Recently, a video in which Kavita Krishnamurti spoke about the rampant use of technology in recording songs went viral. The singer was present at an event in Bengaluru to speak about her journey and how songs were recorded earlier. She says, “I realized that parts of that talk had gone viral on social media when my friends started messaging me.”

Elaborating on her thoughts about the use of audio software to record songs, she says, “Once, Khayyam saab and I were judges for a show and someone said, ‘Aaj kal, sur aur sab theek kiya ja sakta hai, bas gaane mein expression aur attitude zaroori hai.’ Khayyam ji said, ‘Gaane mein attitude ka kya kaam agar sur aur taal hi nahi hai?’ These incidents were on my mind when I spoke that day. I didn’t mean to disrespect anyone and don’t want to create a controversy. With changing styles, we also change. I feel that if technology can help, one should definitely use it. I have suffered from bronchitis all my life and there have been days when I was so sick that I had to take antibiotics and cough syrups before singing. During times like these, technology helps. My only point is that you should not depend solely on technology to record a good song.”

Narrating an experience, she says, “I remember I was recording a song in 2003 and wanted to redo a line. The recordist and the music director said, ‘Hum voice clean kar lenge’. I told them that they can clean the voice, but they needn’t work on the sur because I will sing again. Later, the recordist told me, ‘Aaj kal Melodyne (an audio pitch modification tool) hai aur sab theek ho jata hai usme.’ I requested them not to use it for my songs. I don’t like using it because when the song releases, you can make out that it has gone through a processor and sounds a bit metallic and unreal to me, and I don’t feel happy about that. There are others who don’t feel the same. I remember once a singer came to the studio and asked, ‘Melodyne hain na aap ke paas?’ And I found that very amusing!”

The singer, who has lent her voice to chartbusters like Hawa Hawai, Tu Cheez Badi Hain, Dola Re Dola, Nimbooda and Bin Tere Sanam, among others, goes on to add, “Your capacity to sing without technology should never prove to be a limitation. You shouldn’t lessen your practice or stop focusing on sur and taal. For any singer, that is of primary importance. You should strengthen yourself and your skills and then use technology.”

Kavita emphasizes that all these factors were important. “Bollywood songs have phrases on the beat and aren’t rhythmically complicated. Earlier, if something was off-key or somebody was unable to catch the beat, then the only option was redoing it because tools and apps didn’t exist.”

Reflecting on the effort behind recording when she had joined the industry, she shares, “Laxmikant-Pyarelal and R D Burman would call us a day earlier so that we knew the emotion of the song. The next day, we’d go to the studio and rehearse with the orchestra. That way, we would know the song well. Some music directors would tell us where to break the song and when to breathe.”