He has been described by guitar legend John McLaughlin as "one of the leading edges in drumming". Ranjit Barot considers himself fortunate that he was exposed to a wide range of music in his young days. Even though he was exposed to Indian classical music through his mother, the eminent Kathak dancer Sitara Devi, he took up western music instead. Music was always played in his house, so much so that he hounded his mother till she bought him a drumset. And surely that instrument has taken him a long way. The joy of playing music and being in a band is what drew him towards a musical career.  The drums was the first musical instrument he ever played.

Ranjit Barot has performed with a host of musicians in his illustrious career. One of his musical heroes and an icon of modern improvisational music is John McLaughlin, someone with who Barot shares a cordial friendship and a musician with who he jams regularly when the Brit guitarist is in town. The others with whom Barot register as his favorites include Ustad Zakir Hussain, Sri Vikku Vinayakram ji, U. Srinivas ji, the late Don Cherry, Dennis Chambers, the late Charlie Mariano, Jonas Hellborg, Aydin Esen, Trilok Gurtu, Dominique DiPiazza, Tim Garland, Selva Ganesh, Wayne Krantz, Scott Kinsey and Matt Garrison and many more.

Verus Ferreira met up with the ace drummer to know more about his music.

Any specific artists in today’s music space that impress you with their composition?

Well, it might appear obvious but I would have to first mention AR Rahman, but then that’s why he is the indisputable master, there is no escaping his incredible influence in the way music has changed in Indian popular genres. I think it’s important to look at his evolution and study why he still continues to dominate the musical landscape with his total ability to organically fuse our culture with the rest of the world. Besides him, I like some of the things Amit Trivedi and Salim-Sulaiman are doing. The indie scene has yet to really come of age, though I’m sure there are some young talents that will eventually find their full blown voice. 

How is each band you are a part of different from the other?

Well, as Musical Director of all AR Rahman live shows (since 2015), I have had the platform to not only be the drummer and drive the band, but also to arrange and produce the songs for a live format, all these stunning compositions which I can now colour in with my personality, but with the responsibility to do justice to these beloved songs. This plays to both my strengths as a drummer and producer/arranger. The drum chair with John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension (since 2011) has me featured primarily as a drummer who’s job is to propel the band into deep improvisational territories. It’s a very demanding role, both physically and mentally. So both situations are super fun and varied in their demands on my musical abilities. 

You have created significant music properties, your valuable experience for the youngsters today.

There are no short cuts. You have to study music at the deepest level, both Indian classical and western music of all genres.  Drown in the sea of music and then, maybe in this lifetime, you will express some part of yourself via this magical medium. It’s an ongoing search for all of us. The basic tenets are practice, practice and then practice again. Listen to all kinds of music, keep yourself open. The music you wish to make has to reside in you, you can’t fake it. Have good people skills, be professional, turn up for all your commitments fully prepared and on time.

You have won so many awards across multiple genres. Which was your most memorable achievement so far?

I suppose they’re all a sign of validation and appreciation of your peers and audiences, and equally important in that respect. But if pressed, I would say I felt a marked sense of personal gratification on receiving my first Filmfare award, for the film 'Aks' (2002) directed by Rakeysh Mehra. It starred Mr. Bachchan and Manoj Bajpai and their characters and inter-relationship was so conflicted and multi-layered, handled so skilfully by Rakeysh, that the background score had to be almost another personality of the film to carry and compliment the incredible performances by these two accomplished artists. I had to dig deep and stretch the parameters, seriously pushing the envelope for the music on that film and the overwhelming response and acceptance of something so bold was wonderful. The Filmfare for 'Shaitan' for the Background Score (2011) was also a moment I treasure. 

Your secrets to such a versatile performer.

No secret really, I enjoy all aspects of music making, always have. My life situations created a path for me, and I think I intuitively surrendered to it and it led me through worlds of musical influences and stages that have only added to my repertoire.

