Pooja Salvi speaks to Rhys Sebastian to find out more about his recent collaboration with Shalmali Kholgade and Gino Banks, as well as what’s in store at their upcoming event, Rhyme & Rhythm
How do you work towards creating your unique sound?
I usually sit at the piano with my sax and my iPhone recorder! If I can come up with a melody, I record it immediately and then sit at my computer and review all my ideas. Any melody that I write is usually inspired by something that I love or am irked by. Like the traffic in Mumbai!
How would you describe your music?
I’d like to think that it’s raw and that there’s an earthiness about it. I’m very fond of music from the early 1900s, and there’s a charm about singers and saxophonists from that era that I’d like to be able to blend into my music.
What was the experience collaborating with Shalmali Kholgade like for you?
Shalmali and I go back a long way. We performed at Malhar, the St. Xavier’s College festival, but as competitors! However, it did not take us long to share the same stage at an Amy Winehouse tribute show that Shalmali directed. We soon started to perform with The Bartender, where we forged great chemistry on stage as well as in the studio. She always delivers 110% and is also a very intelligent musician. She is a joy to work with and I’m really looking forward to making music with her in a different avatar for Rhyme & Rhythm.
How do you work towards keeping your music unique?
I try to be myself! Although I have been influenced by a lot of artists through the years, music to me is an expression of emotion and experience. I also believe in myself, which is most important to me.