Interview: Sona Mohapatra on her new show Lal Pari Mastani on Red FM

Popular Indian singer and music composer Sona Mohapatra is known for her varied performances in converts, music videos and Bollywood movies. Her latest venture is the Lal Pari Mastani show on Red FM

How do you combine feminism with music

With 'The Lal Pari Mastani Show' on RED FM I hope to engage with people & discuss issues that are close to my heart. Women's rights is definitely one of them but not the only issue or topic we plan to take up on the show. I stand for women's rights in the same way that I stand for human rights in any case. The catalogue of inequities & misdeeds that have been committed on women isn't something to be ignored as it carries on to this day, the fact that we need to have a woman's day in the first place to put a spotlight on a population that is close to 50 % of the human race speaks volumes to start with. To be a feminist, all you have to believe is that men & women deserve equal opportunities in all walks of life. I have been known to my audience as a feminist and I am very vocal in my opinion on the same through my social handles. I want to bring my voice on the airwaves with the Lal Pari Mastani Show.

What message would you want to give to women through your music

I have always believed in music having the power to bring about social change and being much more than just a mere creation of beauty and entertainment. I want to share my own evolution as a human being with my audience in each phase. Actually, the intention isn't preaching to anyone, I am no one to do so. To paraphrase George Gershwin, 'The job of an artist is to reflect the times they live in'

Tell us about your association with RED FM's new show the 'Lal Pari Mastani'?

RED FM is a brand that I've always admired for their unique, innovative voice & the way they take a stand on issues. Their team has created some unique properties that are on ground & on air. My band and I have featured in one of their properties on ground before. I have found their energies in sync with mine. Full of enthusiasm, excited for new ideas, fast & with a 'can-do' spirit. They are also a fun & entertaining radio channel with a wonderful connection with their audience, so it felt like the most natural collaboration to help launch my alter ego & avatar of 'Lal Pari Mastani' across the country. Using the alter ego of Lal Pari Mastani, I have found a unique artistic expression. I have always wanted to connect music to art, film, fashion, social commentary & bridge the past to the future. I want to go beyond music & create content that celebrates the values I cherish. I also have a deep fascination for the colour RED. It symbolizes many aspects of womanhood & has deep roots in our culture.

Who are the artists that inspire you

To face a live audience & sing to stadiums full of people with a band has been a childhood dream of mine.I have also grown up to the strains of Hindustani Classical music, classic Hindi film music, but what really appealed to me from a very young age was Thumri, Chaiti, Hori & other Folk music of India's heartland. It had a unique method of story-telling & a sophisticated sensuality which had a deep impact on me. My musical heroes are singers like Girija Deviji, Shobha Gurtuji, Teejan Bai, Kumar Gandharvaji, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Saab, Balakrishna Dasji, Fakir Patnaik & Parveen Sultanaji. They inspired my musical journey. My dream has been to take the learning's of the masters & devis distill their spirit & present the music of our roots to a huge mainstream audience in a format that is uniquely mine.

What are you most excited about as an artist currently

I am actually hosting my own show under a monicker that my fans have known me by for over a decade, Lal Pari Mastani. 'The Lal Pari Mastani Show' on Red FM is an extension of what I do on stage; play great live music, sing, perform, talk about topics that are close to my heart, interact with people & also curate a playlist of recorded music that I would like others to enjoy & not the regular, everyday fare that you hear on the airwaves. To host your own show & do it well on radio, does take a special blend of craft, talent & madness. I feel excited by the opportunity to interact with an audience in a brand new way but I am not even trying to compete with the amazing RJ's in their domain. My core is that of being an artist, live performer & possibly a social commentator & that is what I will showcase on my show. I also have a style & fashion story playing out in parallel in this show inspired by none other than Nisha Narayanan of RED FM! I am known to be outspoken on matters that I feel passionately about & with RED FM, I want to interact & co-create music, art & film with my audience. I'm keen to hear what people have to say & here, there will be spontaneous combustion, live on the airwaves! I also plan to get some interesting guests on the show & you will get to hear some live musical jams, some real-time music creation & many other moments of magic. I want to make my audience part of the creative

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