27th December, 2024
01st April, 2024Imagine yourself swept away by the allure of a podcast, sharing the mic with your childhood musical icon. In India, a trailblazing award-winning podcaster has not only brought this reverie to life but has also masterfully forged connections between the vibrant Indian music landscape and the world at large.
Aditya Veera started as a singer for blues and funk band Thayirsadam Blues and later dabbled as an artist manager, working with bands like Groovemeister, Arinjoy Trio, Lal and the People, Amyt Datta Electric Power Quartet, and other noteworthy Indian bands.
In 2022, he formally stepped into the world of music podcasts and radio broadcasting. Aditya has delved into conversations with music trailblazers spanning generations in his podcast ‘Stalwarts Of Music with Aditya Veera’. With two accomplished seasons under its belt, his podcast now ventures into Season 3. It unfolds with a star-studded line-up featuring luminaries like Gloria Estefan, Shaggy, Steve Hackett of Genesis, Steve Morse of Deep Purple, and Shenkar of Shakti, alongside an array of other homegrown mega talents including Armaan Malik, Neeti Mohan, and many more.
Aditya stands as a pioneer, introducing the ground-breaking notion of Festival Edition/Concert Edition Podcast episodes to our nation. He spotlighted the leading ladies of Blues with three remarkable interviews featuring Dana Fuchs, Samantha Fish, and Vanessa Collier, allowing listeners to understand their musical philosophies, daily rituals, spiritual practices, and the intricate frameworks behind their artistry, Aditya offers listeners a profound glimpse into the lives of these musicians. The 29 year old Bangalore based Senior Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers says, “This initiative not only fosters a deeper connection beyond the concert experience but also provides a platform for the common man to better understand and appreciate the essence of the musician”.
Some of the other significant album premieres from 2024 include Walter Trout’s Broken, featuring special guests like Beth Hart and Dee Snider, and Melissa Manchester’s RE: VIEW ft. special guests like Kenny Loggins and Dolly Parton, which have graced the podcast and are the only international premieres as of now in our country. Aditya joyfully mentions that the podcast won the prestigious Hubhopper Award for the category of Best Interview podcast. “It has again been nominated for 2024’s PODMASTERS Award powered by HT Smartcast and Mint”. Aditya has also been recommended by music industry experts to join the Grammy Professional Member Panel and is eagerly anticipating results for the same.
For guitar fans, guitar virtuoso Scott Henderson returns to India after a couple of years and Aditya has done a pre-concert edition podcast before his India Tour scheduled this April. Scott also had a special album premiere of ‘Karnevel’ on Stalwarts Of Music. In the Scott Henderson episode, the podcast also showcased Chirag Todi from India.
Aditya’s podcast has become a launchpad for emerging talents like Amithav Gautam, a 19-year-old musician who found recognition from his guitar idol, John Scofield. In a standout moment, Aditya showcased the track Sco by the Indian band Revisit Project featuring Amithav Gautam, capturing Scofield's admiration for Gautam's exceptional guitar skills.
Aditya recounts a recent episode featuring the iconic Mr. Boombastic, better known as Shaggy. “The Jamaican spoke on various facets of his career. From his vision of spreading feel-good music to the intricacies of commercialising dancehall music, Shaggy delved into his strategies. He also shared insights into his innovative album ‘Com Fly Wid Mi’.
The podcast can be watched on Aditya’s YouTube channel (@adityaveera1994) in an audio-visual format. If you happen to swing by Shillong or Aizawl, you can tune in those radio sets to 98.3 Big FM Shillong and 92.7 Big FM Aizawl for Aditya’s Sunday Primetime Radio Show, which airs every Sunday between 5 and 6 p.m. It is also available as Stalwarts of Music with Aditya Veera on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Jio Saavn Podcasts, and Wynk Podcasts in audio format.
If you like reading, you should try out the blog format available on his website, www.adiveera.com, in the podcast section. If you like short-format content, you should check out his reel format on Instagram (@adix70). Stalwarts of Music with Aditya Veera has some of the most exciting itineraries over the next couple of months for people of all age groups, featuring interviews with Albert Hammond, Shenkar, Leo Sayer, Scorpions and more. The podcast also has some interesting live formats that include episodes covering the Snarky Puppy India Tour of 2023, the NCPA Jazz Festival featuring Alfredo Rodriguez, and in-person interviews with Armaan Malik and Neeti Mohan.
Links to some Podcast Episodes which are on Aditya Veera’s YouTube channel (@adityaveera1994)
Stalwarts Of Music with Aditya Veera ft. Gloria Estefan –
Stalwarts Of Music with Aditya Veera ft. Leo Sayer –
Stalwarts Of Music with Aditya Veera ft. Steve Morse –
Personal Links:-
Website - www.adiveera.com
Instagram - @adix70.
Facebook - @aditya.veera.7
Audio Podcast Linktree - https://linktr.ee/adityaveerapodcast
By Verus Ferreira
