Nature is Mohit's music master!

Mohit Chauhan one of the six team leaders on Star Plus' Music Ka Maha Muqqabla, is someone who has never taken any formal training to learn music.

When questioned which university Mohit studies music from Mohit wittily replied, "I went to the 'University of Nature' to study music."

After enjoying our confused faces for a minute, Mohit elaborated, "Actually I never studied music formally. I'm from Himachal Pradesh. So whenever I got bored of studying my chemistry and physics I used to go to the mountains and just listen to the song of the birds. I interacted with the tribals and learnt a thing or two about music from them. That's why you will notice a very faint note of folk music in many of my songs. If there's anything or anyone I can credit my musical abilities to, it is just nature and the people who are very close to it- the tribals."

"Of course there are some others who need to be credited too," he hurriedly adds, "My family which has always supported my musical endeavors, be it playing guitar in the most odd hours to joining a band (Silk Route). They have never put pressure on me to follow the conventional road. I have led life like a nomad in my quest for music and they didn't mind it. So I cannot help but appreciate them."

Since he is so entwined with earth, Mohit feels his music cannot be categorized in any genre. "I guess you can call my music - world music. Basically I like my music not with too many instruments. Sometimes there's just the slight thum-thum of bongo for the rhythm and the guitar as accompaniment in my songs. I like them that way. Simple and sorted," he patiently explains.

No wonder Mohit's music is just as pure and crystal clear as elements of nature!


Reporter and Author: Susan Jose