Her own rhythm

SINGER AKRITI KAKAR IS MAKING WAVES AS AN INDEPENDENT ARTISTE. SHE SHARES HER EUPHORIA WITH SUMAN SHARMA

- SUMAN SHARMA

Akriti Kakar, who was born in Delhi into a musical family, rose to prominence in Bollywood with hits such as Chhamm se from Dus for Vishal-Shekhar and the title track of Johnny Gaddar, composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy. Apart from being a playback singer of note, she has also made her mark as an independent artiste. She released her first non-film album, Akriti, in 2010 and since then there's been no looking back for her. Akriti is in the news currently for Big Band Theory, her new music series that's been making much noise. She says independent music has more scope for a singer to showcase her wares and while she would keep doing playback, her singles and shows give her better creative satisfaction. Over to Akriti then for a heart-to-heart session:

Tell us about Big Band Theory, your new music series.

Big Band Theory is something I’ve wanted to do for personal growth and to bring back as much live music colour to the music landscape as possible. I went all out for this season, bringing in a massive string section, all top-notch live musicians, some fantastic lyricists, and taking control of crafting five unique songs concluding in Punjabi folk-inspired signatures.

Who are the singers who will be appearing in the series this season?

Shankar Mahadevan, Shaan, my sisters Sukriti and Prakriti, my mother and my first music guru Nirmal Kakar, Romy, Nikhita Gandhi and Shashwat Singh have all added their own magic to the songs, making the whole process so fulfilling for me. I was concerned about appropriately justifying our renowned folk songs as well as the no-questions-asked kind of support that the Big Band Theory vocalists provided. I even got a billboard in Times Square, New York and I’m so happy about that.