Interviewed By: Bhaskar J. Das
IMM: Tell us about your relationship with music.
Joi Barua: Music is my life…everything revolves around it
IMM: As a child what was your aim in life?
Joi Barua: While music was my biggest passion I wanted to be a couple of things! an airforce pilot, an army man, a musician, a software pro, a lawyer, a psychologist…etc etc…!
IMM: When and how did you made up your mind that you would take music as your career?
Joi Barua: I always wanted to do music and didn’t know how. I would sing primarily in English & Assamese but didn’t know how I would make a career out of this…..but then there was nothing I wanted to do more. Couldn’t relate myself to Bollywood much at that point of time and therefore sometimes looked a little blank. Guess I was really bent on taking it up as a career after a while I was living in delhi, post my bachelor’s.
IMM: What’s the story behind your debut album ‘JOI.. Looking Out Of The Window’. When did you start the work? How did it go?
Joi Barua: It was a curious case of songs & people coming together. I would often play my songs to Abani Tanti & Pavan Rasaily. They would encourage me to work on original stuff and create new material. They had heard my compositions for a while when once it happened that they liked one whole particular set of songs. I guess these ones had some common thread running through them which made it sound like an album was already born. Our special friends Ibson Lal Baruah & Manas Chowdhary joined the gang since they were equally excited about being able to do something innovative, and thus the project was greenlighted. How did it go……..? SUPERSMOOTH…!!!! I feel blessed.
IMM: What’s your next project?
Joi Barua: Next…I don’t know. working on a few things….lets see….
IMM: Do you think Assamese folk music has the potential to draw the attention of the listeners in other parts of India?
Joi Barua: If done well, definitely yes
IMM: Presently, audience of Assamese music has decreased compared to the yesteryears. What do you think might be the reason?
Joi Barua: I disagree…..my album has been celebrated! I think we have a great audience back home
IMM: Tell us about your entry into Bollywood.
Joi Barua: My friend Zubeen Garg invited me to Mumbai. He felt I could do something there. He then introduced me to Jatin Sharma who was arranging/programming for music directors and doing great work. I auditioned and they liked my voice. Jatin Sharma helped me get started immediately….
IMM: Since many songs we get to hear nowadays are plagiarized, do you think Bollywood music has any future?
Joi Barua: After night will always come day…!
IMM: Do you have anything to say against piracy?
Joi Barua: What was piracy yesterday is file sharing today. Its a tough one to pass a judgement on. But I want the listeners to know that the music that they hear from their artists is a result of a lot of blood, sweat & tears. Its never easy for an artist. & compared to other professions this one is a whole different thing. If people resorted to buying music, it would have helped better new people come forward and bring more good music to the fore. If you dont buy, u def feed the devil and will end up listening to the ordinary. Its def a bad choice.
IMM: Do you have any future plan of doing a Hindi solo album?
Joi Barua: I might be, but no plans as of now…
IMM: All the best for your music career from IMM team. Any message you want to convey to our readers?
Joi Barua: Be good…keep rocking…!!!
