Arun Shenoy (born 30 April 1978) is a Singaporean musician and songwriter. He is best known for his
Grammy Award nomination at the
55th Annual Grammy Awards
The 55th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 10, 2013, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. E ...
for his debut full-length studio album ''
Rumbadoodle
Rumbadoodle is the debut studio album from Arun Shenoy. It was recorded across the world over the period of two years and was released on August 30, 2012. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Instrumental Pop album category in F ...
''
released in 2012. "Bliss", the first song from his Indian Fusion project released as a single in 2013 was featured on a worldwide Exclusive First Look on
Grammy.com
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
.
His second album ''A Stagey Bank Affair'',
released in 2016 was chosen as the Critics's Pick for Best Album of the Year by Jazziz Magazine.
He was conferred the Outstanding Computing Alumni Award by the School of Computing at NUS in 2018
and is also a Distinguished Alumni of MIT, Manipal.
He is the founder of record label, Narked Records.
Looking back at Shenoy's music over the years, music critic Jonathan Widran
has noted that Shenoy's discography may sound a bit scattered, but it's reflective of a brilliant, multi-faceted creative mind, pushed relentlessly by a restless spirit. He has stated that (band) name shifts aside, it's some of the most compelling, heartfelt and life affirming music he has heard.
Shenoy has been featured by Zen Magazine in the best dressed couples list
at the
56th Annual Grammy Awards
The 56th Annual Grammy Awards presentation was held on January 26, 2014, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT and was hosted for the third time by LL Cool J. The show was moved to January to avoid comp ...
red carpet arrivals in 2014; and again by Le Guide Noir at the
57th Annual Grammy Awards
The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2015, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The show was broadcast live by CBS at 5:00 p.m. PST ( UTC−8). Rapper LL Cool J hosted the show for the fourth consecutive time ...
red carpet arrivals in 2015.
Early life
Shenoy was born in 1978 at
Manipal
Manipal is a suburb and university town within Udupi, in coastal Karnataka, India. Manipal is located five kilometres away from the centre of Udupi City, in Udupi District, Karnataka (state) in south western India. It is administered by the Udup ...
in coastal
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
. He did his schooling at
The Frank Anthony Public School, Bangalore
The Frank Anthony Public School (or FAPS) is a co-educational day-school, for students of age 4–18 years, in Bangalore, India. It was founded in 1967 by the Anglo-Indian educationist and barrister-at-law, Frank Anthony, who was also the Foun ...
from 1982 to 1993 followed by his pre-university education at St Joseph's Arts and Science College, Bangalore, from 1993 to 1995. Shenoy returned to Manipal for his engineering degree at the
Manipal Institute of Technology
Manipal Institute of Technology (shortened MIT Manipal) (formerly Manipal Engineering College) is a private constituent institution of Manipal Academy of Higher Education that specializes in engineering. MIT contains 17 academic departments an ...
(MIT, Manipal) and graduated in 1999. Shenoy moved to Singapore in 2003 pursue his master's degree by research in Computation Audio from the
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest autonomous university in the c ...
(NUS).
He became a Singapore citizen in 2008.
Music career
Shenoy has been involved in the local music scene through his university days. His professional music debut as a record producer came when he worked on the production for an EP by the American hard rock artist Tanadra released on 29 April 2010.
Later in the same year, Shenoy also released a solo EP on 31 October 2010, which was titled ''Sol''.
While attempting to start a career in music, Shenoy said that he worked up to 80 hours a week for 2 years, while producing his debut EP ''Sol'' and working with the American artist Tanadra on her solo debut.
Shenoy's full-length debut studio album ''
Rumbadoodle
Rumbadoodle is the debut studio album from Arun Shenoy. It was recorded across the world over the period of two years and was released on August 30, 2012. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Instrumental Pop album category in F ...
'' was recorded across the world over two years and was released on 30 August 2012.
The album has a
flamenco
Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...
feel with fusion influences drawn from contemporary pop, rock and
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
.
Though he hails from a rock music background, Shenoy has said he always loved the Spanish Flamenco for its energy and passion characterized by its flourishes, rhythms and staccato style.
Shenoy has cited
Yanni
Yiannis Chryssomallis ( el, Γιάννης Χρυσομάλλης; born November 14, 1954), known professionally as Yanni ( ), is a Greek-American composer, keyboardist, pianist, and music producer.
Yanni continues to use the musical shorthand ...
as a major inspiration for the album.
