Lata Mangeshkar copied some of Noor-e-Jahan's style, want to bring that back: Leslee Lewis
"I wanted people to ask, 'Did you really write this?' That was the desperation—to reach the youth," shares Leslee, adding: "There are so many independent artists these days. While I understood my audience, I knew I couldn't sing the way I always have. It was a conscious decision to sing in my own language (Hindi) so as to reach the masses. Today's youth is my target audience, and if they want me to sing in their language, so would I. Having said that, no journey is easy."
Lesle believes the current music landscape is dominated by arrangements, not strong compositions. 'There's a scarcity of good songs that truly stay with you. There is no depth in the lyrics or composition to the music which is being created. Going viral has become as easy as it can get,' shares Leslee, adding, 'A good composition is like natural beauty. Arrangement is just the styling.' While many chase trends with remixes, he moves forward with fresh material. Ask him if he plans to recreate any of his cult classics like Bombay Girl (1994), Meri Neend (2002), and Paree Hoon Main (1991); the composer says, "I've got 60, 70, 80 songs. Why recreate when I can create? I believe in working on original content and would prefer focusing on that. Even though I have been approached to recreate my cult classics, personally, I am not too keen."
The singer-composer believes in moving ahead with time, as that has been his philosophy from the start of his career. "I have believed in reforming things for me. Change is very important, and if AI will bring that change, what's the harm? It's a great tool—like a computer. But you have to be the master. If the machine starts making the creative decisions, you've already lost control. I dream music; I don't ask the machine to do it for me,' says Leslee.
Even as indie music gains traction in India, he feels song writing still needs to catch up. 'There are plenty of guitar-strumming singer-songwriters. But they lack the main core of it, as when you compare them to the likes of James Taylor or Joni Mitchell, our melodies are still catching up.'
'I want to introduce India to its own cultural DNA. Like how our grandparents had Noor Jehan—she had a sound, a style of her own. Even the great Lata Mangeshkar copied her, she adopted so much of her style. That's what I want to bring back," says Leslee, wrapping up.
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