Guitar guru Amyt Datta is the go-to guy for many musicians in the city. Singer-songwriter Anupam Roy had also gone to him to learn the guitar around three years ago. He discontinued after two months but they kept in touch. Now, Amyt and Anupam have got together to strum up some cool melodies and lyrics in English. While Anupam has written, composed and sung the songs, Amyt has played guitar and arranged them. A t2 chat in Anupam’s Lake Gardens home...
How did this collaboration start?
Anupam: I have been writing English songs for a while now, but wasn’t very confident about it. This March, I went to Amytda’s place with 10-12 songs that I had written. I wanted to know from him how the songs were working out. Amytda was very encouraging. I asked him whether the songs were recording-worthy. Amytda told me to go ahead. He chose the two songs — Girl In A Bookstore and Regular Guy.
Amytda, why did you agree to work on this project?
Amyt: I heard him singing in English… and I found that the songs have a certain kind of honesty to them. And the songs make sense within their genre. He stuck to a certain parameter and he was true to that. It came out very genuine. He knows exactly what he wants and what he doesn’t. Both the songs sound complete.
Anupam: He felt motivated to work on the songs.
What’s the one thing that you discovered about each other...
Amyt: Every Bengali girl wants to marry Anupam (laughs out loud)!
Anupam: How did you discover this?!
Amyt: He is so poised and polished! The quietness appeals.
Anupam: So Amytda, you are in touch with a lot of Bengali girls these days!
Amyt: I see the reactions of his fans in concerts.
You have also experienced this fan adulation Amytda!
(Amyt laughs)
Anupam: Amytda has passed on the baton.
Amyt: But seriously, if he walks out now, he’ll get mobbed. But he doesn’t throw that (vibe)! I know people who fly in one dark space that’s not there!
Anupam: But one thing I forgot to mention… Amytda’s enthusiasm is really high. It’s more than any young musician’s. We also shot two videos, and he was there on time every day. He put in so much effort in the shoot also, so that we could present it well. He even kicked a football.
Amyt: At heart I am still a boy or a child. I get so excited before a rehearsal. I enjoy doing videos thoroughly. It’s part of the whole deal. A musician’s life is like an evening or a night out! There’s good vibes all the time. You get to meet new people, eat new food…
Anupam, what’s the one thing you discovered about Amytda?
Anupam: He recorded his acoustic guitar portions in one take.
I met Amytda at a concert a few years ago. I found him to be very humble. And my admiration for him, which was already there, just gradually increased. It’s our privilege that we have a musician like Amytda in our city. Ideally, he should be working more. More people should be working with him.
Tell us about the songs.
Anupam: Girl In A Bookstore comes from experience. I liked a girl in a bookstore. But before I could figure things out, she had left. I wrote it five years ago. The second song Regular Guy is slightly autobiographical. Some of it is made up to make it attractive. I wrote it last December.
Amytda, would you like to work more in popular films?
Amyt: I won’t go. If someone comes up to me and asks me, and if I like it, I’ll do it. I am open to it.
Do you follow popular Bengali and Hindi music?
Amyt: I have no idea.
Do you feel like composing music for films?
Amyt: Yes, I feel sometimes. Maybe, a black-and-white detective film. It can be dangerously romantic… I like the idea. I have told Anjan (Dutt).
Anupam, why write in English?
Anupam: I started writing in English many years ago. But after passing out of college, I concentrated on writing Bengali songs. But with Girl In A Bookstore, it happened very organically. And then I expanded the song. And talking about the sound, I just surrendered myself to Amytda. Since I composed the songs on the guitar, I wanted the sound to be guitar-based. Amytda took care of the arrangement.
Amyt: I heard the sonic vibe in Anupam’s songs. I know his musical behaviour. Anupam has this straight-forward, direct approach without being cheesy. These are nice pop songs, really tasty.
How did you work out the diction?
Anupam: I started making lots of people listen to the songs, and taking feedback from everyone, including Amytda’s. I don’t have an American or UK accent. This is my Calcutta accent.
Amyt: He is being genuine.
Anupam: The best part about working with Amytda is that he is so encouraging.
How many times did you sit for rehearsals?
Anupam: Maybe four-five times, before we hit the studios. I got to know about so many nuances. I composed the tunes on basic chords, but Amytda brought a wide range of notes to it. It was a big thing for me to learn.
Amytda, what was your takeaway from this experience?
Amyt: It was sounding so fresh. And I got this great vibe and energy from a new bunch of people. I really enjoyed myself. The other challenge for me was to enhance the personality of the songs, and then expand on it, keeping Anupam’s musical behaviour intact.
Amytda, you have arranged the songs. How do you view this role of yours?
Amyt: The clarity of thought… I wanted to know what he was actually hearing in his head. The form was already there in the songs, and it was one of the reasons that made it genuine.
How did you approach your guitar solos?
Amyt: I had to pull out my old chops. The ones I played in the 1980s and 1990s. These days when I take a solo, I’ll start with a topic, expand on the idea and then bring it to a conclusion. This is me now. But for Anupam’s songs, I played for the song. To the point. The song isn’t playing you.