British Indian sitarist and composer Jasdeep Singh Degun has released the viral hit he wrote for Opera North and South Asian Arts UK’s (SAA-UK) popular opera ‘Orpheus’.
The single, Aapki Khushi, on Peter Gabriel’s Real-World Records, features young and talented singer and musician Ashnaa Sasikaran on vocals, backed by members of the Orchestra of Opera North and Degun’s touring band.
“Aapki Khushi was the first thing I composed for the opera,” Degun reminisces. “It was written specifically for Ashnaa, who sang the character of Eurydice, and it expresses Eurydice’s love for her new husband, Orpheus.”
Apki Khushi loosely translates as ‘Your Joy’. The song’s hooks and emotional intensity might feel distinctly contemporary, but Aapki Khushi is rooted in the ancient musical system of raagas – equivalent to western scales.
“The composition is based on Raag Shahana Kanada. ‘Shahana’ means ‘of royal demeanour’, hence the stately, worshipful feel that seemed appropriate to a declaration of love: ‘Your joy is my joy’,” he explained.
Trained in the South Asian classical tradition of Carnatic music, Sasikaran had built a dedicated international following by the time she was cast in the opera. On social media, she ventures into jazz, funk and R&B, Tamil pop and film scores, and her own compositions.
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Opera North and SAA-UK’s production ‘Orpheus’ wove Monteverdi’s 17th-century opera and Indian classical music in a captivating collaboration spearheaded by Degun. After concluding its successful tour around the north and receiving immense admiration, ‘Orpheus’ is made available on YouTube for audiences worldwide.
Following this, an excerpt from Aapki Khushi won an even larger audience, racking up hundreds of thousands of views via TikTok alone, recounts Degun.
“I started getting daily messages on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and even through my website from people encouraging me to record the piece,” he said.
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The song lyrics were translated from the original Italian text of the opera and rewritten by Degun’s sitar teacher Ustad Dharambir Singh and Orpheus percussionist Shahbaz Hussain.
“The strings were arranged beautifully by another member of the Orpheus ensemble, our assistant Music Director and harpsichordist Ashok Gupta”, Degun adds.
Made by Opera North’s Film Team, the video of Apki Khushi features footage from the music recording session in a West Yorkshire studio and a performance by Sashikaran in the Howard Assembly Room at Opera North’s Leeds headquarters.
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*Info: Opera North; Orpheus