Abhijeet Mishra is already a name to reckon with in the Odia music industry having done playback singing for prominent actors like Babushan Mohanty, Anubhav Mohanty, Akash Das Mohapatra and Sabyasachi. Now he has become the first Odia singer-composer to go international. Abhijeet recently collaborated with American musician and songwriter Kristi Williamson on an independent album titled Sanctuary of Durga, which released World Music Day.
Abhijeet left a cushy engineering job to make a career in music. He is passionate about music, so he decided to turn it into his profession. Determined to make it big in the Hindi music industry, he shifted base to Mumbai. In a lively chat with Orissa POST, Abhijeet talked about his recent collaboration and how the West has started turning to India for fresh and innovative ideas.
Son of theatre director and actor Prasanna Mishra and Minati Mishra, Abhijeet says that he didn’t think twice before giving up an established career as an engineer. “I wanted to do something big in music since childhood. I let the flames of passion for music burn all through my college years which failed to subside even after I took up a job at Tata Power Plants in Gujarat. I felt claustrophobic at not being able to give more time to music. I was desperate to quit my job. I am grateful to my father who encouraged me to follow my heart,” he says.
Given that Abhijeet’s father too is an artiste he understood his son’s sentiments. However, there were others who said that he was making a mistake by giving up an already-established career. “I had to hear taunts, and many discouraged me after I decided to try my luck in the Odia music industry. But I turned a deaf ear to them,” says Abhijeet. As it is said, fortune favours the brave, so it did not take long for Abhijeet to impress the music directors. His songs in films like Tumaku Dekhila Pare and I Love You 2 became instant hits, and since then, there has been no looking back for the singer.
Needless to say, Abhijeet is on a high after having collaborated with Kristi Williamson. “The decision to collaborate on an international album was an impulsive one, but the project shaped up well. It is the first time that a hymn and an Indian classical devotional bandish have been fused. The idea of fusion was mine. This song is a like a prayer for the soul and a return journey to the source of beauty that lies within us. It’s an invitation to prepare ourselves to become an ocean of love. Kristi Williamson wrote the lyrics and composed the music. However, the bandish sung by me is based on raag Durga and written and composed by the Indian classical music legend Pandit Omkarnath Thakur,” he explains.
Abhijeet continues, “Kristi is a California-based singer and performs at concerts regularly. She was in Bhubaneswar on a private visit and had put up at a place near my house. One day she dropped in at my house after she heard me teaching music to some kids. I asked her to sing after she revealed that she is a fan of Indian classical music. I was awestruck by the perfect Indian diction and sweet voice. I made an offer to collaborate on an album, and she instantly agreed. I recorded her voice at my studio and later came up with the fusion.”
Since shifting base to Mumbai, Abhijeet has released two music videos, Ranjha Trance and Tum Phir Shuru Ho Gaye. He has also been a judge on a few music reality shows like Voice of Odisha and level one judge on national-level shows like Indian Idol, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. “Tum Phir Shuru Ho Gaye talks about unconditional love, unending fights and, above all, a friendship between a boy and a girl. The video is a mix of various emotions,” says Abhijeet.
Produced by Namah Productions, his own production house, the video stars Priyanka Mitra and Abhijeet. The song was penned by prominent lyricist Shyamraj Dutta, who is known for hits like Hathon mein aa gaya jo rumal aapka, Chand se parda kijiye, and Khudko kya samajhti hai. Abhijeet says, “It was an honour working with Shyamraj ji. The lyrics of the song remind us of our friendship. Dada (Dutta) also liked my composition, which has given my confidence a boost. I have used instruments like guitar and ukulele in the song.”
“I plan to have a variety of songs from different genres in my bouquet so that someday I can feel proud to have contributed something to the world of music,” he adds.
RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP