Kavita Seth: ‘Auto-tune was used for corrections; now full-fledged songs are made with it’

Kavita Seth recently released her nine-track album 'Dayaar-e-Rooh'.

Singer Kavita Seth has given us many memorable melodies including Iktara (Wake Up Sid!), Tum hi ho bandhu (Cocktail), Mora piya (Raajneeti), Ki Jaana (Double XL), among others. Three years ago, the Bollywood-Sufi singer and her son, music composer, producer, and indie-electronic artiste Kanishk Seth, released the traditional thumri, Rangisari. Artist Indrajit Nattoji did the music video with an impressionist series of hand-painted art.

Last year, the song Rangisari was used in Jugjugg Jeeyo, which stars Varun Dhawan and Kiara Advani. Recently, Seth released her latest album Dayaar-e-Rooh, which features nine live-recorded tracks. For her, Sufism has always been a major source of inspiration, and this new album, too, is all about that. In an exclusive chat with Moneycontrol, she talks about her album, the rise of OTT, prevalence of auto-tune software and more. Edited excerpts:

This album comes after a long time — what took you so long?

Yes, this album has taken a long time. The pandemic was one of the reasons for the delay. Apart from that, nowadays, the trend is to release singles and I have released quite a few singles in the meantime. An album takes time, it is a compilation of songs, and it means creating eight to 10 pieces. It is about being mentally prepared as well, which again needs time and, hence, the gap between my previous album and this one.

What is this album all about?

This album pays tribute to different poets and that’s why I have named the album Dayaar-E-Rooh. When feelings are put to words then it becomes a song or a ghazal and there are many such works in this. Three works of poet Jagdish Prakash have been incorporated. A poet from Punjab, Anjum Ludhianvi, had written a beautiful ghazal piece for my Anand Utsav concert and now, after ten years, I have made that a part of this album. I have also included a ghazal written by Rajesh Reddy. Sometime back, I’d read a nazm on Facebook written by retired IAS officer, Shamim Zehra. I loved it and put it to tune. Iss album mein har gahzal apne aap mein mukkammal hai, every song is complete in itself and this album is a great compilation. Main umeed karti hoon ki iss album ko log bahut pyaar denge. I hope it appeals to the listeners.

Tell us about the struggles singers have to face when it comes to getting royalty for their work?

Yes, struggle toh har kisi ki rehti hai, and singers ki bhi struggles hain. But the advent of the digital medium has changed things a lot because singers are not dependent on music labels and music companies any more. There are many more platforms now, where they can showcase their songs and creations and earn royalty from those platforms. Compared to earlier times, things are much better now and we are getting more than we were earlier, from multiple mediums. If more laws are changed about royalty, it will benefit the singers.

What do you feel about the rise of auto-tune softwares in the industry?

Auto-tune was initially used to make small corrections, but now full-fledged songs are being made with the help of auto-tune. I believe it’s better to stay away from it. Better to do your riyaaz and improve your skill.

With OTT gaining a prime place now, do you feel singers and musicians are getting a better deal?

Definitely. OTT platforms have brought much better opportunities for singers. Also, most singers, musicians want to be youtubers these days which is also a great avenue. Everybody is getting work and that is a great thing, because earlier people wouldn’t, and they’d get into depression. Covid made us realise that you can work well and earn even while sitting at home if you are well-networked. You don’t have to live in Mumbai to realise your dream as a singer. Singers from small towns are also able to showcase their talent because the digital medium has changed things completely.

What is your take on singles being used by filmmakers for their films, such as Rangisari?

As an independent artiste, I feel that when a single that is already popular is used in a film, then its reach magnifies manifold. Rangisari was a popular song so it was a great opportunity for me to sing it in my way for Jugjugg Jeeyo (2022). The film version, Rangisari, was received very well. Every singer adds their bit to a song and so does the filmmaker, who places the song in a manner that it lends itself to the film in a special way. Since the song already had a good reach, it being featured in the film, gave it a major boost.