Fame came after I started playing for ARR

She may only be 19 years old, but

Mohini Dey

already has a reputation of being one of the best bass guitarists in the country. In a span of nine years (she has been playing professionally since the age of 10), she has worked with the who���s who of the music industry including tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, composer AR Rahman, drummers Gino Banks and Ranjit Barot, to name a few. Over the years, this young bassist has shattered all clich��s that men are better with instruments. The ease with which she plays the bass guitar would make anyone sit back, listen to her music and lose themselves in her soulful music. In a chat with Chennai Times after she performed in the city with her band Generation, recently, she spoke about how much she loves performing for the college crowd, her love for fashion, her music and more...

Music runs in my bloodIn my case, it���s only right to say that music runs in my blood. My father is a bass player and mom a Hindustani singer. So, I grew up listening to a variety of songs. At the age of three, I would sit with my dad and tap my feet in sync with the music he played. Even as a young girl, I spent most of the time in recording studios with my dad. The next step was learning music. I could manage both my studies and music quite well. And by the age of 10, I started playing at professional gigs.

I love college gigs the mostI finished Class XII three years ago. I haven���t enrolled in a college as yet, because of my tight schedule, which includes recordings and gigs. Even while I was a student in school, I used to have a chock-a-block routine. I remember that I had a recording with AR Rahman during my Class X board exams. So, after the recording in Chennai, I flew back to Mumbai and I went straight from the airport to the exam hall. I haven���t experienced college life at all and therefore I don���t know if I really miss it. But I love performing for the college crowd the most. I guess I have a big fan following among college students.

I design my own clothes for my gigsI actually wanted to study fashion. I am quite passionate about it. Sometimes I design and stitch clothes for my gigs, myself. If not a musician, I would have certainly become a fashion designer. I believe that it is important for a musician to have a unique look on stage. It���s part of a musician���s personality that he/she brings on the stage. I love sporting ripped jeans, baggy stuff and all that looks chic, but nothing revealing. And my curly hair only adds to my overall look.

I frequent Chennai to work with AR Rahman, Stephen devassyMost of my friends are senior artistes in the music industry. Ranjit uncle (drummer Ranjit Barot) is like a father-figure to me. It was he who got me into the professional music scene.
So, a few years ago I was called by him to record a song for the movie Lekar Hum Deewana Dil. After the recording, he told me that the tune was composed by AR Rahman. I was amazed and I said to him, ���You could have told me that in the beginning.��� The same night, the recording was sent to him (AR Rahman) and I got a call from him the very next day. He told me he really liked the way I played bass in the recording and asked me if I wanted to join him for Coke Studio. That���s how my association with him began and there has been no looking back since. Many people have also started recognising me once I started playing in his team. Playing for NAFS (Rahman���s a cappella band) is a different experience altogether. It is just eight voices accompanied only with a bass guitar. Ever since I started playing for Rahman, I come to Chennai quite often. Apart from Rahman, I also come to Chennai to play for musician Stephen Devassy.