'Music is where my heart is'

For a music professional who started his career about two decades ago, Bangalore’s own Nikhil Chinapa has grown a lot and is now pioneering music festivals. He talks to Metrolife about the changing music scene.

“This new festival that Rohit Barker and I are a part of, will be fun. We’re both proud of the fact that we are Bangalore-born and have grown up in the City. Last year, we got together with a radio channel and that’s how the festival came into being,” he says. Ask Nikhil, what’s special about this festival and he says that being different is overrated. “All we’re trying to do is create an atmosphere and have a fantastic time with friends around. Technology will play a large role in whatever will be presented at the festival. There will be 3D projections set on the beautiful premises of the Jayamahal Palace,” he says.

For Nikhil, the journey from the initial days of joining MTV has been fun. “Music videos and music have changed a lot since then. The biggest change happened about three years ago when the concept of dance music festivals increased,” he says. About the progress in music, Nikhil elucidates, “There are more bands emerging from the country playing Indian and international music. There is a blend of different genres together. The internet has made it very easy for a producer in Ludhiana to get in touch with a fan in Mysore, and this has definitely contributed to the growth of the industry. If one’s music is good, then there is a good chance he’ll get discovered.”

For Nikhil, hosting a show, being a judge at another and being on the stage performing, are like breakfast, lunch and dinner. “One can have bread and toast for breakfast, chapathi for lunch and then pasta for dinner. It’s just like that,” he says.

Having co-hosted a reality show, Nikhil feels that reality show is another form of entertainment. “Reality shows are here to stay. They are great entertainers. And another interesting thing about them is that shows like ‘Master Chef’ can get one who has no interest in cooking hooked to it,” he says. Nikhil’s stint with films was brief but he says that he had fun. “I did those projects because they were all with friends. I don’t see myself as an actor. Music is where my heart is,” he adds.

Nikhil vouches that Bangalore is number one in the music and dance scenario. 

He says the reason for this is the student crowd. “They have been very instrumental in the change in the music scene. When there’s a new artiste or trend, they are the ones who ask for these songs at parties and venues they are at.”

Though Nikhil tries to be in the City at least twice a month, he says that he isn’t here as much as he would love to be. “I travel a lot, but Mumbai’s my home where Pearl, my wife, and I stay. And I usually hang out at my home or at Rohit’s house when I’m in the City,” he says.

Like most people who observe the changes in the City, Nikhil says that the traffic scene has changed badly. “But what’s nice to see is that the typical Bangalorean’s taste and acceptance for music hasn’t changed,” he wraps up.