Clinton Charles created history by representing India at one of the biggest music festivals in the world, Coachella 2023 along with Diljit Dosanjh, Rahul Hariharan and other musicians. Artists like Atif Aslam, Neha Kakkar, Adnan Sami to name a few.
In an exclusive interview with News18 Showsha, Clinton called her musical journey a ‘rollercoaster ride’. He also recalled Diljit Dosanjh’s stellar performance at the Coachella 2023 Sahara tent, the atmosphere at the concert, playing with Adnan Sami, Atif Aslam and Neha Kakkar and others.
Here are excerpts from the interview:
Tell us about the whole Coachella experience, how did you prepare to play with Diljit? And what was your initial reaction when you found out you would be performing at Coachella?
That was brilliant. I have been working with Diljit for almost two years now and I got to know earlier this year that we are going to do Coachella. So initially I couldn’t believe it as it is one of the biggest festivals in the world and I was totally happy that we were chosen to perform the most important and represent India. We are the first group from India to perform at such a festival called Coachella. So we were really excited and at the same time the whole burden was on our shoulders to take the responsibility of representing the whole country on this platform.
So describe the atmosphere there in the Sahara tent? During the concert, what kind of energy and vibrancy were you getting from the audience from that stage?
We were performing at the Sahara tent and initially when we went to set up, I realized that this stage is one of the biggest stages we are starting with. And along with us, we had a lot of other artists who were setting up there. So the atmosphere was really busy. You will also get to see many types of audiences. People from all over the world were there. And it’s a really great feeling because you never really know what to expect because every time you get to see a completely different crowd and different reaction and people were going crazy throughout the show. I mean the 40 minutes of our set went by really quickly.
So what kind of rehearsal/preparation happened behind the scenes with Diljit before going on stage and how was your chemistry with the rest of the band?
So we did some rehearsals in California because we were based in LA. So we met Diljit and we decided that the set is very special for us so it should be a little different from what we have done before. Because it’s a short set and we wanted to put the greatest hits in front of the crowd and have them each do their own new versions. So we planned the entire set which songs to choose, which would be the best song to play on this platform. And we did some rehearsals and we were already ready. Because we were already a well oiled machine. Because we have toured US, Canada and UK in 2022. So we were pretty prepared for it in advance and it just required a certain amount of planning to execute and execute it beautifully.
What was the audience reception there?
So right after the show was over and we left, we were greeted with thunderous applause, standing ovation. Because the style of music was very unique to Coachella. We had all these other bands, artists from different countries appreciating our music. In fact, many of them came and saw our entire show because they were mesmerized by the whole style of our music, the dancers, the kind of stage attire, the music was so unique to everyone on this stage. That’s why people have loved it so much and the kind of reviews we get online shows it. And as many people kept sharing videos and tagging us on all social media platforms, be it Instagram, Facebook. And the extensive media coverage we got, it was absolutely phenomenal and a surreal experience.
So one way for singers and performers to throw a curveball at the audience is that they’ll sing or perform something unexpected or out of the box? So did anything like this happen with Diljit Dosanjh’s live performance?
Yes. Many of the sets were his greatest hits, so people sang throughout the show. I think a lot of the Indian crowd and people who knew his songs were already singing along to every song. And we had a lot of segments in some of the songs where the crowd specially sang along with us. It was singing then and they were really loud. He knew the material. Even those who were new to his music and were experiencing it for the first time joined in, it was really cool.
Did you get a chance to show off your solo skills?
There were no solo piano parts in these types of sets. It’s a lot of teamwork. But I run the main playback from the stage. So I was exclusively in the execution part of the entire block and making sure everything was executed smoothly as per what we had planned. It was really cool and a lot of my tech mates knew what I was doing, appreciated what happened and they were really pleased to see it.
So what were some of your key takeaways from this experience? What according to you was the most memorable thing during the concert?
was the most memorable thing i saw
The foreigners who were really enjoying the music and one of them was DJ Diplo. I could see him right in front of me and he was dancing to Diljit’s music all over the set. And it was a great experience because you got to see an audience that you have never seen before. People all over the world were cheering for you and everyone else. For me, the main thing was that music really unites and I really saw it before my eyes that all these people are united by music. Not all of them can speak Punjabi, not all of them can understand Punjabi. But they could connect with the music and Diljit did a wonderful job of bringing everyone together on that stage that day.
Coachella will also give you the opportunity to interact with other talented musicians from across the country. So what can you tell us about that experience? Who did you meet and talk to and how was the experience?
Yes. The great thing about Coachella is everyone socializing, you get to see so many different bands, different musicians, all performing on different stages. So I met Robert Glasper who’s a great piano player. I also saw Kid LaRoi who was performing on the same stage as us. Also, I got to see a few more acts. It was really cool to see different people sharing their music throughout Coachella. And it was streamed all over the world so people all over the world were watching.
Apart from Diljit Dosanjh, you have performed with many prominent singers and artistes like Atif Aslam. Can you remember some of the best collaborations of your career?
I have worked with many singers. Some of these include Neha Kakkar, Atif Aslam, Jonita Gandhi, Adnan Sami etc. My favorite collaboration in my opinion would have to be the US and Canada tour we did in 2018. He was accompanied by Neha Kakkar and Atif Aslam.
It was one of my best tours where I got to work with Atif Aslam for the first time and I am also traveling a lot with Adnan Sami. We have done UK, South Africa and again this year we are going to do another tour of UK and US. So it’s been really great for me to be exposed to this kind of artists, different styles, different styles and I’m really glad I’ve been chosen to do that.
Do you think musicians are less appreciated than singers in this country? And that they don’t get their due credit or recognition as compared to other parts of the country?
It is a double edged sword. On one side we are hired guns. We are hired to carry out a certain task. That’s why people know what we are doing but we are never in limelight. But it is fair to be honest because many times when the shows are announced, people know that they are coming to see a particular artist. And teams and technical crews keep changing all the time so it’s not really fair to expect them to be in the limelight all the time. But in musicians’ circles, everyone knows who the real mainstays are running the whole show. That’s why we are quite popular in our respective fields. We are some of the best that have been handpicked to represent Diljit and Coachella.
Tell us something about your journey with the piano? How did it start and how has your love for music shaped you over the years?
So my dad is also a piano player and singer. So it started with my father teaching me to play the piano and also to sing. And this shaped me for years, during my school years he continued to teach me music and I also continued to learn it through him and many other teachers to whom he exposed me. After graduation, I decided to take up music as a career. I am a computer engineer. After graduation, I wanted to give a shot to my passion. That’s when I met Jonita Gandhi. And she was the first person with whom I started working in Bollywood. We started our journey together and since then it has been a rollercoaster ride.
Who’s next on your collaboration wishlist of singers and musicians?
I have been a huge fan of Salim-Sulaiman, so I have always been eager to get an opportunity to work with them, as I am a huge fan of theirs. And I am also hoping that one day I will get a chance to work with Param AR Rahman, so that is definitely one of my goals in music.