"Just Gita"

By BD Marie Hughes

The Toronto Independent Music Award’s Showcase on Wednesday, May 26.2010 at The Central in downtown Toronto was privileged to welcome the professionally polished live performance of Gita Gauba, a singer, songwriter, and producer, born and raised in Toronto. “Just Gita” is an experimental, R&B, hip hop artist clearly making a positive impression on the independent music scene. Gita performed two brand new tracks, “Guitar Dreams” & “Gotta Be Me” with Mikey Dorje on acoustic guitar (they co-produced both songs), and debuted her song “I Can Shine” (inspired by her brother who was diagnosed with a disability at a young age and destined to become an inspirational anthem in my opinion!) with Peyton Leung on violin and Larry Yuan on keys (both of whom are part of an upcoming group called Handsome Nobodies).

During this interview, we’ve discovered Gita’s multi-faceted skills and depth of experience in the independent music scene not the least of which includes the versatility to sing fluently in 3 different languages. 100% talent! Triple the potential audience!

BD: Gita, it’s always interesting to hear when a singer songwriter gets involved on the production side of his or her recorded music. It’s a big and significant step. When did you decide to take your interest in producing and get down in the trenches? (both of us laugh) How did you find working with Mikey?


Gita: I’d like to start off by first thanking you, BD, for getting in touch with me to do this interview and giving me this platform to express myself!

I’ve been interested in the production aspect of the music biz from the get-go. I remember getting my first cassette, Aaliyah’s “Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number”, and, instead of looking over her photos, I was more interested in who wrote her songs, produced them, the composition, and it was like, “Wow, there’s this whole other aspect of the music industry that isn’t really talked about and these people are just as ‘instrumental’ – pun intended – in (laughs) creating that album!”

My first experience in the studio resulted in me asking endless questions to the producer, N Raina. I was really fascinated by the process of creating the music for a track, adding the vocals, effects, and the whole shi-bang. It was like a delicious recipe that I couldn’t wait to make and taste!

I think what really got the ball rolling is when my husband got me the M-Box as a wedding gift. It is, to date, my favourite gift ever and “Guitar Dreams” was actually one of the first tracks that I put together.

My hubby was also the one who introduced me to Mikey Dorje. I’d heard Mikey’s music before and was excited to collaborate with him. ‘Guitar Dreams’ was this loopy kind of melody with my vocals on it and Mikey helped make it exactly how it sounded in my head. It’s a wonderful feeling when you collaborate with another artist and the end result is one that pleases you both. Listening to ‘Guitar Dreams’ makes me so proud because it shows how far I’ve come musically. It’s just a dream come true to realize that I have this kind of control in my career.

BD: You’ve got your song “Guitar Dreams” now available for free download. That was really smart of you to point out its availability during your TIMA Showcase performance! You’ve also got a mixtape in production along with an album in development. What can you share with us about these projects?

Gita: I was really excited to release ‘Guitar Dreams’ so close to the TIMAs performance as it was my first independent single! I was keen to see the response it would get from the listeners. Turns out that we’ve had tons of downloads so far and lots of supportive messages from people all over! It’s even been selected as one of the tracks for this year’s TIMAs compilation cd!

I’m currently working on a mix-tape/album that I’ll be producing, writing songs for, and, of course, singing! (laughing) I was hoping to have it done by now but am starting to realize just how much work goes into this. So far we’ve got 3 tracks completed and there are 5 more left. It’ll be a mix of different sounds and feelings. I’m super excited and can’t wait to finish up on this!

BD: Your list of collaborations is long and impressive! Local and international, too! RDB, who have played with some of the biggest names in Bollywood – Akshay Kumar, Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan, and Aishwarya Rai to the biggest names in the west – Snoop Dogg and Public Enemy; Nav Sarao; MC JD; Nawtiks (a Canadian band that fuses Indian musical elements with every kind of genre out there); Jay Deala; Eddie Bullen (a highly accomplished pianist, songwriter, arranger and producer with massive commercial success – “Hands Up” (“Hands up, baby hands up, gimme your heart, gimme gimme your heart, baby baby, Hands up! ... theme song for Club Med anyone?? That’s only one of many); N Raina; Joti Dhillon; and Peter Rankin. We’re all ears on this one, Gita! (laughs) Tell us more!

