Showing posts with label Benny Dayal interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Benny Dayal interview. Show all posts
Using AI to make music an insult to artistes who have spent years learning music-Benny Dayal
10:00 AM
As aspiring musicians increasingly use AI to achieve technical perfection, Tamil Idol judge Benny Dayal says true artistes value emotions over technique
Komal RJ Panchal (MID-DAY; October 26, 2026)
Finding the next generation of artistes is perhaps among the best ways a musician can give back to the world of music. Singer Benny Dayal hopes to do that as he takes the judge’s seat on Tamil Idol. In a chat with mid-day, the artiste talks about finding true potential, the importance of performance in artistry, and why AI cannot match genuine talent. Excerpts from the interview.
What are you looking for in this season’s contestants?
I am looking for honesty, innocence, and, of course, an X factor that cannot be taught or replicated. There should be something unique about the way they approach music. You can learn techniques and acquire skills, but there is a certain quality that makes an artiste who they are.
Social media has changed the way singers find an audience. How do you view this shift?
There are people who find a platform through social media and become playback singers, while others write their own music and become popular through these platforms. It has an upside and a downside. Sometimes, music becomes short-lived because of the hustle and hurry of social media. At the same time, there are artistes who are becoming the faces of their own music. That’s brilliant. Ten or 12 years ago, singers were primarily known as playback singers, rather than as artistes with their own identities.
With AI increasingly being used to create music, do you see it as a threat to musicians?
As far as AI is used as a toy, it is fine. But if I write music with the help of AI, it’s an insult to artistes who have spent years learning music. It’s like a slap on their face. I’m not a big fan of AI tools, but I’m not excessively worried either. I also wonder whether there is something called technical perfection in music [that they try to achieve through AI]. In music, technique matters, but emotion will always be more important. Music should be used to express, not just impress.
Do you believe singers must also be performers?
Musicians should always be entertainers, rather than simply singing and calling it a day. Artistry involves performance, and that is the litmus test of any art form. It is an opportunity to bring your music alive and connect with people beyond the recording.
Many singers are exploring independent music, playback singing, and live performances simultaneously. What should they prioritize?
If you get an opportunity to try something, why not give it a shot? But you should not make these opportunities your priority at the expense of your music. It is important to create music that you genuinely love. If you focus on that, everything else will follow.
Advice to aspiring singers
For an artiste, art should also be a responsibility. To fulfil that responsibility, they have to be consistent. That means putting in the effort, reinventing themselves, and constantly renewing their approach to music. They must keep revisiting the works of great musicians, relearning, and finding wonderful new things to do with their music.
I was offered Ude Dil Befikre as I could sing in Arabic-Benny Dayal
7:49 AM
Singer Benny Dayal reveals how he landed the Befikre title track, and key advice he got from A R rahman on staying ‘unique’
Soumya Vajpayee Tiwari (MID-DAY; December 14, 2016)
Singer Benny Dayal’s dwindling discography of Bollywood tracks in 2016 is in stark contrast to his meaty compilation of the last few years. Yet, his second Hindi number this year is already climbing the charts for aptly portraying the freedom demanded by the song. Ude Dil Befikre, the title track of Aditya Chopra’s Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor-starrer composed by Vishal-Shekhar, has Benny humming an Arabic verse in it.
“I was offered the song because Vishal and Shekhar realised I could sing in Arabic. It seems like a simple track but was hard to deliver,” says the singer, adding, “I used to participate in inter-school Arabic singing competition. That’s also how I met Mr rahman (A R Rahman). He told me, ‘You can sing in Arabic. Don’t ever let this quality fade away. This makes you unique’.”
Ranveer, on whom the track is picturised, performed it at the global Citizen Festival india last month. “I met him before he went on stage. He gave me a hug before that,” says Benny. The singer was delighted to share the stage with Jay Z and Coldplay at the event, and confesses that it was a fanboy moment. “I didn’t get the opportunity to interact with them because of the high security, but just seeing Jay Z perform live made my day. I was really excited,” he says with child-like joy. The singer has been selective with his choice of songs because he wishes to green-light projects that are “experimental”. “I want to have diverse songs in my repertoire. I’d rather do great work than worry about delivering hits. I have learnt this from Mr Rahman and Salim Merchant.”
Asked if any other creative art, besides music, interests him, Benny says he enjoys whipping up delicacies in the kitchen. “My wife and i often spend time cooking together [he tied the knot with longtime girlfriend Catherine Thangam in June]. I really enjoy making indian food, especially chicken curry. Recently, my maid went on leave for a month. So, my wife and I had a great time trying our hand at different cuisines.”
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