Asking the right questions with art

Singer-actor of ‘Dhobi Ghat’ fame Monica Dogra considers music a vehicle for social change

NEW DELHI:

Singer-actor Monica Dogra, of the popular Mumbai-based electronic duo Shaa’ir and Func, recently unveiled her solo debut album, Spit. Sharing insights about her latest release, the singer revealed she doesn’t like to highlight problems through her art, but likes to ask questions instead.

“I don’t like to highlight problems through my art. I like to ask questions with it. I like to attempt to answer them through awareness that my knowing is miniscule in the landscape of knowledge,” Dogra said in an interview.

“However, I think art across the board has an important role to play in activism, and has always served as a vehicle for social change.”



Spit, which took three years to complete, is completely different from her earlier work with Shaa’ir and Func because it is a solo articulation. “Shaa’ir and Func is the combination of Randolph Correia and my creative minds. Spit is just me. It’s still rooted in experimentation across genres, but the focus is on storytelling and the lyrics through songs,” mentioned Dogra. Regarding the diversity of the album, Dogra stated it is an exploration of different musical styles.



“Spit is a snapshot of my life as well as an exploration of musical styles that don’t usually coexist. Some songs are pop, some are heavy bass tunes, some are drum and bass, some are folk, and some are big band/jazz tunes. The record is pragmatic but when you stitch it all together, it makes sense.”

As a leading face of the music scene across the border, Dogra noted that the industry has been witnessing a boom in the last six to seven years. “Actually, it is just that it is snowballing exponentially. I guess the reason behind this roar is because brands are beginning to invest in this aspect of art and culture because they see that people are consuming it.”



Besides music, Dogra has also made her foray into Indian showbiz with films like Dhobi Ghat, where she acted alongside superstar Aamir Khan, and David. Dubbing her plunge into acting as a wonderful experience, she shared, “My first film was with one of the most sensitive directors in our industry, Kiran Rao, whom I admire and respect very much. Acting with Aamir really helped me because he is another shining representation of a true artist and someone who takes his role as an activist very seriously.”

She added, “I’ve studied musical theatre and exploring dance, music and acting has always been a part of my artistic equation. I do feel that I lucked out.”

Dogra remains involved with her passion for acting. “I enjoy acting in films from the perspective of a songwriter, because it allows me the opportunity to live so much life in a short span of time. I can then come back to writing songs with new stories, and new things I just have to say,” she stated.

Spit released on Friday and is available for download via iTunes. A music video for the song, Say What You Like, also released on YouTube.

The nine-track album features collaborations with music producers such as Robot Koch (Germany), Prash Mistry (Britain) of the Engine Earz Experiment, and Gaurav Raina also known as Grain (India) from The Midival Punditz among others. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st,  2016.

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