Angel Eyes in town

In the late 90s, when the Indian pop music was picking pace, Indo-Canadian singer-songwriter Raghav Mathur, aka Raghav’s Angel Eyes was topping the charts across the world. The singer who recently released his new number Maayera is in India for Air Canada’s Fly the Flag initiative that celebrates equality, inclusivity and diversity.

While Angel Eyes went on to top the chartbusters, Raghav tells it was Teri Baaton Mein in Hindi that he had written first. “It was later that I decided to write the English version of it and that is how Angel Eyes happened. But the Hindi version came six months after Angel Eyes was released,” recalls the singer. And for his perfect Hindi diction, he gives all the credit to his parents.

Though brought up in Canada, Raghav’s songs are a mix of two worlds, both of which he is proud of. After he moved to England, seeing the Indian culture embedded in the British culture pushed him to bring out the Bollywood in him. “I have grown up listing to Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar and songs such as Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar and Leke Pehla Pehla Pyaar. So incorporating them in the originally written songs didn’t come across as a task as it is part of who I am,” says Raghav.

With just three albums Storyteller (2004), Identity (2009) and The Pheniox (2012) to his credit, Raghav disappeared for a while; leaving Bollywood with his hit songs. “I worked with AR Rahman after that and had really good moments but didn’t feel something was right. After Angel Eyes came out it was copied in Bollywood so much, in fact, more mimicked. I take a lot of joy in people doing that but at the same time, I felt the song got watered down, losing the originality,” rues Raghav adding that once you work on something, people expect the same thing out of you.

From the time of his first album till now, the singer has seen a sea change in the Indian pop musical culture. “When I listen to music today, it appears to have been written on purpose to just fit and isn’t quite natural. Though I grew up listing to hip-hop but being a rapper was never my aim. You can follow a trend but to have a career that will last for 20-30 years, it has be in your soul,” says the Canadian singer.

Not only the singing legends, Raghav is a die-hard fan of Amitabh Bachchan. “While growing up in Canada if you wanted to be an entertainer, there were only two people you would look up — Michael Jackson and Amitabh Bachchan. But the only person I could relate to was Amitabh Bachchan. I think my career has been a combined impersonation of Amitabh Bachchan and Michael Jackson,” he laughs.

While he might have not got a chance to share the mike with Big B, Raghav has only good things to say about Junior Bachchan with whom he recorded Until the Sun Comes Up in 2015. “Abhishek is the nicest guy I have worked with. He is unbelievably talented, kind, generous and focused on getting it right. I think the world needs more of Abhishek Bachchan,” he smiles.

While he hopes to work with playback singer and songwriter Sid Sriram and Indian American songwriter, rapper Raja Kumari, Raghav eyes some of the soulful voices from Bollywood as well. “I love Arijit Singh’s voice. There is so much talent in this country that you want to work with all,” he concludes.

Today, 1 pm onwards, At Hooper’s Ground, R G, RK Parekh Road, Matunga (E)