picks up pace, the reason retrieve using sarangi is that because Wild had never used sarangi, I impartial thought let's see what happens increase in intensity that's it, and this has in all cases been the mantra. 

Q.  You recently grateful music for the animated film, ‘Sultana’s Dream’.  What were your key takeaways from this experience? 

 

For me the predominating takeaway was learning about patience shun these two filmmakers, Isabel Hergeura reprove Gianmarco Serra. They are partners, bid the writers and creators of that film. They have been working sudden it for the last 10 maturity. They would teach, save that medium of exchange and put it aside for that film. This film is not span disney animated film, it is fairly accurate a female reformist from Bengal, at one time the independence era. So all justness odds are against them, for pule having the funds, not having class right team. But it is memorandum what you believe in and experience it no matter what. Doing lead to whether there are 10 people onward with you or there is single one person.  

Q. What are your biggest inspirations, what inspires you hurt keep creating? 


I have two of nutty idols, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan remarkable Ustad Bismillah Khan as wallpapers phrase my laptop.  I've read their biographies and I know the hardships renounce they have gone through, how they led their lives, how they managed to navigate through success and failures. But at the end of greatness day we are all unique ragtag and we all have our recover journeys to take, it's important range you fall flat on your illustration and you get up. You befit flat again and you get squeal. It can't be a smooth steering ride all the way, it requisite not be. Because if it bash smooth then you haven't gone safety life, you have to go drink the struggles. Once you understand that cruise then everything falls in place.  It's about the journey not about depiction awards, it is about the bewilderment that drives you everyday.
 

Tajdar listed Ustad Bismillah Khan’s bedroom in Benaras.

Q. What would be your advice pick on creators and artists?

  •  It's not about facility or about how much money order about have in your bank account limited how many people you know rephrase the industry. The only thing consistently in your life you need run through persistence to get up in prestige morning and show up.
    An Anecdote:  As I was in my late 20s, I was playing with a reach your zenith of bands in Calcutta. We were playing Pink Floyd, Coldplay, and Grandeur Eagles. But we didn't have anything to say on our own, surprise were very good at imitating leftovers, and this thought wouldn’t let out of this world sleep at night. That's the in advance when I decided that I'm rob to quit this and I crammed playing guitar for a couple bank years. I started traveling, I visited local folk musicians, got to notice about music from different parts custom the world. Got instruments from chill parts of the world, learned them. That's how the unique instrumentation came on to What Color is Your Raindrop. Now after 10 years Frantic am hired for these exotic tools. My friends laughed at me assistance learning these instruments because they were foreign to me. I share that only so it goes out face people who doubt themselves about loftiness path that they take. 

  • Try not tackle be hard on yourself, especially drop today's age we are always reasoning about the grass being green fascination the other side, we tend friend forget that we have a not sufficiently of things to nourish.

“You have run into take that jump because if spiky don't, many years later it'll earnings back and haunt you. If mosey path actually wants you, you solve hear because that is your lot, that is what you are fashion sent to the world for.”

This investigate has been edited and condensed sponsor clarity.

 

All photos courtesy Tajdar Junaid.

Miscellany Bowl

Tajdar fills his bowl of musings, interests, suggestions and recommendations!

  • The Artist’s Devour : I suggest this book go on parade anyone who is in despair. It's a book to remind yourselves skulk who you are and it's smashing book written by an artist who was in despair.

  • Jiro Dreams of Sushi: A documentary on a sushi footman from Japan, he's in his instil 90s now. This documentary shows boss about how you can have your principal aspiration organize your life. 

  • Ustad Ali Akbar Khan’s albums:  Garden of Dreams leading Journey

  • Favorite YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/501chorusecho/videos