Europe’s leading EDM artiste Edward Maya who became a sensation with his first release, Stereo Love, is all set to make a foray into the Indian music scene by collaborating with desi artistes for his upcoming projects. Anju Maskeri finds out more from the man himself
Born as Eduard Marian in Bucharest, Edward Maya’s first release as an artiste, Stereo Love, hit the No 2 spot on the Romanian charts and spent six weeks on the European Billboard, peaking at No 2. The song has received over 200 million hits on YouTube since then. Over the years, Maya has collaborated with several artistes such as Akcent, Costi Ionic, Vika Jigulina, Cassa Loco, Studio One and DjRynno. Excerpts from the interview:
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Q. What made you change your name from Eduard Marian to Edward Maya. Is there an Indian connection?
A. I adopted the stage name Edward Maya in 2009. Maya in Hindi means magic, a creation of God. And because my inspiration comes from the Creator, I decided to go with the name.
Q. How did you get into the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) scene?
A. The resounding success of Stereo Love made me realise that the stage is set for EDM. Since then, fans have been receptive and in fact, demanded EMD sounds in my music. However, I am exploring genres outside EDM. My recent album, Angels has spiritual and meditational elements using the violin, piano, accordian and guitar.
Q. What is it about India that draws you here?
A. I feel at home here. There’s lot of similairty between Indian and Romanian music, right from the era of Raj Kapoor. Both use the accordian extensively. During one of my tours I performed live to Mera Joota Hai Japani and it received a humongous response. I receive so much love here that I come back with joy every time. Indians are very passionate people and that is why I think they love my music.
Q. You’re collaborating with a lot of Indian artistes, what do you hope to bring to the table?
A. Like any artiste, I dream of everything that can be achieved by an artiste in this domain. I think Indian artistes have a very special voice and they fascinate me. There are ongoing projects with several Indian artistes, one with Sona Mohapatra for the film Shab by director Onir, and another collaboration with Kanika Kapoor, and with a lot of other talented artistes whom I will name once the projects materialise.
Q. How would you describe your music to somebody who hasn’t heard you before?
A. I think my music has a profound spiritual dimension. It touches people’s hearts as they can relate to my lyrics.
Q. When can we expect to hear your new single?
A. My new single with Kanika Kapoor will be out by June. I hope to keep working with some big names of your country.
Q. Where do you draw inspiration for your music from?
A. There is a story behind each single I have composed so far. My songs attempt to either capture the beauty of nature, or a lofty thought, an enlightening element that can act as stimuli to awaken the artistic spirit. Even the imperfections of our world can be a stimulus for creativity.
Q. What is your take on the EDM scene in India?
A. I think EDM in India is growing and because the genre is so vast, it makes space for every kind of music and artiste. I have seen that Indian DJs are intensely involved in the EDM genre and they can compete with some successful international DJs. You have the best to offer when it comes to speakers, sound and
light equipment.
Q. How do you forsee the future of EDM in India?
A. Many Bollywood music directors are adding an electronic dimension to their music and artistes are using electronic music in their Hindi mixes. I think that is a huge step for EDM.
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