Legendary musician, composer and producer Nitin Sawhney is in demand and has packed much into the last few months.
The Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement Award winner recently played with Pink Floyd and produced both Rod Stewart and Jools Holland.
He has recently returned from the Toronto Film festival having scored the music for a new movie.
The 58-year-old also recently began work on a new solo album, the follow-up to last year’s acclaimed Immigrants.
However, Nitin has taken time out of his hectic schedule to headline Aberdeen’s Music Hall on Friday as part of the True North festival.
Nitin insists his affinity with Scotland drew him to the Granite City.
He said: “Scotland is a country I always love being in. I feel a great affinity with Scottish people. Scottish people are always very welcoming and kind.
“They also have similar politics to me. It is nice when I feel there is a crowd that I feel gets where I’m coming from. That always feels the case when I am up in Scotland.
“The Aberdeen show is going to be really great fun and a lovely evening.
“Every time we have played this show it has had an amazing response from the crowd. Hopefully, there will be the same vibe up in Aberdeen.”
Helping develop young talent
A distinctive and versatile musical voice, Nitin has released more than 20 albums.
He has also scored more than 60 films and also wrote the music for BBC’s epic Human Planet series. Nitin has also scored extensively for theatre, dance and video games.
He is enthused by the power of music.
However, Nitin is concerned the current cost of living crisis could have a negative impact on the emergence of exciting new talent.
Nitin is Chair of Trustees for the PRS Foundation, the UK’s leading charitable funder of new music and talent development.
On the impact of the cost of living crisis on young musicians, Nitin said: “I am very concerned about that.
“That’s one of the reasons why I really like working for the PRS Foundation. It does a lot to help young up and coming artists get a foot on the ladder.
“What I am really proud of is that nine of the 12 Mercury nominees this year have been funded by the PRS Foundation.
“Eight out of 12 nominees last year were also funded by the PRS Foundation.
“It is really good at finding young up-and-coming talent, addressing inequity and making sure we have inclusive policies. I am really proud of the programmes we do because there is a lot of endemic inequity in the music industry.
“For example, there are hardly any people of colour or women composing for the top films which has got to change. A lot of these things have to be addressed.
“Young artists also have to feel there is a future in music but this government has done a lot to discourage them from believing in that. I want to be part of the change where they can see they have a future in music.
“Music is essential to our quality of life and we can all benefit from finding great talent and encouraging that.”
The honesty and truth of music
Nitin has worked with a plethora of world-renowned musicians including Paul McCartney, Sting, Brian Eno, Shakira and Ellie Goulding.
For Nitin music is a universal language that must be based upon truth and honesty.
He said: “When people spin words or say certain things it is very difficult to be able to tell what is true and what isn’t. Because people can wear masks.
“However, through music you can really tell if someone is being honest or not by the way they deliver it.
“I have spent a lot more time in my life playing music than I have speaking, and that is much more my language. I feel I get to know people a lot more through music than anything else to be honest.”
‘People turn to music to reflect their feelings’
For Nitin, the power of music was evident during the coronavirus pandemic.
He, believes turning to music for comfort and hope will have helped many during those dark days of isolation.
However, he fears there remains a knock-on effect on young musicians from the pandemic.
He said: “When you are feeling down or low music is the thing that gets you through it. People turn to music to reflect their feelings.
“A lot of musicians couldn’t play concerts during that time (coronavirus pandemic) so we had to find different ways of doing things. Musicians were writing a lot and being quite reflective in what they were doing.
“Some musicians had to go out and get other kinds of jobs.
“That is a shame as it meant we lost a whole generation of amazing musicians and talent that could have come through.
“It is really important that we encourage them to get back out there and play.”
Pink Floyd, Rod Stewart and Toronto
Nitin will headline the Music Hall on Friday as part of a packed schedule.
He recently played with rock greats Pink Floyd and worked with another legend, Rod Stewart.
Nitin said: “I have just finished doing music for a film and returned from the Toronto Film Festival. It is a film called What’s Love Got To Do With It? which is directed by Shekhar Kapur and written by Jemima Khan.
“It has Lily James in it and Shazad Latif. It is a really good rom-com that has a good point to it as well.
“I have also worked with Jools Holland and produced his album recently. And I also did a bit of production for Rod Stewart which was good fun.
“I played with Pink Floyd recently for their new charity record to help people from the Ukraine.
“At the moment I am working on a couple of new films and a new television series. I am also working on my new album which will be called Identity.
“I have just started writing that and I think I will finish it next year.”
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