Rich in music
The Rishi Rich Project is the new sound of the youth. Spearheaded by a talent powerhouse, Rishi Rich, a British Asian, the group is open to ideas. Rajeev Nair met Rishi Rich, who is hot and happening what with Britney Spears picking his mix for her latest single
IGNORE, if you wish, but do not will away their relevance — that powerful has been the reach of the British Asian music scene, which evolved from the ghettos through the single-minded passion of a few youngsters, who were determined to lend their stamp to world music.
Towering at the top is the name, Rishi Rich. Having cut his album, Simply Rich, on Bally Sagoo’s Ishq Records, Rich has moved further on, with Britney Spears picking his music mix for her latest single, Me Against the Music.
Checking out new sounds, Rishi Rich has evolved the very open-ended concept of the Rishi Rich Project, a team of like-minded music-makers. For one who trained in Indian classical music, Rich announced his arrival with the Bombay Jungle at the age of 17. Walking into the spotlight as the producer of 2 kool’s Love 2 Love, Warm it Up, Bollywood Fever and Klassic cuts, Rich’s sounds have been thoroughly new wave — on the fringes of the desi bhangra, hip hop, reggae culture yet one cut above the rest thanks probably to his intense desire to make his own music.
He recorded with established singers like Udit Narayan, Kumar Sanu and Kavita Krishnamurthi — the springboard to greater success internationally.
Rich parted with 2 kool to work with singer Veronica, joining the sensational R&B team, VR1. The team produced three albums: The Next Stage, Love 2 Love Part 5 and Voices. His first solo album, Simply Rich, has been well-received, and more fan-following came with Craig David, West Life, and Mis-Teeq (This is How We Do It) fusing in Rich’s sounds.
However, Rishi Rich is rather levelheaded when it comes to his own achievements. Not carried away with the adulation that has happened in less than four years, he says, big names don’t sweep him off. “It was great working with both (Britney Spears and Craig David), obviously,” he says in an interview in Dubai. “But for me, I would treat working with Craig or Britney the same as working with any new artiste.”
Words that carry weight and significance considering that the Rishi Rich Project, a teaming up of Rishi Rich, Jay Sean and Juggy D and other music-makers sharing the same vibe, had just won the Best R&B Single award at the UK Asian Music Awards, with Rishi Rich being recognised as the Best Producer: A testimony to the popularity Rishi Rich Project’s Dance with You had enjoyed in Britain, topping No. 12 in the official UK chart. He had also clinched the Carlton Multi-Cultural Award for his contribution to music.
Rich understands talent, which is what he sees in Jay Sean, who has been described by the music media as his protégé. “The world needs to see what they (Jay Sean, Juggy D et al) are all about,” says Rich. “He is working on his own album; Juggy is working on his; it is a great team.”
Even as he positions himself at the forefront of the British Asian music scene, the classical upbringing — he has done the tabla, harmonium, and singing — lends him a cushion-zone, which helps him diversify his sounds. But he takes the criticism to the new sounds good-humouredly. “As a musician I know you can’t do some things to music, and it is not easy to please everyone all the time. I love my Indian roots, I still do Indian music but obviously I have to cater for the younger market.”
Rich says he creates music and does not like to tinker with someone’s creation. “People often take a lot of sounds from other stuff. I personally don’t like it; they are more like plain remixes. As a musician, artist and producer, I need my inspiration but I never take music from anywhere else. Creating music is something I have to do as a producer,” he says.
Rich was always sure of his future. He wanted to make music and he got the support of his family. “I have a musical background though not professionally. All of them would sing and from day one I was in the midst of all these music.”
However, the journey to today, he says, “has never been easy. It never is. To be honest, I never believe in awards. I have never looked out for awards. For me, the proof is in the music, not in the way of what you say when you get awards. It is about making the music.”
The toughest part in the journey was “convincing others of your music,” he says. “It takes time to make others understand what your music is all about. People sometimes have other tastes. You can’t please everyone.”
Rich describes his music as “It’s me.” And what’s Rishi Rich? “I am a person, British Asian who listens to Indian music, pop music, RD Burman, everything.”
That is the kind of eclecticism you find in Rishi Rich Project.
