A Musical Repartee With The Beautiful Singer - Sanjeeta Bhattacharya

Tell us a little about yourself! 

I'm a 19 year old girl with a huge appetite for good food, music and travelling. I have grown up in a family of artists and hence my inclination towards dance and music began since I was very young. Throughout my school life, I was more often found in the music room than the classroom. After receiving my diploma in Kathak from Kalashram, I decided it was time to concentrate on a particular field and I chose music. I have learnt not to discriminate and all kinds of music from around the world fascinate me. There’s too many things to learn and too many places to see out there! 

So firstly, you’re only 19 and already making headlines with your latest concert. How does it feel?

I feel very humbled and honoured. It is always nice to know that your hard work has not gone unnoticed. I know many people my age who are perhaps better musicians than I am who are not recognized as much so I try to let things get to my head. An ego is the last thing an artist should have. That being said, it is definitely very exciting to see yourself in the newspapers and read good things being said about you.

Tell us about your family & friends and their influence over your art

My dad is a painter by profession and mum is a homemaker. I have two brothers, one of whom is also a painter and plays the piano while the other plays the tabla and is studying Ancient History. I remember listening to all kinds of music that my brothers put on- from Slayer to Led Zeppelin. Other times, dad would put on Abida Parveen or Mehdi Hassan and so my early playlists were heavily influenced by what they used to listen to. 

I was in the junior choir since preparatory and since it was a Christian school (Mount Carmel, Anand Niketan). I began learning gospel music and hymns and sang my first solo at the Apostles Methodist Church in second grade, my first competition! In 2005, I changed schools and transferred to DPS, Vasant Kunj. Here, instead of a choir they had a band for Western music which I joined in 7th grade. It was the first time I was ever exposed to the music of Manhattan Transfer, Joni Mitchell, Alicia Keys, Aretha Franklin, Porcupine Tree and others...this was a big change for me and I loved it.  I began exploring and experimenting a lot more with my own music from then on. Friends and family have played a pivotal role indeed, always. 

Getting into the Berklee College of Music must have been a big deal. Tell us about your experience there!

It was INSANE, to put it mildly. Getting into Berklee might be a big deal and you do end up feeling great about it but once you go there, you’ll realize how much scope of improvement there really is. Everyone, well almost everyone, is terrific at what they do and the best ones have zero ego hassles. 

Throughout my school life, music has been about competing and winning but now it’s about being around people who are better than you and learning from them. It’s amazing to have friends who can inspire you to better yourself as a musician and as a person. I have also had the opportunity to attend concerts of incredible musicians like Wayne Shorter, Maria Schneider and Tigran Hamasyan amongst others so it’s a blessing, really. 

Most of my professors are award winning pro musicians and the classroom environment is usually very laid-back and friendly. I am learning so much everyday not just from my teachers but also from my friends. However, all the serious talk aside, the parties are SO much fun because of all the Hispanic people around. They bring in the Bachata, Merengue, Reggaeton and Salsa...who could resist that? Berklee is a blast, basically! 

Berklee has produced some of the finest musicians in the world. Is it intimidating to be in a place full of talented musicians?

Yes and no. As I mentioned before, it’s not about competition, it’s about inspiration. So I never feel compelled to be as good as them but definitely improve myself as much as I am capable of. I feel humbled to have the opportunity to be surrounded by so much talent and goodness. When teachers treat you like friends and friends treat you like siblings, there is nothing to be intimidated about. 

We are all familiar with the academic system of education involving exams, assignments etc. Tell us how musical education is different

You’ll be surprised to know that even at music school, we DO have to give exams, finish assignments and do homework- EVERY day and YES it does get hectic and stressful during mid-terms and finals. The higher your semester, the more work you’ll have. The only major difference is that we do our homework on Protools/Garageband and staff paper instead of notebooks. And the biggest consolation is that whatever we’re doing is about music (except the liberal arts classes but that’s okay!). Never in my life have I ever completed my homework on time or at all but now that has changed thanks to Berklee. 

So you are adept at Indian Classical Music as well as Broadway, RnB and Jazz. What type of a musician do you see yourself becoming?

I don’t consider myself sufficiently adept at any of the genres that you mentioned but I am working on it. Jazz has particularly interested me since I began college. I hope to learn a lot more about music from around the world, not just the West, and incorporate these influences into my music. I don’t want to limit myself to any particular genre. There is so much music out there waiting to be explored so let’s see what happens, the journey has only just begun.  

