BY ADITY CHOUDHURY
Writing and recording a music album is always a huge moment for any musician. So is the case with Mumbai-based singer-songwriter, Ambarish Nag (his artist name being Ambarish), who has just released his first-ever Hindi single Bhor Taaraa.
Primarily a guitar player, Nag was born in Tura, Meghalaya, and is currently based out of Mumbai. He studied music in Los Angeles from 2017 to 2019.
His foray into music began at the age of six, when he was introduced to the tabla by his mother, a trained Hindustani classical singer. Gradually, he fell in love with the instrument and continued learning it before shifting to his instrument of choice.
His influences are BB King, Eric Clapton, Kishore Kumar and Shankar Mahadevan, among others. He has a cover version of Bombay rain (originally by Blackstratblues, a solo project by Warren Mendonsa) and his own rendition of Jana Gana Mana.
The Slate caught up with Nag on his latest song.
Bhor Taaraa begins with a 30-second catchy hook. The lyrics are introspective, yet not heavy on the ears. The urban vibe of the song is unmistakeable.
Imagine living in a metro, working the late-night shift in a company. It’s a song you could listen to while returning home in the office cab with colleagues who doze off or scroll through their social media profile or catch up with a lover over a phone call.
You listen on the go as you observe the silence and the streetlamps, in an otherwise chaotic big city.
This late-night vibe shows because Nag worked in the corporate sector in Bangalore before becoming a full-time musician.
“Bhor Taaraa is about overcoming fear and taking a leap of faith in life. In that sense it is not different from my songs. They come from a deep personal space”, Nag said.He wrote the song originally in English, naming it Morning Star – and he plans to release it soon. Later, he realised that a Hindi version of the song would “sound great”. Regarding the lyrics of the single, Nag credits Saras, whom he met through a mutual friend, adding that he cannot write lyrics in Hindi himself.
The riff of the song was inspired by a caller tune he was listening to while on hold during a phone call, and he later “figured out the rest based on the inspirations” he had over the years.
Once the writing process was complete, he began recording. The guitars were done by Nag from his home studio set-up in Mumbai. The drums and vocals were recorded at Deep Root Institute of Music, Guwahati. On drums is Ajitav Choudhury, who is based in Guwahati, while his Dehradun-based friend Sachin Gupta is on keys and organ. The bass has been recorded by London-based Harry Mathew. The vocals were by Nag. Beyond Myths Studio, Dehradun completed the mixing and mastering of the track.
Speaking on the process, Nag said that creating a song from scratch is always a “fun and rewarding process”.
“This song is really special for me because it is my first Hindi song,” he said.
Bhor Taaraa is available on all major digital platforms like YouTube, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
