Singer and songwriter Prateek Kuhad, winner of the Best Indian Act at MTV Europe Music Awards, to showcase his talent at gig tonight
New Delhi-based singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad at the performance. pic/sukrit nagaraj
'Don't worry about me, I've got another hour or so to kill'. This line from the song, Oh Love, expresses Prateek Kuhad's music best. He isn't a powerful voice; his charm lies in the laidback approach. His compositions are the best starter to a rainy day, a cup of coffee and solitude for company.
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The 26-year-old is not a usual singer-songwriter. Instead of creating eye-catching posters to advertise his gigs on social media, he chose to announce tonight's gig by uploading a video of the rippling waters at the Gateway of India, saying, “Bombay calling”.
In January this year, Kuhad was nominated in the Best Indian Act category at the MTV Europe Music Awards, which he eventually won. “I was shocked; I wasn't expecting this,” admits Kuhad. He was nominated alongside heavyweights Anoushka Shankar (sitar player) and Monica Dogra (singer). “Awards are good for press, it makes noise but doesn't do much for getting better as a musician. That is an internal process. It is more important than anything else,” he adds. So, what worked with the jury? “I have no idea,” is his honest reply.
Kuhad will introduce a few new songs at tonight's performance. “I rather not name them; come to the show and find out,” he says. But his popular songs — Tune Kaha, Yeh Pal, Ab Hoga Kya — are part of the set we hear. “Raat Raazi is the song I get maximum requests for.”
His simple and lucid lyrics are an asset to his music. But he thinks otherwise. “I still have a long way to get to a place where I can consider myself a good songwriter, so it's a work in progress. Like with most things, the more you work on something, the better you get.”
When not making music, Kuhad turns to books and works of other artistes for inspiration. “I just finished reading Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse; it is a lovely book. Among musicians, I am listening to Solange Knowles, Marian Hill and Slyvan Esso.”
When we ask him about his most memorable concert, he recalls the one at Sophia Bhabha Hall held last year. “It was an hour-and-a-half set but the time whizzed past.”
Drummer Nikhil Vasudevan and bassist Harshit Mishra will accompany him tonight. “Dhruv Bhola (the regular bassist and keyboardist) wasn't available for this one,” he says.
Time 6 pm
At Awestrung, Courtyard, High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel.
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