Singer Sanjith Hegde’s latest song Gulaabo seems to be on everyone’s playlist. The singer, who is usually known for his folk-sy tunes wanted to try a different genre, and the result was a peppy tune and mood-lifter. “I wrote Gulaabo about four years ago which was supposed to be a funny song of sorts,” says Hegde. The video has him grooving in a pink outfit and he credits director Bijoy Shetty for the fun vibe that comes through. “We don’t have to be perfect at all times, rather, we can do things for fun. So I think it was one of those things. I wasn’t really conscious of how I looked,” says the 25-year-old.
The song is completely different from the kind of Kannada music he comes up with, like he did with Geejaga Hakki for Coke Studio Bharat. Acknowledging that, Hegde says, “With Coke Studio, I wanted them to listen to the story of Harishchandra and Yakshagana, and with Gulaabo, I wanted to create something silly. So I think everybody has multiple stories they want to say,” says Hegde.
A few weeks ago, Hegde had posted a blurry picture of himself with AR Rahman on social media and his excitement could be seen in the photograph, which he reveals was taken post the recording. “I have sung a couple of songs with Rahman sir. Every singer’s dream in some sense is to learn from him and just absorb the entire space in which he is working. He was very kind to experiment music with me,” says the 25-year-old.
A private person, Hegde understands the importance of being visible as a public figure. “I’m clear about my life’s purpose right now. It is to learn and see more of the music that is out there in the world,” he says, adding, “Sometimes, I need to cut off and get into a cave to learn to write. But I don’t look at it as a cave, that is my default home,” he says with a laugh.
After the success of Gulaabo, Hegde is looking forward to his Kannada number Nanage Allava. Apart from that, a few songs in English and Punjabi are also in the pipeline.
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