What started as an experiment now stands for global fusion: Maati Baani

Written by: Harsh Kashiv It takes a rare kind of commitment to journey into India’s interiors with a backpack full of recording gear, track down a musician in a far-flung village who has never stood on a formal stage, and then spend the day composing, performing and recording a song together on the spot. For Kartik Shah and Nirali Kartik, the husband-wife duo behind Maati Baani, this isn’t a one-off adventure— it’s a calling. We caught up with the duo who performed in Ahmedabad recently. Nirali says, “Both of us started our journeys in Ahmedabad. It is the foundation on which we built our musical universe. It is always an honour to perform in our city.” ‘We wanted to find the most interesting sounds’ For Kartik, the journey began with composing jingles for advertising and assisting Bollywood composers, plus working with artistes like Pritam. Nirali trained in Hindustani classical music at the Saptak School of Music in Ahmedabad. After marriage, they decided to bring the two worlds together, and Maati Baani was born. “We wanted to do something of our own and find the most interesting sounds from across the world. We have worked with more than 300 musicians from more than 35 countries,” says Kartik. He adds, “Our uniqueness lies in bringing together local and international elements. If the vocals are in Rajasthani, the background might have a European Balkan-style score, a jazz arrangement, or a musician in the New York subway playing an instrument. We collaborate with many international musicians remotely.” ‘If we find something special, we record it live on the same day’ “I am a backpack musician and composer. We travel with recording instruments. Whenever we find something special or unique, we jam with the artistes, compose, play, sing, and record it live on the same day,” says Kartik. He adds, “We tour alongside the rural and folk artistes we record. Through Maati Baani, they express their art, and people look for them once the song becomes popular. Some of them are the first in their village or family to play on a stage.” My day begins and ends with ragas: Nirali Talking about her approach to singing, Nirali expresses, “Indian classical music is my home. My day begins and ends with ragas. While composing, I choose a raga according to the feel of the lyrics and build the composition from there. Baawariya is based on Darbari; Boondan is based on Miyan Malhar.” She adds, “An experiment can go wrong if it is done just for the sake of it. Fortunately, Kartik has a knack for fusing different sounds and spends an immense amount of time when two very different genres come together in our songs.” Speaking about their new concert, she says, “Kahat Nayika celebrates the woman of today in the Indian classical tradition. It features my original compositions from the perspective of the modern woman, bandishes of self-belief, friendship, resilience, motherhood, and more. These are subjects one usually does not hear in the classical repertoire. The concert debuts in March.”‘Found a way to work out our creative differences’ On sustaining a creative partnership within a marriage, Nirali says, “When two creative people work together closely, there are many differences. Over time, we have found a way to work things out without harming each other (laughs). We are in a good phase, working as a team and, most importantly, putting out songs while keeping the integrity of the music intact.” She adds, “We put out songs that speak to us. If our listeners like them, it truly makes us happy. If a song doesn’t pick up, we don’t consider that as a setback. Some of our songs have gone viral two or three years after release.” ‘AI can be a meaningful tool if used correctly’ Talking about AI in music, Kartik says, “The AI revolution is here. We will see millions of songs created every day— people will be overwhelmed by the sheer volume. But our folk music, our folklore, and those raw, rustic voices from the heartland will always offer that sense of returning home. One needs to come back to their roots, and that doesn’t change.” Nirali adds, “AI can be a meaningful tool if used correctly and thoughtfully. For Kahat Nayika, Kartik designed my visual concepts using AI. It added a beautiful layer to the compositions, enhanced the ambience, music, and the concert’s overall effect.”