The brave world of orchestra singers

Naveen Sajju

Orchestra veteran Mukesh during one of the shows.

In the latest Kannada film ‘Orchestra Mysuru’, a friend tells the protagonist Poorna (Poornachandra Mysore) to go to Bengaluru to pursue his passion for singing. Poorna is apprehensive about heading to the big bad city, and its film hub, Gandhinagar.

“There is a Gandhinagar in Mysuru too, and it’s the hub of orchestra artistes,” says the friend. The scene is autobiographical as director Sunil Mysuru was aware of only one Gandhinagar, the one in Bengaluru.

“About 150 families, and from three or four generations of orchestra artistes, live in the Gandhinagar in Mysuru,” Sunil tells Showtime.

The term ‘orchestra’ is used to describe bands singing film songs. The ‘80s and ‘90s were the peak years for orchestras in Karnataka. People grew up listening to music on the radio and craved the same songs live. Orchestra singers were worshipped as gods, he says.

‘Orchestra Mysuru’ is based on the lives and times of playback singers Naveen Sajju and Raghu Dixit, the latter now known in the ‘folk rock’ circuit. He is also the film’s producer and music director.

Madikeri Mukesh is an orchestra stalwart who now lives in Bengaluru. Wherever he went, he was mobbed. “About 30 years ago, I was studying in Mysuru when I saw a newspaper ad. A team, headed by Manjula Gururaj — the now famous playback singer — was looking for a male singer in Bengaluru. I passed the audition and my journey began,” he recalls.

Orchestras in Karnataka scouted for singers who could render the songs of popular playback singers. “Every team had artistes who could sing like P B Srinivas, S P Balasubrahmanyam, Dr Rajkumar, Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar,” says Mukesh. “When I was asked who I could imitate, I said SPB, somewhat hesitantly.”

Mukesh sings SPB hits with striking brilliance, and has carved a long career as an orchestra singer, travelling across Karnataka and the neighbouring states. “It helped that I could sing in many languages,” he says.

During its prime, the orchestra was a regular feature at weddings, festivals (Ganesh Chaturthi, Annamma Devi), and Rajyotsava celebrations. Mohan Jimpets, Madan Mallu, Wilson Melodies, Blue Boys, and Bhadravathi Brothers were among the well-known orchestras in Karnataka.

Thespian Dr Rajkumar had a special interest in the art. “I have fond memories of practising for shows at his house,” says Mukesh. “He loved to sing in front of huge crowds and he also encouraged artistes like us.” The film’s end credits show pictures of the legendary actor rocking at orchestra shows.

But for all the fame, orchestra singers rarely get to sing in films. Which is why Sajju’s journey is incredible. He grew up listening to harikathe and traditional sobana padagalu, and watching historical and mythological plays in a village called Ballekere in Srirangapatna. The turning point came when the team of ‘Lucia’ — a crowd-funded film that sparked a new wave in Kannada cinema — went scouting for a folk singer with a voice brimming with innocence.

Debutant composer Poornachandra Mysore and director Pawan Kumar were thrilled to hear Sajju, an orchestra star in Mysuru. He sang the high-energy folk song ‘Jamma jamma’ in the film.

In ‘Orchestra Mysuru’, Poorna’s character begins as a supporting artiste in an orchestra, playing the shaker-like gilaki instrument. “That’s exactly what happened to me,” says Sajju.

“I came to Mysuru in 2007 with my mother and we kept going to plays and orchestras. When I joined a team, I would get ready to sing every day but wouldn’t get a chance,” he says. In the film, Dileep Raj plays a seasoned orchestra star rattled by the arrival of a new singer. The power dynamics is real, says Sajju.

“You finally own the stage after years of work. So a senior singer, like a shrewd businessman, will not allow a newcomer to outperform him. You can’t blame him… that is how it is,” he says.

Sajju took a giant leap by forming his own team. His shows reigned for a full season (2010-2011) and he become a star in Mysuru. One needs to have a thick skin to survive in the field as people look down on orchestra, he says. “We have to surrender to the demands of the people. I was once slippered for not singing a song from an Ambareesh film. You just have to laugh it off and start singing again,” he says.

For someone who grew big without any formal training, technical terms like shruti (keynote), tala (rhythm), and laya (tempo) were alien. “I cleared my 10th standard and finished a diploma at the Dr Gangubai Hangal Music and Performing Arts University. Stage songs (rangageete) and folk songs were my strength. But it was important to be technically sound,” he says.

Today, Sajju, like Raghu Dixit, helms a band. It travels around the globe and performs folk rock music in front of crowds of up to a lakh.

“Today, the world of orchestra has changed. Anyone can be a singer and give a show with the advent of karaoke tracks,” he says.

With karaoke technology making it possible for singers to perform without live instrumentalists, many players have gone on to pursue different professions. The pandemic dealt a big blow, too. “Bengaluru roads are now packed. It’s tough to get permission from the authorities to hold orchestra shows on the streets. And people are fascinated by music reality shows on TV,” says Sunil.

Some singers like Mukesh continue to sing with the orchestras, and earns between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 a show. He now runs his own events company. “When there was a huge demand for shows a decade ago, the readymade karaoke tracks came as the best solution. It eliminated the need for instrumentalists, and Bengaluru suddenly had 600-700 teams,” recollects Mukesh, gearing up for an event in Hunsuru as enthusiastically as he did three decades ago.

Life is unpredictable for the artistes, as they have to survive long stretches with no work. But they love the adulation, and do everything they can to stay in the business.