New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS): Assamese singer Papon says he is on a mission to take his native state's folk music to a "different level" by mixing it with electronic beats to create what he calls "folktronica".
Born to Assamese music legends Archana Mahanta and Khagen Mahanta, Papon was introduced to local sounds in his childhood.
"My father is a folk legend, so I could understand folk and liked it myself. I thought folk should go somewhere, because it was not heard everywhere. I wanted to take our music to the next level. So now, I'm trying to make contemporary folk happen in a new sound state," Papon told IANS.
The singer began to work on his aim seriously when he formed the band Papon and The East India Company in 2007. The market for folk was not too big back then, but the scenario is brighter now, he says.
"Folk is counted in mainstream now. But when I started in 2007 with Papon and East India Company, there was no word such as folktronica then. Then we started mixing electronic with folk," he added.
Papon's discography also includes popular Bollywood songs like "Jiyein kyun" ("Dum Maaro Dum") and "Zindagi aisi waisi" ("I Am Kalam"). Lately, he has developed a fan following with his association with MTV Coke Studio, where the youth get to connect with his new age sounds that are deeply rooted in his native culture.
He has faith in his music, and says: "It's not yet big, but it is going to be bigger."
His art has also bagged him a nomination at the annual Global Indian Music Academy Awards (GIMA) for his first Hindi album "The story so far..", and he is excited. But what is it that excites him more - a live stage performance or a studio recording?
"I enjoy both equally. There are two sides of me - one side loves interacting with people, because music is all about human stories. If you're doing human stories, then you should connect with humans around. I love doing live and I connect with the people. I'm possessed when I'm on stage," he said.
"And while making music in the studio, it's you and your world. When you close your eyes there, everything around you is everything you want it to be. So that is another stage. It's heavenly," he added.