Shantanu Mukherjee, better known as Shaan, has finally debuted on Facebook with his official page in January 2014. Much to the delight of his excited fans this musical sensation with the ever ready contagious smile, charming personality has created a special song Tujh hi se on Facebook, dedicated to his fans who have loved and supported him all through his career.

Shaan has  partnered with CA Media Digital’s first venture, Fluence - India’s leading Celebrity digital network for this initiative and to further create and leverage his digital presence across different platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Youtube, E-commerce, Games/Apps, Voice Blog, Telcos & OEMs and many more. Fluence works closely with celebrities to build and grow their online presence across the digital landscape in an engaging and entertaining manner. Fluence also works with the artists to create interesting properties that can be monetized across various consumer facing Digital platforms.

Shaan a multitalented artist, has been seen and loved by his fans in many avatars- as  a composer, singer, lyricist, host and now most recently a dancer after a stupendous innings in Jhalak Dikhla ja. Although Shaan has had a very successful playback career singing for all the top stars in the Indian Film industry, he has also seen great success with his independent albums ‘Loveology’ and ‘Tanha Dil’ which made him a voice to reckon when it came to romantic melodies.

Verus Ferreira spoke with Shaan to know more about his connection with Fluence and how he hopes Facebook will help him reach his fans.

Are you very internet savvy when it comes to social media. What do you feel on the popularity on social media?

On being one of the most liked Indian icons on Facebook? Yes I like to be on the social media. I was active already on twitter for a long time, but I have realized that you need to be going across multiple platforms to reach out to your fans, hence the move of coming to Facebook. It feels wonderful to be amongst the liked personalities on the digital space.

What is this new video you have done for your fans?

This was an idea that came on the thought that nobody has done anything special for the fans. I told my digital team why not we start the launch with something exclusive for the fans and there came the idea of this music video exclusive for the fans

You seem to be really excited about your new activity. How do you feel?

I am glad to have at long last made my official debut on Facebook.  The response has been overwhelming and I was struck with an overpowering urge to show my gratitude for their love and affection which was the inspiration behind this song. I hope that this song effectively conveys the emotion I feel for all my fans. I would also like to thank Fluence for encouraging me to get on the social media platform and further interact with my fans. I eagerly look forward to the exciting plans they have in store for me on this platform for the future.

You have also created your own official Facebook page, how much time do you spend on FB?

I spend my time in bursts on Facebook. I had the assistance of my digital team who guided me on how content needs to be uploaded / posted on Facebook etc.

Within a week the page scored a pick strike of  2 million likes. What do you feel about this?

I am amazed to see the numbers, it feels wonderful that there are such wonderful fans waiting to see / hear your work.

You have also worked with theto be released film Jai Ho. What do you think of the success of the film and your music score?

I pray for the success of the film and sincerely hope that the song Tere Naina .. will connect very well with the audiences

What is your deal with Fluence?

Fluence will facilitate ideas for me on the digital worlds and will look at long term engagement opportunities

How does Fluence help an artist reach his fans and maximize his popularity?

Fluence has got an amazing team that knows the social media space inside out. They have shown me ideas which will create properties for the digital worlds. This is something the fans have always been craving for. I am confident that with their expertise and my hardwork we will leave no stone unturned to reach out to as many fans

What other work (Bollywood, tours) are you involved in at the moment?

There are some performances, I will be traveling a bit in the next few days. Overall the next few weeks seem to keep me busy

When can fans see another brand new album from Shaan.

Nothing major planned as yet, though there are ideas. Will def let you know

What do you think of the future of music in digital media?

I think the future is extremely bright as music on digital is something the next generations will connect in a very different light. With the advances in technology, music is fast becoming a wonderful popularity tool also

What do you think of music downloads, does it kill the music industry and deprive music artists of their due?

It does. Artists spend intense hardwork and time to create something, I think users should respect this fact and impose a self restriction. You cannot erode piracy of music thru downloads but atleast we can educate people not to do this.

Do you think music downloads have now turned to audio visual downloads, with fans wanting music videos on their phones?

Technology is ever evolving from text to picture to video. I think good music be it only audio or audio assisted with video will always be around.

Interviewed by Verus Ferreira