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Here’s why Kylie and Travis will spend this Christmas together as a family
The recent trend of remakes shows how easily Hindi film songs can be reshaped to cater to different types of listeners. But Akarsh Kumar, aka Aki Kumar, has played around with retro Bollywood songs for over a decade, turning many of them into blues tracks.
“Some of the greatest music composers like RD Burman and others were well into rock ’n roll, and the western style of music. They were incorporating those elements into their songs. There’s micro tonality in that music, which is there in blues as well. In the sense that a lot of notes and their sounds are achieved by bending a note on the guitar, instead of playing staccato, so that it sounds like the note, you want to express in the song. That’s evident in Bollywood music as well,” he says. “Lyrically as well, the words are in line with blues themes. For instance,
Reality TV star Kylie Jenner and her former boyfriend Travis Scott will reportedly spend Christmas together as a family with daughter Stormi, but they have not rekindled their romance as yet.
They will be spending the festival as a family in Los Angeles, because both parents want to be there for Stormi, who will turn two next year, when she opens presents, reports TMZ.
However, according to the report, their united front does not mean they are back on as a couple — despite sparking reconciliation rumours of late.
Scott is said to have been staying at Jenner’s mansion, and the doting mother took her daughter to the Hell Of A Night hitmaker’s Houston music festival. the song Sajan Re Jhooth Mat Bolo from the movie Teesri Kasam (1966), sung by Mukesh, is quite similar to the theme of the popular blues song, Mother Earth,” he adds.
But converting retro Bollywood songs into blues tracks wasn’t always on his mind. Neither was being a full-time musician. “It was only after I moved to the United States, because I wanted to have a job in the software industry, that I started listening to blues. I started taking classes for blues harmonica, and doing low-key shows... Like twice a week. Then that became five times a week, and it slowly started becoming clearer that I wanted to be a musician,” he says.
Born and raised in Mumbai, Akarsh says he was brought up in a typical Indian household where he was encouraged to pursue music as a child. But the focus shifted to academics as he grew up because his parents wanted him to “settle down” and have a comfortable life, “just like any other parent would wish for their child”. “My parents were okay with the part-time part but weren’t too sure about the full-time thing But I think the moment they saw I was really passionate about it and people were liking the music as well, they made peace with it and are now supportive of what I do for a living,” he says, adding that his wife, Rachel Kumar too has backed his musical career.
Although it’s been 15 long years, Akarsh insists he is only starting out. He is currently on his maiden India tour. and the 39-yearold, who will perform in Delhi at various venues from December 25 to 27, is optimistic about his unique musical sensibilities getting accepted here in India. “I am positive about the kind of music I am doing, and I am really sure that after this tour, I will be coming back for more shows!” he adds.
THE FAMILY ALSO REUNITED FOR THANKSGIVING WHICH, ACCORDING TO A SOURCE, WAS ‘SUPER CHILL AND FUN’