Musical knot

Jasmine Singh

When the term ‘poles apart’ was coined probably someone had singers Jassi Gill and Babbal Rai in mind. If Jassi can crack a joke at the drop of his hat, Babbal rather nods at the PJs. But when Jassi casually slips his fingers on the casio, Babbal lifts with a tune or two. These musical brothers for life, no matter how different in their persona, unite beautifully on a musical platform.

Not all musical friendships make a harmonious rhythm, some actually are like a snag, the end note, however, is always music. This Friendship Day goes out to all those friends united by a strong force called music, and what this force has done to them.

An ice breaker

Well, you would have heard it a hundred times before, for the 101 time again, music connects souls. “The soul talk, well, I wouldn’t know about that, but yes, music works as strong connecting and breaking force too,” shares Inderpreet Singh, lead vocalist of the popular Faridkot band. A band that started with four members is now just a story of the two, IP and Raj. The same music created differences among the other members, and the same music has kept Rajarshi Sanyal and IP as one team.

People with similar interests are known to get along well. But similar interests can create differences as well. Some manage to bury these differences and strengthen their friendship bond while others carry the fire in their heart.

Is this the right track?

Interest in music is not a criterion for friendship; it has, however, been a base for many-lasting friendships like that of Bollywood actor and singer from Chandigarh Ayushmaan Khurana and his childhood friend Rochak Kohli, a popular music composer from Chandigarh jammed on the first day of their meeting, at school (St Johns). “I was playing the tabla on my pencil box, and he started singing Hai apna dil to awaara... well, this was the beginning of our friendship, which stands here today, strong and musically bound.”

Approvals and disapprovals are always a part of music making process, but Ayushmaan and Rochak have not let this come in between. “We both know that it is not about ego, it is about creating our kind of music, something that we love doing together,” shares Rochak.

Sameer and his musical gang of The Collective Project on the other hand don’t have a long association. When they met a year ago, they felt this association was bound to happen, and they all owe it to the similar musical interest, “in different genres though,” they quickly add. Sameer elaborates a bit, “Simar and I met six years back through a common friend. We started working together under the banner Chakra:Vu at that time. And I met Azeem, five years back when we performed together for New Year’s Eve at Smoke House Deli, Chandigarh. Then we formed our band 3 The People along with Swaraansh, who was introduced to me by Azeem, so you see this is how karma brought us together through music, and now our lives largely revolve around it."