In a world where most popular music emerges from Instagram reels, four men have pledged to back sounds that are more enduring. It is with this vision that music label Eternal Sounds, a brainchild of Bickram Ghosh, was launched on November 17.
Ghosh has collaborated with SMIFS Capital Markets chairman Utsav Parekh, Keventer Agro Ltd. managing director Mayank Jalan and Gaurang Films director Gaurang Jalan for the project.
‘If it’s good, we want to make it eternal’
Speaking about the thought behind the name, Ghosh said: “We keep hearing people say ‘jaa chhilo, taa nei’. There is a reverence for the music of the 1960s and 1970s and people lament that this quality has been lost, which is not true. Music created to satisfy market trends is short-lived. There is such a variety of music in India, but representation is limited, with a myopic attitude regarding what sells. We at Eternal Sounds want to create a legacy of music that will last and not just be the flavour of the season. Our motto is that the genre of music doesn’t matter. If it’s good, we want to make it eternal.” The label will always be driven by quality, he added.
The four partners were joined at the unveiling by Usha Uthup, Rashid Khan, Arindam Sil, Shukla Sil and Jaya Seal Ghosh
Parekh reminisced about the moment that started it all. “We were all sitting together and the common theme that had brought us together was music. Bickramda shared his idea about such a quality-driven label. It took a year of work, but we’re finally here. We believe that people still have a taste for quality music of all genres, and are waiting for a musical resurgence,” he said.
National Award-winning producer Gaurang Jalan said the four men shared great camaraderie, making their professional association much stronger. “Eternal Sounds is a marriage of strengths. We all think alike and have certain passions that we want to fulfil together. Our team aspires to give you good music and create new legacies,” he said, while announcing that a five-song romantic album with legendary singer Hariharan would be their first release.
Mayank Jalan shared his nostalgic attachment to retro music, stressing on the importance of art. “I believe that creativity is inherent to human culture, and we all crave something deeper than professional or materialistic gain. Bickramda and I have toyed with many music-related ideas for almost a decade, but what brought us together today was the desire to create, without the pressure of commercial selling,” he said.
Please don’t think that all the best music came from the past: Usha Uthup
The launch event was attended by singer Usha Uthup, Hindustani classical vocalist Ustad Rashid Khan and actor-director Arindam Sil.
Uthup was quick to remind Ghosh of his earlier promise to do an experimental blues album with her, adding that it would be a great way to kick off a new partnership with Eternal Sounds. “Please don’t think that all the best music came from the past. We have wonderful artists today, who do great work. A lot of the best songs from the ’60s were written off at the time, but have attained cult status today. It takes time for something to become a classic, and I would urge you to give Eternal Sounds that time. The kind of music they wish to create needs to be marketed well, and I have complete faith that these four gentlemen will drive it forward,” she said.
Ustad Rashid Khan and Bickram Ghosh remembered their childhood friendship, which led to collaborations many years later. “We have known each other for years, and Bickram has always turned to me when he needs a voice for a tough piece. His compositions are amazing and whenever he has asked me to sing a song, there has been an added responsibility to do justice to it. I am optimistic that he will put all his excellence into Eternal Sounds too,” Khan said.
Sil voiced his gratitude for his longstanding association with Ghosh, which started back in college, and has sustained through 18 films. “As a filmmaker-music director duo, we really care about each other and trust each other. This belief is very important when you do any work in our industry. The world of content creation is changing, and Bickram knows how to ride this bandwagon to success. The other three gentlemen on this team are the pillars of the business [community] in Kolkata. When three such businessmen join hands with a talent like Bickram, it is a recipe for explosion. I am promising you, five years from now, Eternal Sounds will be known throughout the country,” he signed off.
