Singer Sona Mohapatra on her recent releases, and an upcoming luxe show

I needed to put out a chill song for a change -- something unlike my last year’s indie releases including heavy-duty love poetry Kaaga, the empowering Roti Machine or Rasarkeli Bo. Even my film releases were intense like Nikar Chalo Re from Kathal. Lately, Ram had been interacting with this young poet Roshanara on social media, and called her over to the studio and shaped this song about the eyes being a mirror to the soul. When I met Roshanara I knew this would be a great partnership.

Barsai Badaria is an eternal love song by the rebel rockstar Mirabai and composed by Ram. It’s nothing like Senti Akhiyaan. It is rooted in Hindustani semi-classical music and features sitar maestro Purbayan Chatterjee and virtuoso Sanjoy Das on the guitars, and my favourite part is a Sargam in the second Antara which mimics the pitter patter of raindrops. It is like being back to the main course after a tasty snack, and to me, both are equally important.

Senti Akhiyaan has a fusion of guitars, kalimbas, harmonium and percussion infused with an organic Latin plus Desi swing, creating a vibe that is both chill and infectious.

Barsai Badaria, in turn has this beautiful Rajasthani ‘lachakdar’ swing in its live percussion, a textural guitar soundscape and a sitar in the lead.

I prepare in the same manner for any song -- I let it seep in, know the lyrics upside down and then tell a story in the studio through the song after which I try improvising in some parts to create some dynamics. For me, finding the right emotion is key.

Amongst the urban youth, who subscribe to streaming platforms, indie songs occupy 50 per cent of the top 100 songs. The young have also started to value songs in their own languages. But it’s also true that one stream of any song makes close to 6 paise for an artist, a shockingly low number and too small a percentage for the creator. This is in the rare case that the audience or if the listener pays because in India, the culture of paying for music is rare. So, the income from putting such music out is negligible unless you tie up with a corporate or a brand which in any case negates the spirit of ‘independence’ or artistic freedom of any kind. Therefore, sustaining a career doing this solely is yet currently in question although there are some notable exceptions. In this scenario, hats off to the likes of Emiway Bantai & Dopeadelicz -- the boys from hip hop.

I love both to be honest. The playback singing of our land is no easy cup of tea. The top composers of our land work in the film industry and provide very challenging songs where any good singer needs to match up to add real value. I love a challenge, and singing Jiya Lage Na, and even Bedardi Raja, Naina, Ambarsaria or more recently Beda Paar from Lapataa Ladies, was a learning experience and a joy at the same time! Also, to continue to put out my originals gives me as much pride.

Antara and Ankita Nandy, Sushant Divgikar aka Rani Kohenoor, Meghna Mishra, Dee MC, and Mellisa Shrivastav.

A myriad colours including Ud Jayega Hans Akela by Kumar Gandharva, Scene Kya Hai by Divine, Baisa by Shaswat Sachdev, Chayanat by Anirudh Verma Collective, Shake Body by Skales, Kings & Queens by Ava Max, and Anne Marie.

I’m in the pre-production stage of a new luxe concept live experience called the Lal Pari Mastani Show. It’s a musical tableau that takes you through the six stages of love with epic love songs that take you through a journey. This is my most commercial show ever and with 36 songs, dancers, a live band and a multimedia offering. That apart I continue to tour with my band with #SonaLive, put out new music & music videos on my own label Omgrown Music, and I am also working on two more huge projects which I can speak about after they find their feet and allies in the next couple of months.