Mahima Thombre/Pune

Music unifies people: Rabbi Shergill of Bullah ki Jana.. fameThe song and the album broke many sales records. Later he also composed music for Hindi films and lent his voice to Bollywood music. However, he continues to be identified as a Sufi singer. During one of his recent visits to Pune, Mahima Thombre of Awaz- The Voice, Marathi interviewed him. Below are excerpts from the conversation:

How has been your journey in the world of music so far?

My song 'Bullah Ki Jaana Main Kaun..' was released about twenty years ago. After that, when I look back at my journey, I feel very happy. There were many obstacles in this journey, but I am very happy that I did not deviate even a bit from the path I had chosen.  

What is the specialty of music? 

I believe that good music and good health are dependent on each other. Because good health creates good music and good music creates good health. Music is the thread that binds different elements of society together. The kind of music people listen to creates a thread of unity among them.

Sufi is the origin of my music. I am one of the few artists who have done the work of fusion of rock music with Sufi music. And this is what the fans liked the most. Yes, but I did not sing Sufi music to please people. Sufi music is very close to my heart. That's why I keep singing it. My heartfelt prayers may have touched the hearts of my fans. Devotees must have felt a heartfelt prayer in this.

Your music is very different from the kind of music being heard in Punjab these days. Why so?

I was born in Delhi and grew up here. Obviously, my music was always different from Punjabi. Also, since Punjab is very far from Delhi, I could get closer to the classical music of Punjab instead of contemporary music. At the same time, I have always tried to stay true to my artistic convictions. I have tried to present the mausika that arose from those notions honestly, and I think perhaps that is why I have been able to remain relevant even in today's times. 

A good and famous artist has to remain in the headlines continuously. Does it affect your mental health? How do you balance it?

I don't think you can balance it. Yes, you can definitely try to be more active. Conversely, trying to balance too much can hinder your creative inspirations. That's why I try to adopt traditional Indian ways in life.

People's music tastes are also changing with time. How important is it to present yourself in a new style to remain relevant in such times?

In pop music, it may be necessary to keep changing to remain relevant for a long time. But I feel it is not needed in other places. The people I idolize have never thought of reinventing themselves and yet they have enriched many people like me.

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What do you think of the changes happening in the music industry?

The music industry still has a long way to go. Moving from corporate publishing to self-publishing is a very important step in that. Although self-publishing still has its limitations, it still allows for a lot of new ideas. Although they have faced some difficulties, still it is being tried on a large scale.