Striking a different note

Varied chords

“It was recorded in 30 studios in 15 different countries across seven continents and the musical instruments were from 23 countries. The concept is to help a weary and distressed soul to get refreshed,” he informs. The album is a combination of classic hymns which Benny has re-arranged with a combination of jazz and Indian classical music.

Some of the instruments used in the album are duduk, saxophone, double bass, various kinds of flutes, violin, and many other kinds of Indian string and percussive instruments. “Working on this album, in which where various cultures and identities of the world are represented, helped me recognise that every form of art, music, culture and people takes you to God,” he says.

Turning nostalgic about his musical journey, Benny said that he heard God’s voice while attending a concert at the age of 19.

“That became a turning point as at that time I was losing all faith and hope in my life. I heard God saying, ‘Benny, even though you have been useless all your life, I need you now and I can make you a new creation’. That gave a fresh start to my life,” he recalls.
One thing that makes Benny different from other musicians is that he performs various
styled instrumentals and in between each piece, he shares his life experiences.    

Known for his soulful recitals, Benny also has the credit of designing world’s first Bongo guitar, Bentar, which has 54-strings. The thought of adding bongos into the guitar came to his mind when he was performing at Hollywood Global Arts Gathering. Later, he shared the idea with a guitar company in Chennai and that’s how Bentar emerged.

The singer recently made a world record by travelling to 245 countries in the shortest time span of six years. The World Records Academy USA, Limca Book of Records and India Book of Records has acknowledged the musician’s feat of having travelled to 245 nations. He has presented programmes all over the world to herald peace in the hearts of people.
“If my dreams come true, yours can too. For those with no hope, there is more to life than what today holds. Never give up your faith in life,” signed off Benny Prasad.