The album consists of 11 songs, which are individually named by a wide range of styles that are integrated into every song. Shenoy contributes all the proceeds from the album to an education fund for underprivileged people in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
The Art Directors of the album included Roshni Mohapatra, who was also Shenoy's wife. On 5 December 2012, Shenoy was announced as a nominee for a Grammy Award at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards in the category of
Best Pop Instrumental Album
The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album (previously: Best Pop Instrumental Album) is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording arti ...
for the album.
He has been noted as a first time nominee alongside other first time nominees in the Pop Field
Fun.
Fun (stylized as fun.) is an American pop rock band based in New York City. The band consists of Jack Antonoff (of Steel Train and Bleachers), Andrew Dost (formerly of Anathallo), and Nate Ruess (then-former lead singer of the Format).
Fun fo ...
,
Carly Rae Jepsen
Carly Rae Jepsen (born November 21, 1985) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. After studying musical theatre for most of her school life and while in university, Jepsen garnered mainstream attention after placing third on the fifth season of ...
,
Gotye
Wouter André "Wally" De Backer (born 21 May 1980), better known by his stage name Gotye ( ), is a Belgian-Australian multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. The name "Gotye" is a pronunciation respelling of "Gauthier", the French cognat ...
and
Kimbra
Kimbra Lee Johnson (born 27 March 1990), known mononymously as Kimbra, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. Known for mixing pop with R&B, jazz and rock musical elements, her accolades include four ARIA Music Awards, two Grammy Awards and se ...
,
and also among the more than 80 nominees who hail from outside U.S. borders.
"Bliss", Shenoyʼs follow up single from his Indian World Fusion project was launched by the Recording Academy via a Worldwide Exclusive First Look
at Grammy.com in 2013. The project explores the rich lexicon of Indian classical instrumentation conceptually steeped in ancient Hindu scriptures and mythology in what Shenoy describes as a "long journey back to his own cultural roots." The song also features Grammy nominated arranger Don Hart and Indian flautist Ravichandra Kulur. The animated video for the music was scripted by art directors Roshni Mohapatra and Robert Capria and created by Actuality Films in New York.
![Arun 2 1080p](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Arun_2_1080p.jpg)
Shenoy has also collaborated with American producer Matthew Shell on a jazz instrumental single titled "
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
" in 2013.
In 2014, Shenoy announced a collaboration with Berlin-based producer Sridhar. Branded as Sridhar & Arun Shenoy,
the first single by the duo titled "Make Up Your Mind Or Leave It Behind" was released on 7 May 2014 and featured
Lonnie Park on guest lead vocals. The follow up single titled "Illusion" was released on 5 August 2014.
Later in the year, Shenoy announced the formation of a new band
Soul’d, a trio of Shenoy on guitar, Ravichandra Kulur on flute and Duke Purisima on bass
The band released their first single as a self-titled debut
on 5 September 2014. The style of music has been referred to as ‘Bansuri Funk’. It has been noted that Kulur's performance on the flute is fast and melodic with influences of jazz, yet rooted in the Indian traditional style.
On 1 July 2016, Shenoy released ''A Stagey Bank Affair'',
[ his second album and his first as a collaboration with The Groove Project, a group that consists of 13 other artists.] The album is a concept album in the musical style of 'Bansuri Funk' that in addition to featuring 14 primary musicians in the group, also features a four person horn section and nine person string section. The most prominent performer on the album is Indian flutist Ravichandra Kulur who provides the emotional core of the songs. There is also a guest appearance by keyboard player, Uziel on the opening track.[ The performances by Kulur on the flute and Purisima on the bass were two key elements that have served as an inspiration for the music on the album.] Most of the songs on the album starting off as jams between Kulur and Shenoy.[
The title of the album makes a reference to Stagey Bank Fair, an agricultural based affair held in the early 20th century at Stagshaw Bank in Northern England. As Shenoy explains, legend has it that, over the years, the farming aspect dwindled and the fair became notoriously associated with gambling and drinking. After it was discontinued in the 1920s, the phrase 'Stagey Bank Fair' became a common euphemism for 'mess'. The title is a metaphor for a place that was once a joyous fair, but is now a disheveled, chaotic experience, kind of like adulthood can be.][
The mix of contemporary jazz, funky soul and manic world music is complemented by the CD's old-school carnival themed artwork, which serves to reinforce the record's loss of innocence theme. The music and visuals combine to represent the childlike wonder that remains in some adults, despite life's inherent sadness and chaotic nature.][
The visual aesthetic used for the fairground concept, presented in the format of vintage poster illustrations, was conceived by art directors Roshni Mohapatra and Robert Capria][ The album physical package includes a 20-page booklet with 10 retro-styled carnival art panels, a second 24-page booklet with additional artwork and anecdotes, as well as 6 more images on the album package and 2 animated music videos.][
Another facet of the album theme is that of the sad clown, where Shenoy counters the lighthearted tunes with the darker track of the same name "Sad Clown" that taps deepest into the loss of innocence theme. Images of the sad clown passed around drunk amid the revelry around him appear several times in the artwork. Shenoy has said that laughter and misery becomes the balance-beam on which our existence is constantly weighed. The album is a journey of the sad clown, who goes through the randomness of being in a colorful fairground, which is life.][
2 singles from the album have been released to date. "Sugar Free (feat. Uziel)" on 3 June 2016] and "Mary Go Around" on 1 March 2017 The album was chosen as the Critics's Pick for Best Album of the Year by Jazziz Magazine.[
Shenoy collaborated with singer-songwriter, Elizabeth Butler on an American roots song titled "If I Knew" that was released on 1 July 2017.]
