The Original Rastafarian vibes in Goa with Sanyas-I

Reggae is a style of popular music that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. It quickly emerged as the country’s dominant music and by the 1970s it had become an international style that was particularly popular in Britain, the United States, and Africa. It was widely perceived as a voice of the oppressed. Reggae music gained recognition in other parts of India in the past decade, but its popularity was always seen in the state of Goa for decades. We now see Reggae music been promoted extensively in India through Goa Sunsplash which is India’s largest celebration of reggae music

Today we speak to Sanyas-I who has been actively involved in promoting Reggae music in India. Sanyas-I has been passionate about Dub, Reggae, Dancehall, and its various Caribbean subgenres for a very long time. He has been mentored by some of the pioneers in the Indian Reggae scene such as Dakta Dub and General Zooz to push the frontiers of reggae music in India. Having picked up the Foundation style from these veterans, he delivers a scintillating mixture of Indian style combined with Reggae culture – a truly unique combination stemming from the suburban Indian underground but reflecting a cosmic spiritual vibe. His unique selections travel from old school to new school reggae music, a diverse combination which encompasses various record labels from around the world.

Having lived a major part of his life in Hyderabad, Sanyas-I later shifted to Goa to relive his Goan roots. He started working with 10,000 Lions Sound System and organised events and festivals like Goa Dub Club and Lemonade Festival Goa. At Goan Insider we had a chat with Sanyas-I to know how he has been spreading his Rastafarian vibe in the Goan music scene. The excerpts of our conversation are below.

Tell us a little about yourself

I am Kiran Borker a.k.a Sanyas-I. I have Goan roots but I was born in Karnataka and brought up in Hyderabad. I was into filmmaking and photography and after a few odd jobs got interested in music and events. I started working with Monkey Sound System, Hyderabad in 2012. 

Also stinting as an MC, I have been working for various events and festivals around India such as the now famous Goa Reggae Sunsplash. My vocals offer a niche blend of Hindi, English and Jamaican Patois. I was also featured in Boxout social sessions, having been regularly performing in Mumbai at one of the most happening Carribean nights called Tuneup Thursdays at Raasta Bombay.

What got you first interested in music?

From my very childhood, I was very fond of music from bhajans to naths and religious music to rock, metal, hip hop, trance music, and finally ended up in reggae. I don’t even know what really interested me but I feel music is in my soul.

What is the inspiration behind your artist name ‘Sanyas-I’? 

I was very much interested in spirituality. From a very early age, I have been exploring the culture of Naga baba’s, Aghori, Rishi’s, Fakirs, Moula’s, and other mystics from different sects. Hence I started my life of a sanyasi, that’s where the inspiration comes from.  It’s not just a name but I am that.

How did Reggae music come about as an interest? 

I was big into trance music earlier and use to attend all the major Goa trance parties but after I later lost interest in this genre. I met my junior from college, Raj Verma who was into bass music and he introduce me to Dakta Dub and Monkey Radio Crew. That’s when I started exploring and showing interest in Reggae music.

What made you fall in love with the music scene in Goa?

I haven’t seen such a culture of open-air music scene anywhere in india and it’s really different here. There is a whole community of people dedicated to the scene and you get to witness different cultures, races, and communities coming together in one place for music. Music is life for us here, not just a hobby.

When was the exact first moment you realized that you wanted to make a career in music? How many years have you been doing this?

Actually it was not my decision. 8 years back when I started to discover and dig deeper into reggae music, I began showing it to my friends. They then started seeing a distinct taste in me for music. I started writing songs for fun and from then they said it’s time for you to start playing music for people. That was the time I choose music as my career. It’s been about 8-9 years that I have been doing this.

Was it easy to start a career in music? What were the challenges you faced and how did you overcome them? 

It was not all easy to start a career in music as no one believes you can live a life with this profession. My family was against it for quite a while and I had to work for free under people to gain experience and establish myself in the industry. I was too focused and wanted to make it happen somehow, and hence I didn’t listen to anyone. I just did what I loved and also started to live on my own and after a few years, they accepted me. 

Have you released any music? Where can our readers listen to your music? 

I have released music on all digital platforms. My first international collaboration was with Jungle Weed, in the track named ‘Land of India’ on his latest album Flying Island. It is available on Spotify. 

I also have a collaboration with Delhi based producer Flux Vortex in his Latest Album Tapestry. I have performed on his track called ‘Infinity‘ which is available on Bandcamp and all other platforms. I have a Dubplate for Goa’s famous DJ Rudy Roots Selecta on Soundcloud and Youtube called “Be Free” this was my first recorded song. 

You can also check out my freestyles and event videos on my Instagram account. I have upcoming tracks with Beewise which will be out soon, by the end of 2020. I also have a solo Hindi reggae album or an EP in the pipeline and plans to release a Konkani Reggae single.

Who have been your greatest inspirations in music?

When it comes to Reggae, Jamaican artists like Lee Scratch Perry, Supercat, Nicodimus, Papa Sun have inspired me a lot to write my lyrics and influenced my style of MCing.

What were you doing before you decided to shift to Goa to pursue a music career? 

I was working with event companies as an event coordinator, social media manager and video editor.

What has been your most memorable gig and why? 

There are many memorable gigs I can think of but a few stand out more than the others. T first one was in my own city Hyderabad, in a very famous big venue called Prism. All my friends and family members attended the gig and it was quite special. The second one was on Arambol beach where we played for 28 hours non-stop with our 10,000 Lions Sound System. I still remember the happiness on people’s faces, but only the stronger ones survived. After the gig, everyone passed out on the beach out of exhaustion and woke up the next day. The third one was in Arambol beach parking, where we started the gig, and in no time it was full of people. The environment was just unbelievable, it seemed like we had travelled back to the 90’s hippie period and this was also an all-nighter.

What got you interested in event management? How has the experience been so far?

The underground event industry in India is still new and evolving. As I was interested in music and media, I landed myself in the event industry. It was a really good experience working with the top event management companies in India but I feel we are still at the beginning stages.

You have Performed at various festivals such as Goa Sunsplash, Lemonade Goa, Sunburn Hyderabad Edition, Vh1 Supersonic etc. Which according to you is the most memorable one?

Goa Sunsplash without a doubt because it is the only festival dedicated to reggae music in India.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5H5ytdHrrU

How have the rewards been so far?

I can say it has been a blessing to live a life as an artist. The rewards are showing everyday in my life and all I can day that it’s a life changing experience.

If not music, what would you be doing right now?

I have already started Digital Marketing and Affiliate Marketing as the lockdown had canceled all my musical projects. I have a plan of setting up an online business and then mentoring people to earn money with the help of the internet. 

Any future music releases? Give us a little sneak peak about them

I have recorded a track with Beewise from France. We have taken a classic reggae track called ‘Here comes the Judge’ by Peter Tosh and translated it into Hindi. It will be out soon.

What is the dream with your music and the events that you organise? 

The dream is to establish a community of self-sustainable farms with the help of permaculture and have everything organic straight from nature in our festivals and gigs.  

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