Lyrics must touch me, else I don’t sign the dotted line: Singer Kavita Seth

Be it ‘Iktara’ (‘Wake Up Sid’), ‘Rangisari’ (‘Jugjugg Jiyo’) or ‘More Piya Mujse Bolat Na’ (‘Rajneeti’) among scores of others, what makes singer Kavita Seth accept any assignment is the quality of lyrics. The production house, budget or the scale of the film does not matter.

“Unless the lyrics touch me inside, and offer a deeper meaning, the song is not for me, and I flatly refuse. Singing is more than a profession for me, it is part of my very being, and thus I cannot do injustice to it. If you have listened to my songs, you will know what I mean,” Seth tells.

Despite being a successful classical singer, it is live performances that give the singer high. Stressing that the energy a singer derives from a live audience is enigmatic, she adds: “I have been singing live ever since I was a child, it is only when I shifted base to Mumbai, that playback came into my life. During live, I sense the audience’s mood and even change the songs. Everything is spontaneous, thus more exciting as compared to playback where one is confined within a set structure.”

Fascinated by Sufi, the singer whose first experience of it was when she accompanied Abida Parveen during the debut edition of Jahan-e-Khusrau in the national capital recounts that while she was singing in multiple genres, there was ‘something amiss’.

“I did not know what it was, but that magical evening gave me the answer. I started reading about it and training myself.

It is tough to define the divine energy that I connect to while singing Sufi, but the trance and high it always gives makes me grateful,” she smiles.

Seth who also has a successful band ‘Karwaan Group’ feels things have become much better for independent musicians and bands post Covid.

“There is now a huge market for independent music and we are witnessing several fantastic bands coming up. A lot of avenues have opened up.”

The singer, who will be performing at the Music Festival Kasauli – MKF 2024, curated by Naani Singh, that will be held on March 29 and 30 at Santa Roza is looking forward to the concert.

“It is not just the beautiful ambience, but also the development that many cultural events have started taking place in small towns. This concert is bound to attract people from Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana. Also, the metros are saturated,” she states.

Seth who sang and composed songs for Mira Nair’s ‘A Suitable Boy’ recalls working with her was exciting. “She came fully prepared and gave me absolute freedom. A thorough professional, I learnt so much from her.”

A Master’s degree holder in Music, who has also learnt from gurus belonging to different gharanas, Seth is still training with a guru.

“Learning cannot and should not stop. I thank my classical training base for my range,” concludes Seth whose two sons are also part of her band.