On 30 August 2018, Shenoy released a 5 track singer-songwriter acoustic EP titled ''The Unplugged Songwriter Sessions'', as a musical collaboration with the core team from The Groove Project, most notably, the rhythm section of bassist Duke Purisima and drummer Jerry Chua, and the addition of a few former and a few new musical collaborators. In the group named Arun Shenoy & The Maverick Express, Shenoy takes on the duties of vocalist along with Lonnie Park. Shenoy has explained in the liner notes the music was written during an extended phase dealing with difficult personal issues. It has been noted that these tunes showcase a more fragile, vulnerable, softer side of the singer's personality, in great contrast to the muscular intensity of his earlier work; and that the album features the guitarist's lushly melodic melodies, simple yet thoughtful lyrics and surprisingly graceful vocals. With an intimate approach to the music, Shenoy has been credited with being a deft storyteller, incorporating a great amount of detail into the singular whole and that by far the true heart and soul of the collection comes from Arun Shenoy's emotive vocals that nicely ties everything together. Stylistically the group goes for a soothing chamber pop approach, with classical, jazz, and worldly influences woven into a colorful tapestry of sound.
In 2019, Shenoy changed the lineup of The Groove Project into a high energy, groove intensive eight-man lineup recording music produced, co-written and co-arranged by Shenoy with Matthew Shell, and prominently featuring pianist Lonnie Park and saxophonist Marcus Mitchell. The group members are from all around the world – Matthew Shell from Washington DC, USA, Shenoy from Singapore. Saxophonist Marcus Mitchell from Maryland, USA, pianist, vocalist & mixer Lonnie Park from New York City, keyboard player David Joubert from New Jersey, USA, guitarist Samituru from Finland, bass player Hector Ruano from Venezuela and drummer Glenn Welman from South Africa. The group began workion a funk driven smooth jazz-oriented project dedicated to mankind's fascination with flying. In an interview, Shenoy has stated that idea of this concept album is, in part, a posthumous tribute to Roshni Mohapatra (7 Jan 1980 – 13 December 2018), his ex-wife of 16 years who passed away in 2018. She had envisioned Shenoy's previous project as a multi-sensory experience of music, art, animation and physical packaging. She had cited David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
and Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
as some of her early influences for art direction of musical projects.
The inspiration for the debut single "Pilot" released on 31 July 2019 came from a popular quote by author and speaker Michael Althusser: “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” The second single, "First Flight" released on 30 August 2019 was inspired by the quote from Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...
: "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return." The third single "To Be a Bird" released on 10 October 2019, draws inspiration from the quote by Neil Armstrong
Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who became the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor.
...
: "Gliders, sailplanes, they are wonderful flying machines. It’s the closest you can come to being a bird.”
The fourth single, the island vibe jazz track titled "Ocean of Air" released on 10 November 2019 was inspired from the quote by L. Welch Pogue
Lloyd Welch Pogue (October 21, 1899 – May 10, 2003) was an American aviation attorney and chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board.
Early life and education
Pogue was born in Grant, Iowa on October 21, 1899, the son of Leander Welch Pogue and ...
– "Unlike the boundaries of the sea by the shorelines, the ocean of air laps at the border of every state, city, town and home throughout the world." The cover art is of the Cliffs of Dover
The White Cliffs of Dover is the region of English coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliff face, which reaches a height of , owes its striking appearance to its composition of chalk accented by streaks of black flint, deposi ...