Gita: You know, BD, I think I’ve just been really lucky to have worked with such amazing artists so early in my career. RDB were the first artists I collaborated with and it was the experience of a lifetime! They’re so professional and hard working! But, above all, they’re incredibly down to earth and just a group of really nice people. It was so much fun recording “Yeh Din Toh Aata Hai” for RDB 3 and I was absolutely ecstatic when I heard the final track!

I’ve collaborate the most with N Raina, an up and coming artist/producer from Toronto. I wish I had material up for you guys to hear but you gotta trust me when I say that he is amazing! He is one artist that I love getting in the studio with and his beats are out of this world! I can’t wait to release what we’ve been working on ‘cause it sounds sooooooooo good!

My experience working with Eddie is from when N Raina and I went to record a track we collaborated on at Eddie’s studio ‘Thunderdome’. Eddie was such a pleasure to work with and I especially appreciated that he took time out to give me advice on how I could improve the song and other helpful tips. I would love the opportunity to actually collaborate with him on track as I’m a huge fan of his music!

There are lots of other artists that I’ve had the opportunity to work with and they’ve all been really professional and talented! Collaborations are a great way to fuse cool ideas and sounds and to expand on your musical knowledge. I’ve learned something new from everyone that I’ve worked with.

BD: I just wanted to go back and talk with you about your music being available online for free download. Many artists and bands, whatever genre, whatever measure of success, are against having music available online, or otherwise such as cd’s, for free. You have worked with one artist, Joti Dhillon, who is totally against free mp3 downloads. Joti works in the music business as a producer at Planet Recordz. He’s made it perfectly clear in an interview with Desitunes4u.com (May 2006) that he’s against “free music”. There are pro’s and con’s for each side. Is your free download a one-time deal? Or will you continue to offer your music this way? Maybe you’re a combination of both? I’m wondering what kind of flack, if any, you’re getting from people you have, are, and will continue to work with. Like, are you being cautioned against it?

Gita: I think expecting listeners to pay for music and giving it away for free is a personal choice. There’s a time and place for both. Initially, I, too, like Joti, was very much against allowing people to download for free. But the music industry has changed dramatically over the years. You can take an artist like Drake, as an example, of how to balance giving away music to people and then getting them to pay for it. He put out 3 mix-tapes which he allowed people to download for free and, in return, got a huge fan base and radio play. By the time he was ready to release his first “official” album, he had a strong following. Then the record labels were fighting to sign him. That was an incredibly smart move on his part. I think that we, artists, have a lot to learn from his method.

If I can then I will definitely be giving away more music for free because I want people to hear my voice. At this point in my career, I’m more focused on connecting with people and sharing my musical creations. So it’s cool that I have the option and ability to give my music away for free. I haven’t gotten any negative criticism for allowing free downloading of ‘Guitar Dreams’. I think the music industry is starting to open up to new ideas and it’s awesome that we have such means available to get our names out there.

BD: You brought a lot of fans with you to your TIMA Showcase! Family? Friends? (laughing) Always great to have the family onboard! And always great to have fans!

Gita: The “fans” who were at the TIMAs are a great combination of friends, family and fans! They never miss a chance to come out and watch me perform and you can often hear them singing along to my songs. I think they’ve even started a facebook group “Just Gita Groupies”! (both of us laugh) Just kidding!

But, in all seriousness, it’s really nice to get your friends, family and other people involved in what you’re pursuing. Nothing beats that feeling when I’m about to perform and I know my crew is there to hear me sing!

Other than my core group of “supporters”, I’ve had people of all ages approach me after a show and compliment my style of music and performance which is a such a great feeling!

BD: Speaking of family and friends, what sorts of people do you surround yourself with?

Gita: I have a set of close-knit friends and family who are some of the most important people in my life. Coming from an East-Indian family and wanting to pursue a career in music isn’t always easy. But I’ve been encouraged to follow my dreams and stay true to who I am. My dad is also musician and has really influenced me. When I was growing up, he always had friends over and they’d jam away to all sorts of music with a wide range of instruments like the organ, bongos, flutes, tablas, sitar, guitars, harmonium – the list is endless! Growing up with music so diverse has had huge impact on who I am as an artist and my personal style of music.
I also think it’s very important to have a good set of friends who you can be dead honest with and be able to be yourself and enjoy life!

