Raghu Dixit’s latest music video ‘Shakarpari’ is a treat to the eyes. It perfectly reflects the heartwarming message of his upcoming album. SugarReleased in four languages, the video goes beyond merely translating sounds into visuals and transports viewers to a simpler time and place, reminding them of R.K. Narayan’s iconic film Malgudi.
Bathed in the warm glow of a South Indian afternoon, the video unfolds in a quaint town in Karnataka. We meet a kindhearted schoolgirl, her eyes filled with empathy as she watches her classmate saddened after being punished for being late due to morning chores. A tear rolls down the boy’s cheek. To ease his sadness, the girl hatches a plan, as sweet as the song’s title: saving money to buy him a peanut-jaggery candy bar.
Raghu is not just the mastermind behind the music; he is also the director and screenwriter of the video. The kind-hearted schoolgirl in ‘Shakarpari’ becomes a charming reflection of himself. This connection is particularly poignant when considering Raghu’s actions during the pandemic. He was battling his own mental problems. “I didn’t feel like moving on. Every night, I would go to sleep hoping I wouldn’t wake up,” he says. Along with a friend, he set up a mental health helpline for people to overcome the misery of Covid-19.
The peanut-jaggery candy bar in the video costs a mere ₹65 – a nominal amount for most people. However, for the little girl it is a treasure of saved coins and a sacrifice made out of love. Similarly, Raghu’s efforts during the pandemic, though did not change the world, undoubtedly brought light to those who are battling their own mental health battles, including herself.
His main motivation behind creating the album after a decade is to send a message: Even small acts inspired by genuine kindness can have a profound impact.
From frustration to flow
Amidst the creative turmoil, a ray of inspiration came in the form of John Paul, a musician from Kolkata. John’s relentless pursuit, sending demo after demo to Raghu via WhatsApp, initially annoyed him. “Yaar, how much recognition do you want?” he asked John. However, John didn’t want recognition; he just wanted to work with Raghu. And this surprised the latter. Suddenly, he called John to his studio.
This spontaneous act led to a period of intense creativity. “We worked for 15, maybe 20 days – we ate, slept and breathed music in that studio,” Raghu recalls. “We created over 45 tunes!”
This outpouring of creativity, fueled by John’s infectious enthusiasm, proved to be a turning point. Raghu describes the experience as more than a spark of inspiration: “Working with John not only sparked creativity, it slowly pulled me out of that darkness. It showed me how much music I still had left in me.” The resulting songs, full of newfound optimism of sugar main.
While the initial spark Sugar After igniting quickly, Raghu faced a two-year hiatus. His voice simply did not cooperate. “My pitch was off, and even autotune could not fix it – it sounded unnatural.” However, it came back, miraculously, on its own, during a recording session. And they recorded the main portion of the album within a week. However, the journey was not over. Since this was their first album in 10 years, they wanted to make it special. They wanted to do something unique. of sugar What’s more, the songs are available in four languages: Kannada, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The process of bringing the album to life took another three years, with four variations for each track, making it even more daunting. Sugar Five years of labor of love.
Raghu Dixit | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Creative symphony
Another special feature of this album is that a large number of people have collaborated in its making. Sugar It all started with John. Then, during the songwriting phase, his long-time friend and prominent Hindi lyricist Neeraj Rajawat Singh joined him.
Raghu’s search for lyricists wasn’t just about finding talent; it was about finding like-minded people. He looked for collaborators who could not just translate his ideas but also share his vision. From the long-admired Kannada lyricist Kiran Kavarappa to the “liberal” Tamil lyricist Madhan Karky to the coincidental Telugu writer Kittu Visapragada (whom he later found out was working from Ireland!), each collaboration created a unique spark.
Raghu didn’t stop there. He brought in “some of the best musicians from around the world,” as he says – friends he’s had the good fortune to work with. The list is impressive: Grammy winner Bela Fleck plays banjo on the first song, ‘Shakarpari.’ Also featured are Rajesh Vaidhya on one track, Purbayan Chatterjee on another, Casey Driessen on violin, Michael League on a Moroccan instrument called the gimbry, and even a Brazilian ensemble on two songs! Every song features these amazing artists who have contributed their talents to the album’s unique sound.
For Raghu, Shakkar is more than music; it’s a personal triumph born out of a period of despair. “This album is incredibly special to me for a few reasons,” he says, “Firstly, it came from a feeling of despair and wanting to give up. The fact that I persevered and created something beautiful makes it even more meaningful.”
“Ten years ago, my reasons for making music may have been more superficial – fame, fortune and headlines. Now, my mission is to reach out to people who are struggling like I once did. People who don’t feel comfortable talking to someone who doesn’t have a support system. If my music can give them a lifeline, a thread of hope that they can hold on to, then that’s incredibly gratifying.”