So then lets go back in time

My early years were spent in the company of some of the most innovative and fearless Indian classical artists, the most significant being my mother Sitara Devi and the rest of her family and the leading lights of the day like Abbaji, Ustad Mehdi Hassan, Raiz Khan Sahab and Noor Jahan, to name a few. But I was only drawn to the western drum set and started my career in Mumbai back in the late 70’s and 80’s, playing incredibly evolved jazz rock and fusion with local bands, like Waterfront and Ultimatum, rock and popular covers with The People, and then exploring the Indo-Western classical world with Louis Banks’ and Sangam at Festivals abroad. I went later into the recording studio to play electronic drums when live drums saw a dwindling audience. In a time before the internet and YouTube, I had to reinvent and teach myself  keyboards / programming machines, as also the fundamentals of composition, so I could support myself in the advertising and film recording industry. Through the next couple of decades, besides creating landmark tracks for numerous Brands in advertising, it has been an honour and privilege to work with closely with giants like R.D.Burman, Louis Banks, Vanraj Bhatia, Laxmikant- Pyarelal, Kalyanji-Anandji and right up to today, with AR Rahman. Have done numerous projects with composers like Ismail Darbar, Anu Malik, Pritam, Vishal-Shekhar and too many others to list here. Through years of composing for background scores, producing music for so many projects including 'MTV Unplugged' and 'Jammin' , or my own personal song writing and vocal endeavours, it has never stopped being exciting. And that is key. Whether I’m sitting behind the drums for maestro John McLaughlin or AR Rahman, they are all equally gratifying and allow the different facets of my musical abilities to take expression. 

Which genre according to you has most potential in the music industry?

I think we should think beyond genres. India has come of age and is ready to embrace anything that has conviction and sophistication, and brings them closer to the rest of the world, but with familiar roots.

Any recent collaborations coming your way that we are unaware of?

I’m working on an album of my own featuring me as a composer / singer, with largely Hindi songs, totally current and global in genre. I’ve received so much love and encouragement through the years as a drummer and producer / arranger. Now, with this new entity and my band, ‘Musafir’, I’ve decided to step out from behind the drums to centre stage and feature my vocal and song writing abilities. This band brings together the fantastic talents of Ashwin Srinivasan, Gulraj Singh and Aditya Paudwal.

Any collaborations

There is ‘Elementaal’ with maestros Taufiq Qureshi (percussion) and Sridar Parthasarathy (mridangam, kanjira). As you can guess from the name and profile of these heavy musicians, this is a celebration of drums. Bringing rhythmic traditions from India and world over, into a modern presentation, featuring live drums with electronica and various guest soloists. I’m also collaborating with bassist extraordinaire Etienne Mbappé (he’s played with the likes of Salif Keita, with whom he was also musical director of the band, and with the late great Joe Zawinul of Weather Report game) in a band called ‘UnCommon’. Featuring Christophe Cravero (violin,piano) to complete the trio,we’ve just finished a highly successful 3-city tour in India together and we’re all geared up for the next, sometime towards the end of the year. This features my Jazz-World compositions predominantly and is a new foray into the world of jazz-rock and funk. We will have an album releasing later this year. 

Your last album was ‘Bada Boom’, if I remember clearly…

One look at that album cover and you wonder if this was some spiritual album or something. But look closer and you’ll find the names of renowned artists sharing space with me around the star.

Coming back to the album, can you give us some information on it?

Bada in Hindi means big, and Boom is bang. So, the big bang. I was inspired by the cosmos, its deep mysteries, and the connection to the Vedic scriptures. The titles themselves give some idea of the progression of events after the Big Bang. It starts with Singularity, that point at which our whole universe was condensed to a pinpoint, and then T=0, the birth of time. It goes onwards to Revolutions, the first time our universe experienced some order by way of the planets creating orbits, a sort of cosmic dance if you will. Then there’s Supernova, dedicated to the late legendary tabla maestro, Ustad Allarakha. When a sun dies, it releases the energy of a billion suns, illuminating the cosmos for years to come. And then the unseen force that seems to be the 'glue' that's holding everything together, Dark Matter. Finally, you have Origins, the birthplace of all things. The beginning, at the feet of the Lord.

Your recent project with Palm Expo India. How was the overall experience?

This is primarily a music industry event, for me to showcase and share my experiences with some of the select products that I endorse and to feature them at the live venues that my very supportive sponsors provide. But was also a great opportunity to perform with my favourite co-conspirators. Featuring the wonderful DTX900 electronic drum set at the Yamaha Arena, I presented my primarily  Western electronic Pop / Soul band with the incredibly talented musician and vocalist, Gulraj Singh and my daughter Mallika Barot (vocalist), with young guitarist Rick Raj.  With the phenomenal Harman sound array on Day 2, it was a great ‘Elementaal’ set with Taufiq bhai, Aditya Paudwal and Ashwin Srinivasan.

Interviewed by Verus Ferreira