After delivering a stupendous album last year in ‘Rang Rasiya’, music composer Sandesh Shandilya is all set to enthrall music lovers from all over the world with his symphony ‘Search For Buddha.’ In this interview, he talks about the symphony, world peace and more.
What were your influences behind composing this symphony?
I always wanted to compose music that would talk about world peace. Lord Buddha is a symbol of peace and this symphony is based on the internal journey of Buddha to find peace. It encompasses the entire journey of Gautama Buddha from being a king to being ‘the enlightened one.’ The entire symphony is based on his journey which has been divided into nine stages.
Which genre of music can ‘Search For Buddha’ be classified under?
This symphony belongs to the world music genre. World music covers various genres like jazz, western classical, Indian classical, folk music from different countries, etc. World music is not limited to any genre. ‘Search For Buddha’ is an amalgamation of various forms of music.
How was the experience of performing in front of a live audience in Germany?
This was the first time that I performed in front of an European audience. The audience was delighted by the concert and gave a standing ovation. We did two shows in February – one at Cologne, Germany and the other at Bielefeld, Oetkerhalle. Both the shows were hugely successful and we got standing ovation at both the cities.
‘Search For Buddha’ promotes world peace. What made you choose this topic for this symphony?
Lord Buddha’s teachings are primarily about inner peace and compassion. I have learnt mediatation and Vipassana and I can tell you it is nothing but science. So, anybody can practice these things and gain inner peace. If you have a peaceful mind, the world will come across as a peaceful place to you.
As the symphony is titled ‘Search For Buddha’, does it has religious undertones to it?
It has nothing to do with religion. Buddha himself taught us that spirituality has nothing to do with religion. The symphony promotes peace and Buddha’s teachings. It talks about his thoughts and philosophies. Attaining peace will make you a better human being.
As the symphony is titled ‘Search For Buddha’, does it has religious undertones to it?
It has nothing to do with religion. Buddha himself taught us that spirituality has nothing to do with religion. The symphony promotes peace and Buddha’s teachings. It talks about his thoughts and philosophies. Attaining peace will make you a better human being.
How was the experience of collaborating with various musicians from all over the world?
We had more than 100 musicians from Funkhaus Orchestra and Funkhaus Choir, Germany. We had also invited musicians from different parts of the world. I got the opportunity to work with some brilliant musicians like Markus Stockhausen, Kornel Fekete-Kovacs, Charles Lambrou, Rahni Krija, Rabih Lahoud, Ustad Hanif Khan, Tara Bouman and Dinesh Mishra.
Will this symphony and concert be available for people to watch it on DVD or any other medium?
We are just doing shows at the moment. We will be performing at various places throughout the world.
Where else do you plan to perform this symphony in?
We will be performing in India soon. Then, we plan to do shows in London, Cina, Japan, everywhere. The dates will be finalized soon.
‘Rang Rasiya’ was one of the best soundtracks of 2014. What can the listeners expect from you this year?
I am trying my best to come up with better music every year. John Abraham and UTV’s ‘Satra Ko Shaadi Hai’, Ketan Mehta’s ‘Satrah Ko Shaadi Hai’, Sudhir Mishra’s ‘Aur Devdas’, Nishikanth Kamth’s ‘Madari’, Ashish Kumar Kashyap’s ‘Rangrez Pandey’ and Viacom 18’s ‘Time Out’ are a couple of the films I am working on at the moment.
