Straight heart! FROM THE

POPULAR SUFI AND PLAYBACK SINGER HARSHDEEP KAUR RECENTLY REGALED DUBAI WITH HER MESMERIZING AND SOULFUL RENDITIONS AT THE WINTER MUSIC FEST PRESENTED BY DANUBE PROPERTIES AND ORGANISED BY SPOTLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT. OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE ‘SUFI KI SULTANA’, THE SINGER HAS GIVEN US NOTABLE SONGS SUCH AS ‘DILBARO’ (RAAZI),‘NACHDE NE SAARE’ (BAAR BAAR DEKHO),‘HEER’ (JAB TAK HAI JAAN),‘KATIYA KARUN’ (ROCKSTAR),‘IK ONKAR’ (RANG DE BASANTI),‘ZAALIMA’ (RAEES); ‘KABIRA’ (YEH JAWANI HAI DEEWANI) AND ‘JUGNI JI’ (COCKTAIL) AMONGST SEVERAL OTHER HITS. AS I CAUGHT UP WITH THE SINGER FOR A CANDID CHAT, SHE TALKED MUCH ABOUT HER JOURNEY AS AN ARTISTE, THE PASSION FOR MUSIC AND THE DUBAI EXPERIENCE.

How exciting is it performing in Dubai?

It’s very exciting because Dubai has always been a wonderful audience. I’ve been coming a lot to Dubai in the last year, mostly for private gigs. But public concert ka ek alag hi charm hota hai. You know when people spend money, buy tickets, come with their friends and family in a mood to enjoy a concert - you know that they are music-lovers. So, that is very exciting.

What’s your headspace like ahead of a concert?

I try my best to make it a memorable experience for my audience. Because, if they want to listen to regular songs, they can always do that on their music apps. But, when it comes to LIVE music, there has to be something different for the audience. So, we plan that with a band. We sometimes change the arrangement of the song, I do a lot of talking with the audience and there’s a lot of interaction that happens only in LIVE concerts. So there’s a different vibe and energy to it altogether.

Playback or performing LIVE - What is more exciting for you as an artiste?

Well, both have their own charm. When you’re in the studio, it’s more like a learning experience and also where all your learnings actually come into use. So, all your knowledge of classical music or whatever music you have been trained for, it actually comes in use when you’re doing playback singing. Especially if you’re singing a song about a particular situation, you’re bound to sing in those particular expressions. But when it comes to LIVE music, anything can happen. It’s like catching the vibe of the audience.

And every time it’s like a rollercoaster ride. You don’t know what you’re going to feel. You get jitters before going on stage. And you don’t know what kind of audience you’re going to see. Thoda khulne me time lagta hai dheere-dheere. You get to know the audience; the audience is getting to know you. So, the excitement level is different.

Is this year all the more special for you as you complete two decades in the industry?

Yes (laughs). I started my career with a film called Aapko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai, which was my first film song. I was only 16 then and it has been a beautiful journey. It was not easy because we shifted from Delhi to Mumbai. I had no godfather, no relatives in the industry. But thankfully I had my family’s support and the audience has always loved me. I came across very good people in the music industry and met really good music directors who understood my voice and gave me songs accordingly. So, I think it’s because of all love and blessings of my gurus also. I won’t take full credit for it.

What have been the milestones in the journey? Any game-changers? I would call them milestones, not gamechangers because it’s not just one thing or one song that changes everything. There are a lot of connecting points in a career which really matter. So a lot of connecting dots, a lot of songs become milestones. Like ‘Ik Onkar’ was one such prayer that I sang in Rang De Basanti. That brought me into limelight. But people didn’t know me by my face. And later when they saw me in reality show Junoon, they connected the dots like okay she’s the same singer who sang ‘Ik Onkar’. So it’s a very slow, but steady process and I’m very thankful for this journey.

Any actor, any filmmaker, who’s on your wish list that you wish to playback for?

Thankfully, I have sung for most of the actors. Almost everyone. And I’m grateful for this journey. But yes, I’ve never sung for Kareena Kapoor. Maybe soon someday. I really like her craft. And Madhuri Dixit also.

There have been many changes in the industry, in terms of the platforms for upcoming artistes, the views dictating hits, there’s more competition too… What’s your take on all this?

In a way it is good that everybody gets a platform to showcase their talent. Anybody who can sing can just switch on the camera and upload a cover of their music or sing a song. But, it has a bad side also because there’s too much technology around. So, the normal people don’t get to know who’s actually a good singer and who’s an auto-tuned one. So, technology is being misused too. And yes, the success of a song is now actually depending on how it’s promoted, how many reels have been made on it, which wasn’t there in my case. Back then we were happy just seeing our songs being played on TV or radio. Then later the views thing came in, like how many views does a song get, then there were TikTok videos happening and now the success is actually compared with how many reels have been made on which trending song! When we started, our songs were hits despite all this not available at that time. So, the trends keep changing. After one year you’ll see something else as a media of promotion.

Have you ever had to compromise as an artiste to fit into the commercial aspect of being a singer? Honestly, I haven’t done that. That’s why if you ever look at my profile also, you won’t find me doing trends or following what other people are doing. I always do what comes from my heart. Because if I also start following others then I won’t be any different from them. So, honestly our job is to just create good music and then leave it to the audience, if they like it, great! And if it trends then very good, but I cannot follow trends, because that won’t be me then. And my listeners will sense that too. So, it’s better to do something that you’re good at rather than following others.

Almost all your songs have a strong recall value...

Thank you so much! I’m blessed that I’ve got songs like that and I aim to keep on doing that. You might feel that the quantity is less but I always go for the quality. Even if it is one song, people should always remember it and connect to it. So there should be an emotion that the song stirs in you. Without it, the songs are easily forgotten!

What will we find in your playlist?

Top 5! These days, it’s just nursery rhymes. My son, he’ll be two years old in March.

What are the kind of songs that you listen to when you need to de-stress? Is it mostly your own songs, because they definitely work for us! (Laughs) No, when I listen to my songs, I keep finding mistakes or points where I feel like I could have sung better. Sometimes, I get very critical of my singing. Also I’m not that self-obsessed, so I don’t listen to my own songs. But I love listening to very soothing music. A lot of songs by Ali Sethi, I really love his voice. A lot of sufi music by Nusrat Sahab, Rahman Sir, Reshma Ji, Abida Ji. So it’s a mixed bag. Coke Studio songs. Something that is soulful and upbeat and it takes you to another world. You tend to forget all your worries.

Do you miss Coke Studio in India?

In India only four seasons happened and I was part of all four of them. But yes, definitely, I feel our country should also have its own Coke Studio with more original music. We have so much folk music in our country also. So yes, I really miss that. Any artiste that you want to collaborate with for an album or song?

Actually many singers. So I am collaborating on a song with a very dear friend and he’s an amazing singer - Ash King. We are recording a duet that should be out really soon. So I’m looking forward to that.