Kolkata boy Srijan Porail opens up about his musical journey and future projects
Srijan Porail, a name that television and music reality show made famous has seen his own share of ebbs and flows in life. While he was introduced to music by his parents at a very young age, it was his grit and determination to do something big and make a mark for himself, landed him in Bombay. Today, he is a well-known face and voice in the music industry and we speak to Srijan who contemplates his journey.
Excerpts:
What drew you to music?
It all started from my Kindergarten where we had music as a subject which I was quite good in. Looking at my interest my parents put me in music school to learn the basics. They also introduced me to songs by Manna Dey, Shyamal Mitra, Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, Md.Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle, Lata Mangeshkar and others. My mom and dad sowed the seed of music in me with their regular efforts and I am forever grateful to them for this.
How has your experience in a musical reality show shaped your career?
My experience was surreal. I am out of words to describe the depth of knowledge I earned from the mentors, groomers and seniors in Indian Idol. It has flipped my life. People are taking selfies with me and appreciating my singing. It’s a blessing that the blessing that the show gave me. I know getting ‘Eliminated’ doesn’t mean that it’s over. I have lot to do in future and I am determined to not give up on my hopes.
Has social media helped you attain visibility?
Yes absolutely. I went to Mumbai with 223 followers and returned with 27k. Today my page has a resach of over 1.5 million. My videos on covers of songs like Alvida, Pehle bhi main, K sara sara, and E bhai zara dekhke chalo have been loved a lot by people
What does it take to become an overall performer for the audience today?
First of all you have to be a versatile singer. You have to sing everything that people love. You have to push yourself day by day to extend your limitations and improve.
How would you describe your musical journey so far?
I started my journey at the age of four when my mother took me to music classes and every music competitions; and my father brought music cassettes to introduce me to different genres of music. Few months ago I auditioned for Bengali music reality show and got rejected. Though heartbreaking, I was determined to get selected in the next reality show whether it’s regional or national. I was very confident about myself that “I have to do something big” and I’ve done that. Within a month I got a call from Bombay and rest is history.
Musicians you would like to work with.
There are many musicians in the industry whom I adore. But one musician I would love to work with is John Paul who presently is the guitarist in Arijit Singh’s team.
Who do you look up to in the world of music?
There a many in the list. A.R. Rahman , Vishal Dadlani, Shreya Ghosal. But I idolise Arijit Singh. His hard work, lifestyle, and down to earth nature inspires me a lot to keep going.
Upcoming works.
I recently worked with Soham Majumdar who is a very popular lyricist and composer. The song will be out in a month. I’ll also release my own compositions very soon.