India's indie music scene still at nascent stage: Dhruv Ghanekar

Mumbai-based musician Dhruv Ghanekar, who would be seen performing with Ila Arun in the next episode of "Coke Studio@MTV Season 4", says the independent music scene in India is yet to develop fully.

"The indie music scene is still in a very nascent stage," Ghanekar, who is also the co-founder of Blue Frog -- a state of the art live performance venue with its presence in Mumbai and Pune, told IANS.

Ghanekar, who has composed music for films such as "Bombay Boys", "Drona" and "White Noise", has created three exclusive tracks for the forthcoming episode of "Coke Studio@MTV Season 4", which will go on air on Sunday.

"'Coke Studio' has, in a very short time, created a unique niche for itself. The sound has become almost a genre in itself," he said about the show, which is curated and composed by artists like Vishal-Shekhar, Amit Trivedi, Pritam and Ram Sampath among others this year.

He has collaborated with Rajasthani folk singer Ila Arun for one of the tracks, titled "Nimoli".

Said Ghanekar on the song and collaboration with Ila Arun: "'Nimoli' is based on a Marwari folk poem that personifies love with a fruit of 'neem'. Like the fruit, love has two sides -- a touch of sweetness and if unfulfilled it has a hint of bitterness."

Talking about working with Ila Arun, he said she is "a powerhouse performer and an invaluable source of Indian culture".

Ghanekar would also be seen performing two other tracks titled "Ae rab", a song which talks about man's quest for god, and "Birha", a song based on an ancient Bhojpuri tradition known as 'Khadi Birha' on the show. He has collaborated with Bhojpuri singer Kalpana Patowary and jazz singer Sonia Saigal and Master Saleem for these two songs.

The artist, who has performed with globally renowned musicians like Ustad Zakir Hussain, A.R. Rahman and Louis Banks, has a penchant for fusing Indian and western music.

"I've always been fascinated by music from other cultures. Not pop music, but indigenous and folk music from different parts of the world," he said.

Ghanekar's second album "Voyage" is a refreshing take on fusion with a rich and diverse pallet of musical styles which range from Indian folk to North and Western African music and even classic rock.

"The album is a metaphorical journey through various regions whose music has inspired me over the last few years. I have never travelled to Algeria or Mali, but have soaked myself in that music for a long time now," he said.