Scratch singers often find themselves the underdogs of the music industry. Their vocals are often used as a reference for the melody, lyrics, and overall feel of the song before the main singer records the final vocals.
Film composer and singer-songwriter Jaasmaan Singh portrays the struggles of an artiste in his latest album, Scratch Singer. Stating that the creative field should be free from all sorts of hierarchies, he says “Most artistes want to be able to at least express themselves freely through their art and have a decent living. But sadly, the current system jeopardises those necessities... The starting line isn’t the same for everyone.”
The Canada-based Indian-born artiste says, “In 2022, when things turned dark for me — be it with rejections from composers or the financial downfall — to a point where I didn’t even have money to put food on my table, it seemed like an end. I would think about how I wanted to create at least one song before I died.” He adds that the constant struggle of an artiste to fight for relevance, no matter how much their fraternity belittles them, is what Scratch Singer is about. “They reduce our voice to some scratch; the term ‘Scratch’ itself is derogatory,” says Jaasmaan.
Exploitation woes
Jaasmaan says newcomers are often asked to sing scratch versions of the track without any remuneration or credit, only to eventually hear that a celebrity singer has replaced them in the final song.
Initially, Jaasmaan says he resisted the idea of following in his father’s footsteps who was a classical singer in the devotional genre. Having grown up in a middle-class family with financial pressures, pursuing a stable career seemed logical. “Although I wasn’t actively learning music as a child, my father enrolled me in tabla classes, which benefitted my future as a composer. Despite earning a degree in engineering from NIT Jalandhar, I remained steadfast in my resolve to pursue music. It wasn’t until my teenage years that I fully embraced my passion for music, defying societal expectations and following my heart,” says Jaasmaan.
Despite the family’s reservations, he pursued his music interests abroad. A scholarship notwithstanding, he found the course at Berklee expensive; he even tried crowdfunding. Eventually, he ended up going to York University, Toronto. “I met my role model, Aloka Di (composer Alokananda Dasgupta) here; I don’t regret that I couldn’t go to Berklee, says Jaasmaan.
“I worked odd jobs for five years, from delivering food to singing on freezing streets to fund my education while navigating bureaucracy. Every challenge has shaped me, fueling my determination to stay with music.”
Kindness to the fore
Jaasmaan finds inspiration in Alokananda Dasgupta and AR Rahman. He’s overwhelmed at the care and security that Alokananda extended towards him, something he believes every newcomer in the industry deserves. ‘Some moments in the video of Scratch Singer are inspired by how she treated me with kindness and care. She is also an alum of York University, where I’m currently pursuing my Music degree, and I consider it such an honour to be able to walk the same corridors as she did. It’s very special. I remember her telling me, ‘Art is great, but it’s not even half as impressive as kindness’..”
Jaasmaan is expanding his reach by collaborating with 99 Songs fame Kalpradha for the Telugu version of Scratch Singer and possibly venturing into the Tamil market. Additionally, having had the opportunity to sing for the 2021 Malayalam feature film Kho Kho indicates that Jaasmaan is making strides in the music industry across different languages and regions.
Jaasmaan is currently juggling a multitude of projects. Scratch Singer, the musical short film that he’s directing, is taking off, especially with the success of the first song, ‘Jaane Kya Hoga Mera,’ which, he says, is personal to him. He’s developing a documentary feature film and hopes to direct it soon. “I’m also collaborating on the short film Aar Paar with a talented filmmaker and friend from York University, Kush. Not only am I scoring the film, but I’m also composing a song for it, which I’m confident audiences will love. Furthermore, I’m thrilled to be involved in starting a student-run Indian Music group at York University, which will be the first of its kind in Canada. It’s an exciting opportunity to foster cultural exchange and showcase some incredible Indian music talent emerging from our university.”
