‘An artist should also engage with his or her social milieu’
Trained since the age of seven as a singer and performer, Sona Mohapatra has finally made a mark in the Indian music industry. She speaks to Bhumika Popli on her journey till now.
adays I am tuning in to a lot of jazz.
Q. You experiment a lot with clothing and jewellery on your stage performances. How important do you thing is the experimentation with the same? A.
I think it is very important to bring out your own sense of style to the stage performances. I have recently read a profile on late eminent Kathak dancer Sitara Devi who never used to give a miss to her red lips even at the age of 97. She didn’t follow the old convention that if you have grown old you should stop dressing up in a certain way or expressing yourself in a vital manner or you should get an austere or monk-like state. I believe, especially for a performing artist it is critical to hold the attention of the audience. I think apart from the stage-craft, actual performance on state it is imperative to give equal weightage on the choice of your attire. It is like a part of the entire package. I find just as creative to put together an interesting garment, sometimes it works sometimes it fails but it is totally an expression of me. I owe it to my audience to come up with an interesting attire to hold their attention.
Q. You once said that you enjoy being more as a performer than a playback singer. We would like to know that from your where you gather so much energy required for the stage shows? A.
I am most alive on the stage. I am 20 times more the person I am on the stage. I really love what I do. I can say that the audience gives me that sort of energy.
Q. When was your first concert? A.
It was in 2006.
Q. India is a volatile country and you have openly spoken against Adhyayan Suman and Salman Khan in the recent past. How do you deal with the threats and negativity coming your way when something like this happens? A.
There is no special mantra to that. All you have to do is to speak your mind. An artist has to do more than just expressing the creativity. They should have an opinion. They should engage with the social political environment they live in and with the lot of hate you also get a lot of love. People who are connected to you see you as a person who likes to speak their mind and who is consistent in doing that. Threats and negativity are part of the life. It is no big deal.
Q. You work for OmGrown music your own production house with your husband Ram Sampath. Can you shed some light on the highs and lows of working with someone so close? A.
To be honest, it is mostly the highs. We really get along. I am very lucky to have found somebody like him who is extremely mature. He is other worldly. He has an understanding on things which goes beyond just ordinary day to day matters. I learn from him every day. We have a great rapport.
Q. Can you give us some leads on your future works? A.
I am working on a big project right now which will combine music, poetry and also a travel music documentary, so it will be a visual journey. It will tell the story of the music which I want to capture. The core of it will be music. There will be both local and international collaboration on this project which will launch in the end of this year or early next year.