Dhruv Ghanekar is well known in Mumbai circles, not only because he is the co founder of Blue Frog, but more so because the music he makes is the kind he thoroughly enjoys making. As founder of rock band Chakraview sometime in the nineties, Dhruv’s tryst with music like many musicians has never changed. Besides scoring the music for a host of Bollywood movies and ad films, his most recent foray was the creation of his own record label Wah Wah Music on which his second album is on.

The guitarist and composer has also jammed with a number of jazz musicians both from India and abroad and on his new album “Voyage” he explores an all new sound which he has incorporated in his new album. The second album after his debut work titled ‘Distance’, is a blend of Indian folk and jazz; it features Raul Midon, Etienne Mbappe, Trilok Gurtu, among others.

In June Ram Sampath and Dhruv Ganekar  joined the list of talented musicians who released six songs on MTV Coke Studio. Each artist released three songs. The songs went live on June 7^th, 2015.

We met Dhruv after the launch of his second album to know more about himself, his new album, his work for Cokestudio, and also his rock band he formed in the mid nineties.

How is it performing live for Cokestudio@MTV Season 4?

Coke Studio@MTV Season 4 has in a very short time has created a unique niche for itself. The sound has become almost a genre in itself. I had just come off releasing my new record “Voyage” which, like the name suggests is a musical sojourn of various international cultures as seen through my urban Indian lens. Composing for Coke Studio seemed a perfect segue from the Voyage sessions. However, the caveat for composing for Coke Studios is that it has to be collaboration between 2 singers from 2 different cultures .I wanted to amp up this contrast and sought out to create stories for each song and tell them from the point of view of 2 different voices whilst preserving their individuality and cultural identity.

You recently released your second album 'Voyage'. Can you tell us what it is all about and why the title “Voyage”?

Voyage is a musical journey through various cultures as seen through my Indian lens.I have been listening to West and North African music for over a decade and I began to wonder how a certain groove would sound juxtaposed against a certain melody. These conversations began to get louder in my head and I felt compelled to record with these musicians who are on the record.I believe that music, just like food, is a window into a culture, but to truly make a real statement one must dive deep into it and go to its roots. These cultures - Ganawa from North Africa and Music from Mali just like Indian music, are hundreds if not thousands of years old and I felt that it was necessary to soak myself in it to really find an organic meeting ground for the 2 to meet.Of course my urban Indian lens serves as the filter and plays the role of the curator.I wanted the music to sound real and organic and avoid any clichés so the process was really long, casting the right musicians and producing and mixing has taken over a year.But I'm blown away by the response so far. It's been quite rewarding.

You have played with many jazz artists from India and abroad, do any of those artists feature on your album?

There are so many memories and I’ve been lucky to have worked with really talented people over the years. Working with Raul Midon who is the songwriter and singer has been a phenomenal experience. For those who don’t know who Raul Midon, he is an American singer and a songwriter. He's considered to be the next Stevie Wonder. He is phenomenal in what he does. So working with him was indeed fantastic and great fun. Also working with Karim Ziad has been amazing. I had to chase him for a year and eventually fly down to Paris to get him to play on the record. That has also been a lot of fun recording with him and bassist Linley Marthe. They have both played on Dhima. Also Ila Arun, whom I have known for many many years. I have done a lot of work with her. She is an incredible artist. She has got immense power and stamina when she sings such that she can put a lot of people to shame actually.

How different is your debut album “Distance”, when compared to your new album?

The album is a metaphorical journey through various regions whose music has inspired me over the last few years. I have never travelled to Algeria or Mali, but have soaked myself in that music for a long time now. I’ve always been fascinated by music from other cultures… Not pop music, but indigenous and folk music from different parts of the world. Magreb or Ganawa from North Africa is one such music that I have been attracted to; also music from Mali is really rich and is considered the birthplace of the blues. In order to fuse two different cultures, one must introspect and go deep into its origin. Or else it can start sounding a bit clichéd. It's not a quick and easy fix but the rewards are far greater this way. I am fascinated by the idea of travelling via sound and I am usually attracted to stuff that gives me a scent of a place whether it’s a film or a piece of music … that is the acid test.

Your album inlays showcases you behind different guitars. What was the idea behind this image?

I’ve played a lot of different instruments on this record so the idea was born out of me trying to juggle these various instruments …

Are you planning on making any music videos of any of the songs from your album in support of your new album?

The new video for Dhima has Goth and steam punk influences. It is directed by Razy Ghai of Asylum films and also features Ila Arun in it. We were fortunate to have an amazing team to work in it and everyone put their heart and soul into it. It is different from anything that has come out of this country. It already has got a phenomenal response…. people have been tweeting, messaging and have also put it on FB. We have got over a hundred thousand hits in 48 hours. We are really overwhelmed by the response. The 2^nd video was Sway with me and that was shot by Ishitta Arun and directed and edited by me. It has a lovely indie vibe to it. The 3^rd one The Boatmans song will be out in a few weeks.

Here are the links:

DHIMA: https://youtu.be/pUgRwU7ZfJY

SWAY WITH ME: https://youtu.be/t5qbYjq7LBs

Who are your musical influences and do these influences play a part in the compositions of your music?

I listen to a lot of music, too much music actually. Some of the stuff just rubs off eventually. I’m finding that now more than ever all the stuff that I’ve been listening to for the past 10 years or so have been coming out quite organically. Take for example, African music.

You came on the music scene with your band Chakraview and then ad jingles. How has the journey been so far?

I still produce commercials. I find it quite stimulating and keeps my chops up. It’s really important to be learning new stuff; I find doing advertising, constantly pushes me towards newer sounds and experimentation. The Nike commercials are a good example of this.

Being co -founder of Blue Frog and seeing so many bands performing each day, do you not miss being in a band?

I try and find time to perform as much as I can, though it is extremely difficult to manage both duties, being a composer and performer. But hopefully I will be performing much more in the next year…

Why did you decide to leave the band and go on your own?

The music scene wasn’t really mature in 1995. I also wanted to study music and that needed me to travel out of India to the United States. Hence the decision to leave Chakraview.

You have also done work for Bollywood sometime back, any new projects in the pipeline?

A bunch of things are in the pipeline right now. You’ll be hearing something really exciting in a couple of months. I have a new live tour for Voyage that will be out end of the year.We will be touring India and Europe next year.

Interviewed By Verus Ferreira