Pigeon Opinion Featuring an Interview with Joel Veena!

“Reminder (feat. Jasdeep Singh)” by Joel Veena is an extremely strong instrumental based on the Hindustani Classical Music traditions but creating the contemporary style of music. The composition is created using such traditional sounds as the cascading melodies produced by the 20-string Indian slide guitar played by Joel Veena and deep percussion of the jori drums performed by Jasdeep Singh.

The main theme of the track inspired by the late-morning Raga Jaunpuri is contemplative and rather intense. At first, it is played in a peaceful manner; after that, more dramatic episodes take place. Such changes reflect the meaning of the track: people become stronger due to the challenges they face.

The best thing about the track is that it has a certain message for the audience. The performers want their listeners to be persistent and brave. Joel Veena's great involvement in Indian classical culture along with the skills of playing the jori drums of Jasdeep Singh make this track unique and impressive.

Interview with Joel Veena

^> "Reminder" blends the 20-stringed Indian slide guitar with the jori drum. How did this collaboration with Jasdeep Singh come about?

Jasdeep and I met through social media around 2020 and started chatting about how we could collaborate. First we recorded 'Raga Bhimpalasi in Jhaptaal', a more traditional piece, to find out what the two instruments would sound like together. We liked the result and got some good feedback. I was trying to record 'Reminder' with different types of percussion at the time and it occurred to me to ask Jasdeep to try a take.

^> The song is inspired by the late-morning raga Jaunpuri. What drew you to this raga for “Reminder,” and how does it influence the emotional tone of the piece?

I was practicing Jaunpuri a lot at the time that the inspiration for 'Reminder' came. So in a moment of grace, the melody came out from my hands after I had been practicing intensely in the morning. I was feeling the stress and isolation of the 2020 lockdowns, Jaunpuri seemed to give me a means for beautifying this reality. In general, raag Jaunpuri is a stately raag with a lot of pathos; authoritative and enchanting.

^> You describe the track as a message of encouragement and fortification. How do you convey this theme instrumentally without words?

One part is the intention while playing: music is known to have an effect on our physicality and mentality first through the intention of the players. In short, I'm actively trying to encourage and strengthen you through my playing. Another is the sound itself: full and powerful, the dignified and established raag Jaunpuri brought to life yet again, one of tens of thousands of renditions of this raag, appearing in our modern time with new (slide guitar) and traditional (jori) voices.

^> What challenges and rewards come with adapting classical Hindustani traditions into original compositions that appeal to modern audiences?

The traditional music is challenging and rewarding in itself. The discipline that I've imbibed from Hindustani music is something that I find supportive to other aspects of my life as well. Using what I've learned to express my own musicality is rewarding personally as I get to express myself in this idiom I've studied so much and more broadly when both general audiences and those steeped in the tradition appreciate my works. The most challenging part is staying committed to a rigorous practice schedule that will continue to nurture and improve my skills.

^> As one of the only North American performers of the Indian slide guitar touring regularly in India, how do audiences there respond to your interpretations of traditional and original music?

I would say my primary audience is in India. I first performed there and was given a platform to express my art through my study of Hindustani music and the Indian slide guitar. On my recent tour of India, I was really encouraged by response of the audiences at my shows; folks were really appreciative of how I presented the music and of my original compositions.

^> Your music spans meditative ragas to beat-driven looped compositions. How do you balance tradition and innovation in your creative process?

Hindustani music as an idiom encourages a lot of innovation in the content; we are improvising within a set form much of the time. I feel like this space within the music invites creativity. I keep a solid foundation of classical music, it's from this space that I reach out from and touch other styles, incorporating elements from other musical styles or simply composing the music that I feel inspired to; with the tools at hand. I keep my guitars, electric and sliding, bass, everything nearby for creation.

^> How did your study abroad in Delhi shape your approach to both performance and composition on the Indian slide guitar?

My study abroad trip to Delhi was my very first trip to India. It was during that time that I met my first teacher and some of my best friends. It was a very formative experience, at the time I couldn't imagine much performance or composition on the Indian slide guitar, I was just getting introduced to it.

(•)> That's all, Folks! Check out Joel Veena! on the Pigeon Opinion Playlist