I am sincerely thankful to have such amazing people in my life.

BD: What sorts of ways are you working to get your music and name out there?

Gita: Gosh, there are so many ways to get the word out there. I’m very much “an independent artist”. It’s me, myself, and I making this happen. I’m using various forms of marketing – media, print, and online – to get my music out there. I’ve also been doing some research and looking into various indie record labels and distribution companies. One of the distribution companies that I’m quite interested in is Track Avenue Records which is run by Mitch Masters. It just so happens that he’s also affiliated with the TIMAs!

As I mentioned earlier, I’m also trying to make the most of the technology that’s available to us by using sites like myspace and my facebook group to connect with other artists and listeners and get the word out.

BD: You know, I was thinking – yes, it does happen from time to time! (both of us laugh) You have a distinct advantage to be able to sing in more than just English. Have you thought of ways to capitalize on this? Not only in Toronto, but also in Vancouver, there is a substantial east Indian-Canadian community. Your blend of genres also speaks to broad appeal.

Gita: I’ve given this a lot of thought and am definitely going to take advantage of the fact that I can sing fluently in Hindi, Punjabi and English. Musically, I’m doing whatever is in my heart and even my mix-tape has turned out to be a cool combination of these languages.

Traditional Indian music is so close to my heart. One of my own personal goals is to eventually release a Punjabi album which I would definitely push in the East-Indian North American market and overseas.

BD: What about radio? Are you targeting any stations that might reach out to the type of audience you’re looking to reach? Who is your audience?

Gita: I’m looking to get my music on the radio but not targeting any specific radio stations or audience type. I’d like to think that my audience is composed of anyone who likes listening to good music. I’m not a big fan of categorizing myself as an R&B or pop artist. I grew up listening to a variety of different music and want to incorporate those sounds into my music. I only ask for my listeners to expect good music as opposed to a “certain sound”.

BD: How much does music factor into your life? Do you have interests separate and apart from it? And what would you be doing if you weren’t involved in the music business at all?

Gita: I would say that music is a HUGE part of my life. I live, breathe and dream music and feel that everything in this world is connected to music in one way or another. Music is as natural to me as breathing and I’m the kind of person who, literally, has a song going through her head at any given moment! I swear it feels like God has put a jukebox in my head or something! (laughing)

I do have interests apart from music – I really enjoy reading, cooking, and spending time with family. I’m a serious bookworm and love to read up on different topics which spark my interest. One of my favourite books is “The Alchemist” and I’ve recently become really obsessed with a Canadian author, Pauline Gedge, who writes books set in the early Egyptian times.

If I wasn’t pursuing a career as a singer then I’d focus more establishing a career as a songwriter – which I know is still related to the music biz but, to be honest, I can’t envision myself outside of this industry! I’ve got about 200 songs that are just waiting to be heard so that would definitely be a career alternative that I’d look into!

BD: Really enjoyed your TIMA Showcase performance, Gita! Where are you playing next? What are your upcoming plans?

Gita: Aww! Thanks for the kind words, BD, and again, for getting in touch with me! You’ve amazed me with the research you put into some of the questions and I’ve really enjoyed doing this interview! Can’t wait to read the final copy of this on your online magazine “Three Quarters of the Truth”! I had a blast performing at the TIMAs! Daniela and her team are awesome for putting together an event like this and giving independent artists like myself a chance to be seen and heard.

My upcoming music plans are to finish up on the mix-tape, perform at more events around the city, and put out more tracks for everyone’s listening pleasure! I had also mentioned earlier that I’m featured on this year’s TIMAs compilation cd which should be available on July 23rd. I strongly recommend anyone who likes listening to good music to get a copy and support the local indie music scene!

I’ve also got a blog on my website which I update about once a month or so. It’s a great way to let people know what I’m up to. You can check out my website www.justgita.com for more info on this and other things!

www.myspace.com/justgita
www.justgita.com
Photo credit: Kunal Gauba, www.SohanLallMedia.com
www.TorontoIMA.com