MUMBAI: Samir Mohanty dropped a debut album “Samir Rishu Mohanty" as a reintroduction of who he is to the world. It's authentic, genuine and true to its roots. His inspiration has been his life and the experiences he has gone through so far. With this album, he strives to make a whole cohesive piece of art where each song is there in the album for a reason instead of just a bunch of songs put together.

The album is made in collaboration with Zonunmawia Fanai, Sunidhi Chauhan and Kuldeep Pattanaik. Radioandmusic got in touch with Samir Mohanty to know more about the album.

Check the interview below:

Tell us about your new album, what inspired you and what is it about?

I wanted to present my debut album as a reintroduction of who I am to the world. It's authentic, genuine, and true to its roots. My inspiration has been my life and the experiences I've gone through so far.

The entire album is treated as a journey. Imagine a person traveling on a train, every station the train stops at, he hears an announcement about my life, and soon as the train starts leaving, the song starts playing. So, each station is a song that describes a chapter in my life.

I have produced the music, written the lyrics, composed melodies, and mixed the entire album. I like to see myself as a one-man army.

I dedicate this album to 4 of the most important figures in my life who have passed on: Bidulata Mohanty, Ramakanta Mohanty, Bidyadhar Mohanty and Samir Bangara.

Share with us the story about the challenges and struggles that you faced with your identity?

I was born to a Japanese mother and an Indian father in a town called Puri.  No matter how hard I tried, I could never fit in as a kid. I was the only kid in the entire town who looked the way I did and it left me wondering who I am exactly. It also led to me having low self-esteem and hating the way I looked because the other kids used to tease me and call me names like Japanese, Chinese, Chinky.
 
How did you manage to embrace and find yourself through music?

I found myself through Hip Hop music. Hip Hop helped me find myself and I realized that I was never meant to fit in, I was born to stand out. In music I found solace in the fact that I can be myself and the world would still accept me. Even if they didn't, it's fine because I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not.