Garg: Hoping for a splash

Guwahati, March 19: Musical notes of the Northeast are poised to set hearts afire across the globe, courtesy a proposed “world fusion music” album by popular musician Zubeen Garg.

Zubeen told The Telegraph over phone from Mumbai that the album was “an ambitious project”, being the first such venture by a musician from the Northeast. However, he expressed confidence that he would be able to pull it off.

“I hope the album will make a splash since world fusion music is the latest trend. World music is a global wave and the region's music has all the exotic elements that people from all corners of the earth can attune to easily. In fact, I am sure our music will get greater attention in the international arena,” the charismatic singer said.

The yet-to-be-titled album will be ready for release “sometime in mid-2004”.

Musicologists describe world fusion music as one that blends contemporary global tunes with original folk harmony. World fusion music has been riding the rhythm waves since the beginning of this century.

“I have already completed work on the tunes and lyrics of three numbers in the album, and am now working on the fourth. Research on different musical elements of the region is continuing, too,” said the singer, who has already made his mark in Bollywood playback singing with Fiza and Kaante.

Zubeen is negotiating with Virgin Records for his new album. It is a sign of his growing stature as a singer that representatives of two other big names in the industry, Universal and Sony, have approached him. The mixing of the album will probably be done in London and, “hopefully”, released there.

The lyrics will be in English and the dialects and languages of the Northeast, including Mising, Karbi and Bodo. “Some of the songs will be rendered by folk artistes as only such voices will be able to reflect the essence of the music,” Zubeen said. The videos will be shot entirely in the Northeast, with Zubeen hoping to do his bit in promoting tourism in the region. “The videos will not only reflect the lyrical beauty of the songs, but also showcase the region’s tourism potential,” the singer-composer said.

The compositions will be a mix of extracts from original folk tunes and creative fusion music. The lyrics will range from the progressive to the philosophical. “There will be love songs, too, albeit of a metaphysical nature,” Zubeen said.

Zubeen stormed the Assamese music scene a decade ago with his solo album Anamika. He has been dominating the charts since then, his oeuvre including Maya, Asha, Rong, Mukti, Sabda, Rongmon, Pakhi, Hiyamon and Sishu. The films for which he has composed music are Tumi Mur Matho Mor, Hiya Diya Niya, Nayak, Daag, Bidhata and Agnisakshi.