Arjun Kanungo, the 32-year-old singer and musician, has been vocal about his support for independent music and believes that it is the future. Recently, he tweeted in support of singer Amaal Mallik’s decision to cut down on film music and focus on independent music, saying “non-film is the future”. Kanungo feels that established singers should ditch the pressure to bow down to the demands of the music market and take more risks.
In an interview with Vogue, Kanungo opened up about the state of affairs in the music industry, stating that every time a hit song comes out, every producer and label is quick to ask for more of the same. He finds it insulting as a musician and feels that established singers should focus on making things better for themselves and not bend to the demands of the music industry.
Kanungo has always maintained his distance from Bollywood music and focuses on non-film music. He believes that established musicians have a bigger role to play and should pave the way for change. For new musicians, he feels that soon there will be a time when they will be given more opportunities to do non-film music.
Kanungo’s support for independent music and his advocacy for established musicians to focus on making things better for themselves is a timely and relevant conversation in the music industry. In recent years, independent music has been gaining momentum in India, with more and more artists turning to non-film music to express themselves creatively.
The music industry has often been criticized for being formulaic and repetitive, with producers and labels pushing for more of the same. Kanungo’s call for established musicians to focus on making things better for themselves rather than bending to demands is a much-needed perspective in an industry that is often focused on commercial success.
“People wrongly take this as arrogance. It is the only we know what we go through in this industry. We put up with so many unfair things. We only know what we are subjected to. After a point, every musician is like ‘Dude, I don’t want to deal with this. I want to be a good musician, and I want to focus on my music and not follow every trend’,” he says.
Kanungo’s own journey in the music industry has been focused on non-film music, and he has always maintained his distance from Bollywood music. He only does film music when he feels like it and never asks for it. He feels that this is a tricky decision for new musicians to make because they don’t have any power when they start out. It is difficult to build a name, and many new musicians do whatever the producers/labels ask them to do.
Kanungo’s message to new musicians is clear – focus on your music and take risks. He believes that if musicians stick together, people won’t be able to bully them. He encourages new musicians to stay true to their own style and not follow every trend. According to Kanungo, if you try to follow a trend, you will always be late.
In conclusion, Arjun Kanungo’s advocacy for independent music and his call for established musicians to focus on making things better for themselves is a timely and relevant conversation in the music industry. With the rise of independent music in India, Kanungo’s message is a reminder that there is a need for change in the music industry. By focusing on non-film music and staying true to their own style, new musicians can pave the way for a new era of music in India. Established musicians have a role to play in this change, and Kanungo’s message is a call to action for them to take risks and pave the way for a new generation of musicians.