Who are your favourite artists in the Delhi Music Circuit?

Unfortunately, I never really got around to exploring the music circuit in Delhi as much as I should have. However, I did attend some gigs of Advaita, Guillotine, Faridkot, Cyanide, White Beryl and Purple Elephants. Can’t really choose a favourite as this is hardly a number! But I do know many of these musicians personally and they are hardworking and very talented. 

Tell us about some of your musical inspirations. 

In my life, I have been fortunate enough to have really great teachers. My guru, Smt. Sunanda Sharma has been a huge inspiration all along. She never judged my decision to explore territories other than Indian classical and while at the same time embedding great respect for classical music within me. 

No matter what, I shall never forget my roots. My music teacher at school, Sidharth Das was like a friend and confidante. He pushed me to be better and taught me to never settle for less. He was also the first person to tell me about Berklee.  At college, I met professors like Annette Philip and Jan Shapiro- brilliant vocalists and wonderful human beings with whom work has seemed like a breeze and who have helped me tremendously with my techniques. Apart from my teachers, I would definitely give a lot of credit to my friends and brothers for introducing me to some amazing music. 

So during the rare time you’re not serenading high notes, what other activities do you indulge in?

Dancing...or rather, MOVING. If you spoke to the people close to me, they’d tell you I move all the time, more than usual. I also love eating and trying out new food. If I could drive, I would be out every day because I loooove travelling and travel photography. Until very recently, I wanted to become a travel photographer. Actually, I still do. Maybe music and photography can work out simultaneously! 

What according to you makes Delhi 'So Delhi'?

I love the diversity in the city. Not just of people but of cultures in general, from around the world. I also enjoy the informality and nonchalance while interacting with people. The wide tree lined roads of South Delhi, the hustle of Connaught Place, grand buildings like Rashtrapati Bhavan, hidden treasure like Agrasen ki Baoli and Jamali Kamali- all make Delhi unique.  The other day my friends and I went to San-cha for tea and the Hanuman Mandir at CP after that. I got mehendi on my hands and clicked a guy selling tea in kulhars. Then we had rabri and kaala jaamu for dinner. I’ve missed all this in Boston.

What are your favourite places in the city?

Can’t choose a favourite. I love visiting all the monuments in the city. Jamali Kamali (and the adjacent baolis and mosques in the complex), Qutub Minar, Agrasen ki Baoli, Purana Qila, Humayun’s tomb, Safdarjung’s tomb etc. Connaught Place is always great because of its central location and all that it has to offer. For shopping, I love Santushti Complex. It has the best of everything and hardly any people. Additionally, no multi-storied buildings and unwanted mall music. I have also always wanted to go inside the church on Church Lane near CP but it just never works out.   

What are your favourite eating joints in the capital?

Saravana Bhavan in CP, Oh Calcutta in Nehru Place, Shimla Dhaba near PVR Naraina, Sushi in Defence Colony, Chili’s in Vasant Kunj, Elma’s Bakery in Hauz Khas Village, All American Diner in India Habitat Centre...I could go on. Also, ‘Standard Shawarma’ on Shankar Road (the local shawarma guy)...so good.  

Tell us something unusual about yourself that few people know.

Hmm...this is going to be hard because there’s not much that is unusual about me. Not many people know that I have a bent nose and bent legs haha! I also have never had good experiences with mehendi. (One time it burnt my skin, another time it stayed only for 2 hours.) I have a strange obsession with aam panna and despite my love for visiting all kinds of places of worship, I am agnostic.

A memorable instance in the city?

Way too many! This one time, I was on my way home on the metro from a party in Gurgaon. Somehow I managed to look odd amongst all the ladies clad in salwar kameez’s. I heard some of them whispering to themselves, “Kahan ki hai yeh?” and “Firang ya Kashmiri hai”. I was bored on the long ride anyway so I decided to play along and with a fake Turkish accent, asked one of them, “Rajendra Place...kahan?”. Soon I mad about 4 friends who asked me about my experience in India so far and suggested some Bollywood songs to listen to and places I should visit. A guy from the other compartment even gave me his number and asked me to contact him saying he produced TV serials and would love to cast me in one of them. I couldn’t stop laughing once I got off the metro. I can’t believe how well I pulled that one off!
Well here's wishing this powerhouse of talent all the best in all her musical endeavours! 

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