New Delhi, Aug 3 : Assamese singer
Papon says he
is on a mission to take his native state's folk music to a "different
level" by mixing it with electronic beats to create what he calls
"
folktronica".
Born to Assamese music legends
Archana Mahanta and
Khagen Mahanta,
Papon was introduced to local sounds in his childhood.
"My
father is a folk legend, so I could understand folk and liked it
myself. I thought folk should go somewhere, because it was not heard
everywhere. I wanted to take our music to the next level. So now, I'm
trying to make contemporary folk happen in a new sound state,"
Papon
told IANS.
The singer began to work on his aim seriously when he
formed the band
Papon and The East India Company in 2007. The market for
folk was not too big back then, but the scenario is brighter now, he
says.
"Folk is counted in mainstream now. But when I started in
2007 with
Papon and East India Company, there was no word such as
folktronica then. Then we started mixing electronic with folk," he
added.
Papon's discography also includes popular Bollywood songs
like "
Jiyein kyun" ("Dum Maaro Dum") and "Zindagi aisi waisi" ("I Am
Kalam"). Lately, he has developed a fan following with his association
with MTV Coke Studio, where the youth get to connect with his new age
sounds that are deeply rooted in his native culture.
He has faith in his music, and says: "It's not yet big, but it is going to be bigger."
His
art has also bagged him a nomination at the annual Global Indian Music
Academy Awards (GIMA) for his first Hindi album "The story so far..",
and he is excited. But what is it that excites him more - a live stage
performance or a studio recording?
"I enjoy both equally. There
are two sides of me - one side loves interacting with people, because
music is all about human stories. If you're doing human stories, then
you should connect with humans around. I love doing live and I connect
with the people. I'm possessed when I'm on stage," he said.
"And
while making music in the studio, it's you and your world. When you
close your eyes there, everything around you is everything you want it
to be. So that is another stage. It's heavenly," he added.
© IANS 
