Chartered accountant preserves century-old Belagavi home, transforms it into music studio

Ashok Paranjape has installed European equipment and assembled an international production team that includes veterans who have worked with Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton and Barry White, all while preserving the traditional architecture of his family property on Khanapur Road.

The Paranjape residence, a cluster of traditional houses built around a large courtyard, has stood for a century in Belagavi, Karnataka. Paranjape, a chartered accountant and musician, worked extensively with architects and engineers to retain the original design while strengthening the structure. The property now stands conspicuously among high-rise buildings and shopping malls that have come up in the surrounding neighbourhood.

Refusing demolition for apartments

"We love our house as it is. We do not want to change it in any way," Paranjape said. He has turned down multiple offers from builders who wanted to demolish the house and construct a multi-storey apartment complex with shops. The decision to preserve rather than profit mirrors his approach to his new venture in music.

Paranjape is a second-generation chartered accountant who obtained international certifications through various examinations, enabling him to serve overseas corporations. He established a company offering his expertise to industries and businesses, and serves on the board of several companies. After more than three decades of travelling globally for work, however, he felt compelled to shift focus toward something that had interested him since childhood, music. He has now taken on the roles of songwriter, composer and music producer.

Two studios with European equipment

Paranjape has set up two state-of-the-art music studios in Belagavi: one in his century-old family home and another in his modern apartment. "I am inviting all kinds of talented musicians: classical, folk, or modern, to utilise our technical infrastructure. We want to produce the best music from Belagavi," he said. The studios are equipped with hardware from Europe that provides professional-level acoustic treatment, world-class microphones, advanced production software and premium monitoring systems.

Above the family house is a jam room called 'Pancham Caravan', named after his favourite composer R. D. Burman. The space can accommodate around 50 people for live performances or song-listening sessions. Paranjape has plans to establish an academy for training young people in modern music. "We hope to make this infrastructure available to aspiring singers, musicians, composers, and bands from Belagavi and neighbouring regions. They need not travel to Bengaluru, Mumbai, or Chennai to record music. We need to trace local talent and nurture them in a musical ecosystem," he said.

International collaboration and debut release

Paranjape and his friends have launched Kashma-Kash, described as a music label and creative ecosystem. The venture is supported by SVAN Finesse in collaboration with Downboy Global/Sounds Inc in the U.K.. SVAN Finesse has already recorded vocals in Belagavi and completed production in London. The first record was released in the international market to an encouraging response.

The team includes Brian Harris, a U.K. music industry veteran who has worked with Barry White, Robert Palmer, Chic, Mary J. Blige and Jennifer Hudson, bringing decades of experience. He is joined by Nigel Lowis, described as one of Britain's leading songwriter-producers with more than 18 million record sales and collaborations with Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and George Benson. Phil Dane, a London-based producer and recording engineer, strengthens the production team. The core team includes Varsha Paranjape, Raj Belgaumkar and Amit Soundalgekar.

Philosophy behind the label name

Kashmakash is an Urdu term of Persian origin that translates to inner dilemma or perplexity. Paranjape, however, does not view it as a word with negative connotation. He believes it hints at the duality of life, a concept explored in ancient Indian philosophy. "That is what I am trying to bring out in my songs. When I explained the lyrics, my international collaborators were amused. Every composition is intended to narrate a story, giving equal weight to poetry, melody, and craftsmanship. The label has been conceived as a platform for original music that connects listeners across languages and cultures," he said.

Source: The Hindu