Mohit Chauhan: Melody King to Green Ambassador

Rakesh Lohumi

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He has sung a wide variety of songs and achieved phenomenal success as a playback singer in highly competitive Bollywood, but his love for folk melodies remains undiminished. Indeed, Mohit Chauhan is still very much a “man of the mountains”, and his long stay in the tinsel city, far away from his native state Himachal, has  not severed his deep bonding with Nature.

In fact, bringing Pahadi folk music to the national mainstream and preserving the fragile mountain environment are his primary concerns today. He never misses any occasion to showcase Himachali folk songs at the national and the international platforms and he has been actively associated with awareness drives on important social issues like the “Save Our Rivers” campaign. He has been nominated as the “Green Ambassador” by the Sikkim government to promote the state known for its rich biodiversity and environment-friendly policies.

“Melody is the soul of music and all advancements in digital technology, particularly the electronic processors, which have revolutionised the music industry, should only be used to enhance its emotional impact. Real music comes from the core of one’s heart and that is the reason for the timeless quality of folk melodies,” maintains Chauhan who was the star performer at the Shimla Fest held early this week.

The music landscape has largely become globalised and with fast-emerging technologies, new trends are evolving in popular music. However, technology is not an unmixed blessing; it can work wonders if put to good use. Inappropriate and excessive use of digital tools, which is more often the case these days, kills melody. Young musicians are usually carried away by technology and as a result the melodic elements that sustain all kinds of music are relegated to the background, he explains.

Referring to his own approach, he said, “I have always focussed on the melody and strived to enhance the emotional feel, while retaining the rustic flavour of original folk songs.” This is perhaps the main factor behind the immense popularity of his Himachali folk songs like “Morni,” “Mai Ni Meriye” and “Thanda Pani”.

He said he was working on some new songs, which would be released one after the other over the next few months. One of his upcoming projects entitled “Shimla” was a Hindi song based on a romantic theme. It was a foot-tapping number with elements of both folk and contemporary music, a fusion of traditional and modern music. Once released, the song will bring Shimla on the lips of every youth across the country, he hoped.

In his view, the best way to retain the character and feel of folk songs is to stick to acoustic musical instruments. The music arrangement must be in sync with the melodic character, dynamics and the theme of the original song. Use of digital accompaniments in place of  acoustic folk instruments strips the songs of their emotional feel. Selective use of modern instruments with an uncluttered music arrangement can enhance the dynamics of the song and help expand the outreach of folk music.

Mohit Chauhan enjoys performing live, as he has the knack of instantly striking a rapport with the audience. With his interactive style, he is able to actively involve youngsters. Nothing gives him more satisfaction than performing before a packed house in his home state. His latest show at the Shimla Fest was one such event at which his diehard fans turned out in strength, braving incessant rain and extreme cold, making the show a huge success.   

However, his biggest moment as a live performer has been the concert at Gangtok where the largest turnout of 80,000 made it a memorable occasion. He was informed by the local ministers that the gathering was unprecedented and almost three times the size of a normal audience at such events. He said it was perhaps because of his association with the campaign to preserve the green cover being carried out by the Sikkim government in the state under which he had also adopted a tree as “Meet” (friend) to protect forests.

Besides live shows, Chauhan has been of late also holding online music concerts, making good use of digital social-media platforms to reach out to his fans. The aesthetics of his own albums, the set-list he chooses for his online concerts and the causes he espouses and campaigns for reflect his persona and philosophy of life. He picked up “Ud Jayega Hans Akela,” the famous Nirguni bhajan immortalised by the legendry Indian classical vocalist, Kumar Gandharv, for his first online concert. The bhajan penned by the 15th century poet, Sant Kabir, was rendered in his own style, retaining the spiritual essence.

Like most gifted artistes, Chauhan is an emotionally sensitive person and always associates himself with social causes. He made headlines when the Supreme Court Judges joined him on the stage at the Kerala Flood-relief Fundraiser event, oraganised by a group of journalists. The list of social causes he has been espousing is getting longer steadily. He has been performing at various universities and educational institutes under the “Youth for Truth” programme of the Isha Foundation. An animal lover, he is also involved with some non-government organisations providing fluorescent collars for stray dogs and cattle to save them from being run over by speeding vehicles during the night.  

Regarding his plans about his native state, he said, “Himachal is my first love and I would like to contribute in whatever way I can to its uplift, development and prosperity. He had a meeting with Chief Minister Jairam Thakur and discussed his concerns regarding environment and also some ideas about promoting Himachal’s culture, particularly folk songs, dances, theatre and oral story tradition.