Legacy of Music Lives On
Father And Son Team Up To Create A Stir in The International Music Industry
Legendary singer and Padmashri awardee Mahendra Kapoor’s
son and grandson have teamed up to create a line of successful tracks for the
international market. Their music that featured in the award winning Spanish
movie ‘Un Espejo En El Cielo’, which was directed by Oscar Nominee Icíar
Bollaín, has found immense popularity both with critics and public.
Mahendra
Kapoor’s son Ruhan Kapoor lent his voice and grandson Sidhant Kapoor composed
the music for the tracks of the Spanish film. The musical hit has come as
another feather in the cap for the 22-year-old Sidhant Kapoor who teamed up
with his father to compose and sing for international films and television soon
after he returned from London successfully completing his post-graduate studies
in music composition from the prestigious Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music
(London).
Together, the
father and son have worked with reputed television channels such as BBC, MTV,
ABC, ITV and Sky among others. Their music has featured on popular shows
like Clash of the Gods, Taggart, The One Show, Foreign Correspondent, and The
Girl Who Cries Blood to name a few.
Ruhan Kapoor, from his early childhood has performed live with
his father for hundreds of musical concerts and has recorded number of albums
in India as well as internationally. He took formal training in classical music
by Pandit Tulsidas Sharma and late Chote Iqbal. A versatile artist with a
proficient & illimitable experience to look back on, Ruhan assisted
legendary Director Manoj Kumar in the film Kranti and then acted in Prithvi
theaters with the great Director Shafi Inamdar. It was there that Yash Chopra
saw him and gave him the lead role in ‘Faasle’ with Farha and Rekha. Then as
the lead actor he did big blockbusters like ‘Love 86’ and ‘Imandaar’. Somehow
the aptitude of a Musician in Ruhan always took the upper-hand and Ruhan
sacrificed a great film career to pursue singing which he has enjoyed doing the
most. He toured the globe with his
father, and performed in countries like USA, UK, Canada, France, South Africa,
Mauritius, Suriname, Trinidad, Kuwait, Dubai, Australia and many more.
Ruhan is still very active with recordings and shows across the globe. On a
recent tour to Jakarta he mesmerized the audiences with his voice and had
Veterans like Ram Jethmalani dancing to his songs.
Ruhan and Sidhant are currently
working on various international albums with leading music companies. They will
also be seen on international tours performing live together. “For us music is
not merely a profession, but a passion. We wish to keep the music legacy of our
grandfather alive and take the tradition forward,” says Sidhant. He
had recently won the prestigious Daryl Runswick competition, which earned his
composition a world premiere at the National Maritime Museum, London. His
composition based on Ansel Adams' photography was praised by Michael Adams (son
of Ansel Adams) and applauded by ace classical composers Dr. Deirdre Gribbin
and Dr. Stephen Montague.
Sidhant’s
legendary grandfather, Mahendra Kapoor was one of the singers who dominated the
Golden Age of Hindi Film Music. In his career spanning five decades he sang
over 25,000 songs that included Mere Desh Ki Dharti, Chalo Ek Baar and Neele
Gagan Ke Tale. He also sang many hit songs for Manoj Kumar & B.R.
Films like Upkar, Purab aur Paschim, Shor, Kranti, Dhool Ka Phool, Gumrah,
Waqt, Hamraaz and Dhund besides the title song of Chopra’s popular TV Serial “Mahabharat”
in the late 1980s.
About
Sidhant Kapoor
Being born in
a family traditionally rich in music, Sidhant had the privilege of learning
music from his grandfather Mahendra Kapoor and was in turn inspired to chalk
out his own journey in the realm of music. . He was trained by Pandit Murli
Manohar Shukla and Jazz exponent Sir Xavier Fernandes. He started composing
music at an early age for companies in the UK and in USA. His music was
well-received by the BBC, Discovery channel, Animal Planet and others of the ilk.
He has also worked with Netherland films, New Zealand films, Norwegian films,
Australian films and Polish films.
During his
post-graduate studies Sidhant worked on incorporating Hindustani musical
elements in his compositions for western instruments, and in his experimental
works he wrote graphic scores which can be adapted to the raga chosen by the
performer.
His winning
composition based on Ansel Adams' photography was praised by Michael Adams (son
of Ansel Adams). Among his projects at Trinity Laban was an opera based on an
Indian mythological story - Birth of Ganesha, which was extolled by prominent
classical composers Dr. Deirdre Gribbin and Dr. Stephen Montague.
About Ruhan
Kapoor
Singer-Actor
Son of a music legend, Ruhan Kapoor woke up to the melodious sounds of Indian
classical music. At the age of nine, he started learning classical music from
Pandit Tulsidaas Sharma, Ustad Chote Iqbal, Ustad Anwar Hussain and Pandit
Murli Manohar Shukla, who belonged to different Gharanas of Hindustani music.
Later, he
released Pop albums, such as Ishq Rab Ki Dua, Oh My Darling and Dil Tera
Diwana, among others. A renowned actor and musician, he toured the globe with
his father, and performed in countries like USA, UK, Canada, France, South
Africa, Mauritius, Suriname, Trinidad, Kuwait, Dubai and Australia. The
prestigious venues he performed at include The Royal Albert Hall (UK), Wembley
Hall (UK), The Centre (Vancouver), Shrine Auditorium (LA, USA), Sun City
Auditorium (South Africa), Emirates Auditorium (Dubai) and Palais Garnier
(Paris, France).
Ruhan has sung
for various albums in India & also worked with his father on a variety of
albums in the International arena.
