Fashion Designer Ritu Kumar's Son Amrish Has Launched His Record Label Called Mummy Daddy Records

Fashion designer Ritu Kumar's son Amrish has called his just launched record label, Mummy Daddy Records.

He's only 31, but the impatience in his voice as he races through his thoughts, says he's in a hurry. In a rush to pack in as much as he can in a day, week, month, possibly a life. Amrish Kumar can't ignore that his mother, Ritu Kumar, is one of India's veteran fashion designers, credited with having incorporated indigenous crafts into mainstream fashion. And so, mornings are reserved for creating new design and business ideas for her prêt label, while evenings are set aside for a passion — music.

He wants to bridge the gap

Amrish can't quite remember when he caught the now-raging fascination for music. But the launch of Mummy Daddy Records in June this year, makes for an unforgettable achievement. "For the last 10 years, our music industry has been in the doldrums. In India, Bollywood/pop commands attention, and Indian classical music to some degree. The big music companies will only fund ventures that bring in commercial profits," he rues.

And that's the chasm that Mummy Daddy Records hopes to fill. Featuring music by Sha'air+Func, Bandish Project and Jalebee Cartel, the records' first release, Compilation 01, represents the best of Indian electronica and independent music scene. "It's an exciting blend of urban electronic elements with a distinct Indian folk essence. Our aim is to create a platform for new sounds, independent music that everyone can easily access."

He plays mummy to his pals

His friends have been a constant source of inspiration; from suggesting the tongue-in-cheek title of the label to urge him to follow his heart.

Delhi-based Amrish lived in Mumbai's suburb of Bandra for a year, while he worked in the e-Commerce department of HDFC bank. Often, he found himself dropping friends home after a spirited night out. "One of my friends nicknamed me 'mummy' since I made sure everyone went home safe. When I decided to launch my company, they thought Mummy Daddy Records was a perfect name," he grins.

He's willing to wait

It's been seven months since the launch, and Amrish admits he doesn't mind going slow. "Patience is the key. My company is for musicians, first. Listeners come second. One can only hope that it gathers momentum," he says, citing the instance of how two music video releases, Zindagi and Oops, have been hijacked by actor Akshay Kumar's new Bollywood release. "They were meant to be played on MTV and Channel V, but they are busy giving airtime to Akshay Kumar. Shouldn't music channels focus on music videos?"

But the baggage of Bollywood doesn't irritate Amrish. Film music is sounding better these days thanks to talented musicians expressing an interest in Bollywood. "At the end of the day, it's getting your music available to the largest audience possible, that matters. Though I'd prefer it if songs didn't focus on Aishwarya's (Rai) legs, and the format was a little less restricting."


Source: Mid-Day