When Indian-American composer Ricky Kej's 'Winds of Samsara' won Grammy for the Best New Age Album, it was a moment of pride for Keralites: The reason being Manoj George, a Thrissur native who worked on the choral arrangements of two its tracks.
Although a familiar name in the Indian music circuit, Manoj's popularity among the masses still largely owes to his opening act for Bryan Adams' Bangalore show in 2001, along with Raghu Dixit and co.
The first and the only Indian violinist to endorse the Roland Corporation, the world's leading manufacturers of electronic musical instruments, Manoj deftly fuses jazz, melody and folk, making signature tracks that are never stuck in a genre.
Also to his credit is the background score of Malayalam movie Kharaksharangal, which won the the national award for the best children's film in 2001. Recently, had composed the music for the Jayasurya-flick Vaadhyar.
Despite being at the helm of his career, the unassuming songsmith continues to do what he does best – composing music. To him, there is always a scope for improvement. In a conversation with Onmanorama, Manoj tells us more about his life, passion for music and of the many ways music ought to be promoted across the country.
In the beginning
A passionate violinist, Manoj hails from Olarikkara in Thrissur. While his father is a retired government official, his mother is a housewife. At present, Manoj resides in Bengaluru with his wife and two children. When asked about his greatest inspirations in the field of music, Manoj said, “I was inspired to play the violin after listening to a violinist at a church choir in Thrissur. Later, I was influenced by many renowned western classical musicians as well Indian maestros such as L. Subramaniam.”
Manoj made his début stage performance when he was in the eleventh standard. Those days, Manoj was also a member of a popular Thrissur-based orchestra. Over the years, he worked with several renowned musicians in Kerala, including Raveendran Master.
The melodist believes that while self-learning does prove useful to an extent, it is better for a musician to be taught the basics of the instrument under the guidance of a teacher before venturing into the arenas of the self-learning. “In the case of self-learning, there are chances that one might learn the wrong techniques of playing the instrument,” he added.
Avenues for art forms other than commercial cinema
While cultural festivals at schools and colleges across the state encourage students to showcase their talents, reality appears otherwise. Manoj believes that the film industry has made it difficult for 'non-film' artistes to make a living.
“About 25 per cent of the musicians enjoy film music and become part of the film world my choice. The others try to promote themselves and compose albums on their own. There are so many such albums but how many are aware of them? The government, along with the support of the other people, should work towards this,” said Manoj.
He also mentioned that certain initiatives can be taken to create awareness about the various genres of music. “Just as how the state awards are distributed under various categories every year, music should also be given its due recognition in a similar manner. Perhaps, there could be a 'non-film' awards category,” he opined.
While India does offer a lot of scope for music, the country is not a breeding ground for musicians according to Manoj. Thus, many are compelled to seek a job in the music industry abroad. “Eveything seems to revolve around cinema or serials. Reality shows do give aspiring musicians an exposure to an extent. Only a few enter the film industry and probably do well. The others have to fight it out,” he said.
To tune into the radio or YouTube?
With regards to the impact of radio in the music world, the violinist expressed a rather different view. He said that unlike radio stations abroad, which play different genres of music on different radio stations, Indian radio stations seem to promote film music alone.
Youtube has opened many doors for independent musicians. Manoj commented, “Thanks to YouTube, many new artistes are beginning to get some degree of exposure. Their compositions and albums seem to be reach out to many people in an effective manner. But even YouTube has its limits. One would eventually need the support of record companies as well as a lot of support from the media. Also, he or she has to work towards promoting themselves and the work they do. The learning does not stop. They have to acquire as much knowledge as they can.
The Grammy
“It was a dream come true for me. I guess I was lucky. I have worked on several albums and have composed music for a lot of films too. But this is truly different. I am extremely grateful to Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman for giving an opportunity to work them,” said Manoj, who sounds elated and grounded at the same time. “But it does not stop with one Grammy award. There is always scope for improvement,” he seems unstoppable.