Three weeks and me

Ahead of releasing her work, singer and flautist Rasika Shekar on her three-week isolation to explore sounds, genres that speak to her

Kill Dil (2014) and 2 States (2014) musician Rasika Shekar’s upcoming work is expected to be a true reflection of her musical identity. She did, after all, isolate herself for three weeks in the picturesque locations of Banff to “write music that was completely unfiltered from all the labels I was putting on me”. Shekar, who has dabbled in a variety of genres over the years, wanted to study herself and understand “the genres, ideas, and tonality” that drove her. “It was an opportunity to understand my thoughts and learn what was emotionally driving my music. It wasn’t about making logical decisions. The first week was challenging because when you spend a lot of time alone, there’s discipline that’s expected of you. It took me four days to set a rhythm. It’s scary to be so aware of your thoughts. It’s like facing a mirror each day. But that’s the part I am most thankful for,” says Shekar.

Shekar hoped to be “close to nature” as she spent time in Banff working on her new music

Following a 25-minute uphill walk to her studio, Shekar would find herself amid snow-laden mountains and “beautiful tall trees”. “Occasionally, I would get a visit from a deer or a few birds. I saw the most exotic birds that I’ve ever seen in my life. The experience helped me understand why I started music in the first place. Also, it showed me aspects of myself that I was probably scared to explore.  I come from a melodically rich training, which is Indian classical music. I also play a monophonic instrument, so thinking about melodic ideas is a natural process. But, I would shy away from thinking about music from a harmonic standpoint until I worked on myself here. While composing, I had the childlike joy that I did when I began my music career.” 

Given that Shekar has grown up with an appetite for diverse genres, she found herself drawn to “the harmonic sound sketch from jazz”. “But, I also found the way electronic music is crafted, interesting. So, I wrote a piece that’s a hybrid of these worlds. I made them blend seamlessly because I was not bound by theory. The point was to unravel a [new] way of thinking. I thought of the melody that was speaking to me at that point, and then decided how the harmonies would embellish the melody. I’ve created four tracks which have elements of electronic music, R&B, jazz, and Indian classical music.”

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