Composer Lesle Lewis of the Colonial Cousins fame believes that the golden era of the melodies is no more alive. Lesle, who started his career as a jingle composer, has been a celebrated musician for the past two decades. In 1996, Leslie and his musical partner Hariharan became a rage in the music industry when they released their eponymous album as Colonial Cousins, winning awards from MTV and Billboard that year. Recently, Lesle composed for the Disney play Beauty And The Beast, where recording in Prague with a live orchestra.
Lesle, who has always chosen his work selectively, is making a comeback with a soundtrack for a new web series titled Confessions, It’s Complicated. The show follows the lives of three girls who move to Mumbai to make a life of their own.
Lesle said, “I have composed the music for Confessions keeping in mind the kind of youth audience the series is about and will attract. There’s one romantic song that I have composed based on the actress in the series. I personally auditioned and selected the singer for the song.”
The title track, he says, is “a really powerhouse rocking song where it brings about a mad energy which fits the underlying story of the three women.”
Pointing at the catchiness of the tune, he adds, “It’s instantly attractive to the ear since it will be at the start of every episode, it will bring an instant recall and attention.”
When it comes to Bollywood music, Lesle is extremely picky and he tells us why. He says, “I have never been against Bollywood music. I started with Western
influenced indi-pop very early. Bollywood is all about new sound. Naushadji, R.D. Burman, Bappi Lahiri, Nadeem-Shravan had new melodies but now that exists no more.” More than the form and medium, Lesle confesses that he prefers the sound of the music.
“I never chase the medium. I am a melody and a sound guy.” In the era of new technologies ushering new sounds, Lesle accepts that the music scenario has changed drastically. According to him, the skills in the music industry have fallen.
“The primary reason is that although everyone can write, I feel the level of artistry and the benchmark has come down,” he points out. Lesle has also been associated with the highly popular Coke Studio in the past. But as far his future plans go, he wants to take it easy for a bit. “There has to be a change of space but not now.”
