Making a case for the need for creativity in music, Sanu, who clocks 35 years in the industry, on why songs of the ’90s are still desirable
Kumar Sanu
While marking the completion of 35 years in the industry as a musician, Kumar Sanu makes a pertinent point. If the music of this day and age had the ability to draw large audiences, he asks, “Why do you think we are so busy then?”
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Referencing the decade of the ’90s, he says, “[At the time], when a director gave a composer the task of creating music, the composer would be trusted entirely. There wouldn’t be any interference in his work, and due to that, there would be creativity in music. The songs not only had variation, but were also aligned with the narrative. There is a lot of interference now. Today’s listener also likes the music of the ’90s. It is only the producers who don’t understand this. Why do you think [musicians like me] are so busy today? It is because of the [dearth] of good music, and the lack of good-quality lyrical writing today.”
Young composers, he says, will be better served by creating a brand identity. “They should create singles for brand awareness. It is important to note that if a film flops, the music flops too. So, it is ideal that one does not depend on [film music] alone.”
Also Read: Kavita Krishnamurti: I'm sure Kumar Sanu got paid much more
He busts popular notion when highlighting that film music isn’t the ideal means to make money, as was once believed. “People don’t make money in Bollywood. I don’t think that’s how money is made today. Many people work for free to avail the opportunity to sing for [their favourite composers]. The system of money-making that was once there is no longer prevalent.”
Although a familiar face on singing reality shows, Sanu says he isn’t convinced of the fact that they can “churn out good singers”. “I don’t believe they can. They sing our songs, not their own. They also [replicate] the way we rendered it, so, there is no individuality or identity. They want to mimic the popular singers, but they don’t establish their own identity.”
Apart from highlighting that lyric-writing in the film industry needs attention, he also laments the tendency to depend on vulgarity to grab eyeballs. “The CEO of a popular music-streaming site told me that the age group of consumers listening to my music ranges from 16 to 32. Can you believe that? People think young individuals don’t want to listen to our music. In the garb of catering to the young generation’s tastes, they are selling vulgar music. They don’t desire that.”
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