Music and movies should co-exist like a happily-married

CHENNAI: Musician-actor Andrea Jeremiah released her maiden album titled Flavors that comprises seven songs. “If I had to recall where Flavors started, I would have to travel a long way back. I wrote poems even when I was a child and those poems have now become music,” she laughs. Having learnt music as a kid, she says that now was the time for her to put her music out. “I could have done it earlier but there weren’t a lot of platforms and we had to go through a music label to put our work out for the people,” she quickly adds. Making an indie English album from Chennai, at a time when Tamil indie music is trying to find a footing among the listeners, Andrea says, “It was easier for me because I think in English. I can read, speak and write Tamil and even sing in other languages like other singers do. I am a polyglot that way. But when I had to come up with my own album, I believe making it in English was much easier.” With the surge of OTT, she says that indie music will make its foray into films and series as well. “This is already the case in Mumbai. A musician like Badshah might not be the composer of a film but his music will be a part of a film or a series as well. I recently enjoyed listening to Gehraiyaan as it had an underground music vibe to it. The music was refreshingly made by the band. The scene is quite thriving in Kerala too. Independent musicians make music for films and even if they don’t they still have a successful career. And that will happen soon in Chennai too because it is a part of the process. Things will evolve,” she explains.

More than music sticking to one’s roots, Andrea believes there is a lot to it. “It is the logistics, quality, packaging and marketing that takes music closer to the audience. When we talk about it, I can say that Chennai musicians are the best in the country. We have Raaja, Rahman and Anirudh and we go a long way back. We are culturally rich and diverse. Music is in our blood,” says the actor-musician.

Andrea makes it clear that it is unfortunate that the music industry has “piggybacked” on the film industry for a long time. “The irony is that music has existed even before films and how it ended up being synonymous with movies. Like I have always said both these industries can be independent and can still work together. They can co-exist like a happily married couple and the music industry should stand on its own in future. When I was a kid there were pop stars like Alisha Chinai and her Made in India was a huge hit and it was not even a film song. Similarly, movies that had no songs in them have also gone to become a huge hit lately. Vikram, for instance hardly had any songs in it and is one of the biggest blockbusters of the year. All said and done, the music industry is making a comeback and there is some revival in the scene I believe, “she remarks.

If I had to recall where Flavors started, I would have to travel a long way back. I wrote poems even when I was a child and those poems have now become music – Andrea