Artist in Focus
48 Years of Lou Majaw and Counting
“Bob Dylan is my inspiration. Not my influence.” SoundTree chats with Lou Majaw on his journey called ‘life’.
Who is Lou Majaw? He’s a musician. Sure! But what makes him so special that he’s been conferred with innumerable titles whose clang resounds to the tune of “India’s Bob Dylan”, “India’s Original Rock Star”, “The First Rock Star of North-East India”, so on and so forth? When asked to state one momentous anecdote that had left a remarkable impact on him in his 48 years as a performing artiste, his humble reply was, “I remember there was one time I came across a woman who told me that when she was pregnant she wanted to see me perform on stage. She told her husband she had to be there to see me perform. After that (the performance) she came back home and delivered a child. I was really touched by that. It was beautiful.” Not a word about his quality of music, glory, or performances. Well, that’s what makes him so special.
Wanting to live life in its ‘simplest’ form, Lou Majaw is a man who loves music and life in that order. He feels his involvement with music is “better than sex” solely because after playing a song, there is no burn out. One will never catch even a fleeting glimpse of him complaining as he feels life is too short and beautiful for “Uglification”. Not sure if that’s an actual word but the coining rights would surely rest with Majaw.
In the wake of recent competition, despite the litter of new bands turning towards the sun every day, his outlook does not waver. He continues to approach music with a fervour that he possessed at the time he first set eyes on the guitar in school. He says, “In fact during those years it was easier because there weren’t so many bands/ musicians. As years went by, bands with better equipment and technology came up.” But he categorically tells himself one thing to subdue hardened times, “If life is a bumpy road, then you’re either on the wrong road or not a good driver.”
His philosophical message to the world remains, “You can enjoy the day by being the fifth season (of nature). Once that happens you’ll be at peace with the other four seasons. You won’t complain about the heat or the rain… Why be ungrateful for a life that we’ve got for free.”
Watch the legend and our Artist-in-Focus shelling out words of wisdom in the video below. And, for more inspiring stories about independent artistes in India, do log onto our channel at TV SoundTree.
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