Music studio set up in 100-year-old home craved by builders in Belagavi

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Visitors look at pictures in the Pancham Caravan performance space atop the ancestral home of the Paranjapes on Khanapur Road in Belagavi. | Photo Credit: BADIGER PK

The century-old home of the Paranjapes on Khanapur Road in Belagavi, in Karnataka, is a sight to behold. The cluster of traditional houses with a large courtyard has been preserved as they were originally built.

Ashok Paranjape, Chartered Accountant and musician, spent hours with architects and engineers to ensure that the old designs were retained, but structurally strengthened. The house stands in stark contrast with the high-rise buildings and shopping malls in the neighbourhood. One look at the house not only reveals the principle behind the conservation, but also reveals the personality of the inhabitants.

“We love our house as it is. We do not want to change it in any way,” Mr. Paranjape said. He has turned down multiple offers from builders to tear the house down and build a multi-storey apartment with shops. This outlook is what seems to determine his venture in the music industry.

Mr. Paranjape is a second-generation CA. He cleared various examinations to obtain international certifications and provide services to overseas corporations. He set up a company to offer his expertise to industries and businesses. He serves on the board of a few companies. After over three decades of globe-trotting, however, he felt the need to turn his focus towards something that he was interested since childhood — music. He turned songwriter, composer, and music producer.

He set up two state-of-the-art music studios in Belagavi — one in his family home and the other in his modern apartment. “I am inviting all kinds of talented musicians — classical, folk, or modern, to utilise our technical infrastructure. We want to produce the best music from Belagavi,” he said.

The studios have equipment from Europe that offer professional-level acoustic treatment, world-class microphones, advanced production software, and premium monitoring systems. Above his house is ‘Pancham Caravan’ jam room, named after his favourite composer - R. D. Burman. It can host around 50 persons for live performances or song-listening sessions. He has plans to set up an academy to train youngsters in modern music.

“We hope to make this infrastructure available to aspiring singers, musicians, composers, and bands from Belagavi and neighbouring regions. They need not travel to Bengaluru, Mumbai, or Chennai to record music. We need to trace local talent and nurture them in a musical ecosystem,” he said.

Mr. Paranjape and his friends launched Kashma-Kash, a music label and creative ecosystem. It is a venture supported by SVAN Finesse in collaboration with Downboy Global/Sounds Inc in the U.K. SVAN Finesse has already recorded vocals in Belagavi, and completed production in London. The first record was released in the international market to an encouraging response.

The team includes Brian Harris, a U.K. music industry veteran who has worked with Barry White, Robert Palmer, Chic, Mary J. Blige, and Jennifer Hudson, and brings decades of experience. He is joined by Nigel Lowis, one of Britain’s leading songwriter-producers, with more than 18 million record sales, and collaborations with Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and George Benson. Phil Dane, a London-based producer and recording engineer, strengthens the production team. The core team includes Varsha Paranjape , Raj Belgaumkar, and Amit Soundalgekar.

Kashmakash is an Urdu term of Persian origin that translates to inner dilemma or perplexity. However, Mr. Paranjape does not think of it as a word with negative connotation. He thinks it hints at the duality of life, explored in ancient Indian philosophy.

“That is what I am trying to bring out in my songs. When I explained the lyrics, my international collaborators were amused. Every composition is intended to narrate a story, giving equal weight to poetry, melody, and craftsmanship. The label has been conceived as a platform for original music that connects listeners across languages and cultures,” he said.

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