Raghav strikes the right notes

SITTING among the clutter of musical instruments, Raghav Sachar asks solemnly, "Can I play for you?" Before you can say yes, the strains of the flute begin to flow slowly and soulfully. He makes an earnest attempt to enthrall the listener.

At 19, Raghav's accomplishments speak of his abilities. The number of musical instruments he can play matches his age. He has an album to his credit and, above all, has rendered the background score for Karan Johar's Kal Ho Naa Ho along with the magical trio of Shankar, Ehsan and Loy and also for new music director Ram Sampat in Khakee.

The young Delhi boy's accomplishments speak of his prodigious talent. He has mastered the chords of the keyboards, strings of the guitar, trumpets of the saxophone, percussion beats of the bongo and notes of the flute. Raghav is fluent in over 21 musical instruments. Though his all-time favourites are wind instruments.

But what Raghav is excited about is his debut album appropriately titled For The First Time by Saregama. " It's a great feeling to have an album to your name and I am lucky to have it so early in my life," says the spirited musician

For The First Time has seven tracks---three spanking new compositions, one interpretation of Sting's popular A Thousand Years (re-titled Looking Back) and four adaptations of popular Hindi film songs.

"My favourite composition is Cultural Amalgamation wherein I've mixed African percussion and vocal, Arabian flute, English vocals with hook lines from R.D. Burman's O Mere Sona and Aao Na," says Raghav. "The album sums up my musical journey so far. I have attempted to put together all what I have learnt and admired.

Believe it or not, the youngster started his quest for music at four. He chanced upon his father's harmonica and melody flowed naturally. An ear for music and attuned to symphony he started his musical explorations.

"I wanted to play every musical instrument and my father encouraged me immensely. All my friends and relatives were surprised at how effortlessly I caught on to a tune." Since then his father, a senior police officer, has bought him a different instrument every year.

Says his mother, "I used to pester him to study. But one day, I met his music teacher and I complained that he wasn't concentrating on studies. She turned to me and said, 'A lot of boys are good students but tell me how many can play musical instruments like Raghav?' From that day onwards I have always been encouraging to him."

Raghav was not formally initiated into music It was only a few years back that he went to the Delhi School of Music briefly. It was then that music became a passion and he went to Monash University in Australia to learn music.

He is a music lover and prefers all kind of music, be it jazz, pop, rock or film songs. Now in the thick of the music world at a very young age, he has big plans or himself. " I have a contract with Saregama for three albums and then I"ll be looking forward to composing music which is my forte."

Adds Raghav, " I am not averse to giving music for films. But I don't want to do regular potboilers, I prefer parallel cinema."

But life isn't all about composing music and whenever he can he find time, he relishes a game of squash, badminton and even golf.

But music is what preoccupies him completely. "I just want to make music and want to be accepted by people as a good composer," says Raghav, who has a secret dream of composing music along with his idol Sting.

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