Salman Ahmad in performance

Is your coming out with a solo album the last nail in the coffin for Junoon?

Infiniti is an album which encompasses my love for classic rock (Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Santana), Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and R. D. Burman’s era of Bollywood music.

When I came up with the name Junoon for my band in a dream long ago, I copyrighted it immediately because Junoon stands for a state of mind, body and soul and can never be extinguished.

You will be seeing Junoon appear in different incarnations in the times to come. And Salman Ahmad is one of them.

How difficult do you feel it is to break out from a successful band and create an individual identity?

Sting, Paul McCartney, Phil Collins and others who have followed the solo path show that song-writing is the key element of any artiste’s identity. They have had careers which have outlasted the length of their band’s musical output.

Music is my junoon and songs like Ghoom tana inspire me to embrace change and to keep creating new songs for old and new listeners.

So, is Infiniti the reflection of a state of mind or the culmination of a long musical journey?

Infiniti reflects both a musical and a geographical journey. I grew up in the US and South Asia and was inspired by the poetry and music of both east and west, rock and qawwali.

I recorded it in New York with John Alec (Edgar Winter Band), Jay Dittamo (Frank Zappa Band) and my tabla-dholak percussionist Ashiq Ali.

By experiencing both cultures my music and poetry expresses an emotional language which my audience find real and honest.

Since my mother’s family came from Patiala, I dedicated Infiniti to the people of Patiala and my grandparents. Deepak Chopra recently asked me to provide Ghoom tana for his film How To Know God because he was looking for music which expressed love, hope and unity in a traditional and a modern sense.

Ghoom tana shares the film soundtrack with Madonna’s Om shanti from her album Ray of Light.

Has Infiniti brought out the best in you?

Infiniti has given me the opportunity to express a much deeper emotion and explore a wider palette of sound colours than any of my previous albums with Junoon.

As an artiste I’m always trying to break new musical ground and in songs like Ghoom tana, Alvida, Yaar main nachoongi, Do dil, Main tumse door and Sagar, people get to hear an eclectic yet memorable collection of love songs, both romantic and spiritual.

What has been the reaction to the album from your Junoon mates Ali and Brian?

Since I’m based in New York, most of my interaction has been with Brian and he said something which struck me.

Brian said that Infiniti reveals my real persona and still manages to push the envelope.

i said that he wished he had been on the album.

Ali himself and now Fuzon’s Shafqat Amanat Ali have sung in Hindi movies. Do you not want to join the Bollywood bandwagon?

Well, as I said, I have just provided Ghoom tana for Deepak Chopra’s film.

Now I am in talks with Wyclef Jean to do a possible collaboration. But yes, I would love to have a song in a Karan Johar film.

Finally, is junooni for life?

Junooni is for this life and beyond.