For those who grew up in the late ’90s, Lucky Ali’s music still gives you nostalgic memories. His indie-pop music and videos, many of them shot at offbeat locations, are still loved by every ardent fan of his. Past the age of 60 with over 25 years in the music industry, Lucky Ali still draws in the crowds wherever he goes.

Verus Ferreira spoke to the pop icon of the 90s to know what makes his music still relevant and his new music still magnetising anyone who hears it.

O Sanam went viral recently and many of your other songs also continue to resonate with the audience even after so many years. Where do you seek inspiration to create these nostalgic songs?

Well, I discovered these songs in the company of other like-minded artists andit culminated into an entire track and compositions. So, I think it's a collective effort and not an individual effort. I look at it that way. I feel that because it was such a collective experience, it became collective in its expression as well and people have enjoyed it for that very purpose.

Has the pandemic led you to make any changes as an artist and in your personal life?

As an artist, I very much work the same way I used to earlier on and in my personal life, I haven't travelled out of India that much. I would've liked to travel, but we couldn't. Nobody could at that time. Apart from that, there were no such great change. Everybody came home, everybody is here and we're functioning like how other families do. There are changes, but nothing to complain about. I could only say that they are positive and progressive.

Do you like the New Gen kind of music that is being made nowadays?

I like all kinds of music that touches your heart whether it be new gen or psy trance, anything that touches your heart the moment you listen to it. So, I'm all for creative expressions.

What is the song ‘Intezaar’ about and what message do you want to convey?

Intezaar for me is not about conveying a message. It's more about understanding aspects of life that sometimes walk together or sometimes not together. It's just trying to make an understanding or a linkage between hope and waiting because you always hope when you wait for something. But over here, we have shown that as proactive, as moving towards a common goal, a common purpose, and that was our understanding of the lyrics that happened with IP Singh. So, it's not a message driven song. We're not out there preaching about anything. We're just probably observing and then lyricising our observations and expressing it through the medium that we understand.

Going back in time, do you remember how music happened for you? Your inspirations?

Growing up, we had varied influences apart from the influences that we experienced in our home country because India is a very musical place. But also, other little influences that you heard from outside, in terms of new genres that developed over the years. Just generally, the idea that instruments could make a sound and you could sing to it, those were my inspirations.

What’s keeping you busy these days?

Well, putting together my studio and taking it apart. Trying to get fresh input into tracks that we've worked on with the band and this new album which me and Mikey have been working on. It's an ongoing process and all our tracks are ‘work in progress’ so, we just work with what's happening. We’ve finished quite a number of tracks now. There are other tracks that we have been working on with Farmhouse Music so, that's what we are doing.

You are past the age of 60, how long do you plan to make music? Have you ever thought of hanging your boots one day?

I don't wear boots everywhere. They were off a long time ago. (chuckles) I like walking barefoot everywhere. So, whatever happens with that, is the expression. In terms of retiring, it's a misconstrued word. You don't really retire, you're there and being productive. You're just not active in the circle, that is what retirement is about. Like my dad. He was active but he lived on the farm and ideated from here and did what he wanted to do from here. In a similar way, I feel that's the direction I understand at the moment.

Lucky Ali will perform at Bacardi NH7 Weekender on 15th May 2022, 7 pm at Dublin Square Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla, Mumbai. 

Interviewed by Verus Ferreira