, Shenoy's tribute to Eric Johnson Eric Johnson may refer to:
Music
*Eric Johnson (guitarist) (born 1954) an American guitarist and recording artist
* Eric D. Johnson (born 1976), member of multiple indie-rock bands including Fruit Bats, The Shins and Califone
Politics
* Eric Joh ...
for his song by the same name, that won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance was an honor presented to recording artists for quality instrumental rock performances at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Award ...
in 1992, and a big part of Shenoy's musical journey. Like the earlier songs, "Ocean Of Air" is built on a solid foundation of funk. However, this track also picks up the tempo. As a result, the new track finds the band stepping out of the Smooth Jazz arena and a little further into the world of Jazz Fusion. The tune has been compared to a theater play than a music track, with elements of tension, a plot, a rise, and an almost mysterious calming part. The musicians have been referred to as a musical mastermind conglomerate and the tune as the soundtrack of life.
The sixth single, titled "Shadows" released on 1 January 2020 was inspired from the quote by Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart ( , born July 24, 1897; disappeared July 2, 1937; declared dead January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer and writer. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many oth ...
– "You haven’t seen a tree until you’ve seen its shadow from the sky." The track adds a classic Soul/ R&B vibe to The Groove Project's guitar and saxophone led, Smooth Jazz groove, reminiscent of George Benson
George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist.
A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, pla ...
.
“Home in the Sky" is the seventh single in the project released on 20 January 2020. The song was inspired by the Jerry Crawford
Gerald Joseph Crawford (born August 13, 1947) is a former umpire in Major League Baseball. He first umpired in the National League from 1977 to 1999, then worked in both major leagues from 2000 to 2010.
Career
He was a crew chief from 1998 thro ...
quote, "To most people, the sky is the limit. To those who love aviation, the sky is home." The new piece leans a little more into the Pop music realm than previous singles. The composition and arrangement follow a funky downbeat groove than takes the band slightly left of center from their previous Smooth Jazz releases. However, the group's signature saxophone and guitar leads ultimately land this track firmly in The Groove Project's Jazzy home. Some of the guitar work has been compared to that of Mike Oldfield
Mike may refer to:
Animals
* Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum
* Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off
* Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and documen ...
“Leap of Faith" is the eighth single from the project released on 15 February 2020. The song was inspired by the Lauren Oliver
Lauren Oliver (born Laura Suzanne Schechter; November 8, 1982) is an American author of numerous young adult novels including ''Panic;'' the Delirium trilogy: ''Delirium (Lauren Oliver novel), Delirium'', ''Pandemonium (Lauren Oliver novel), Pa ...
quote, "He who leaps for the sky may fall, it’s true. But he may also fly." The song has been reviewed as an upbeat and funky number. The first two minutes of the piece follow in the footsteps of the group's previous releases, with Mitchell's saxophone playing sitting front and center. At the halfway point, Park performs a rhythmic and percussive piano solo. The final act features Samituru's Jazz licks.
“Gravity" is the ninth single released by The Groove Project on 29 February 2020, which features Armenian pianist, Vahagn Stepanyan. The music is inspired by a quote by Michael Cunningham
Michael Cunningham (born November 6, 1952) is an American novelist and screenwriter. He is best known for his 1998 novel '' The Hours'', which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award in 1999. Cunningham is a senior lectur ...
–"The secret of flight is this – you have to do it immediately, before your body realizes it is defying the laws." The song has a New Age feel, with the group's signature duo of saxophone and guitar trade bluesy, Smooth Jazz licks. Stephanyan takes center stage for an extended solo at the 4:30 mark.
Looking back at Shenoy's music over the years, music critic Jonathan Widran has noted that Shenoy's discography may sound a bit scattered, but it's reflective of a brilliant, multi-faceted creative mind, pushed relentlessly by a restless spirit. He has stated that (band) name shifts aside, it's some of the most compelling, heartfelt and life affirming music he has heard.
Accolades
His album ''Rumbadoodle'' was nominated for the Best Pop Instrumental Album at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards held on 10 February 2013 in Los Angeles. He was nominated along with Larry Carlton
Larry Eugene Carlton (born March 2, 1948) is an American guitarist who built his career as a studio musician in the 1970s and 1980s for acts such as Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell. He has participated in thousands of recording sessions, recorde ...
, Dave Koz
David Stephen Koz (born March 27, 1963) is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, record producer, and radio personality based in California.
Early life
Dave Koz was born in Encino, California, to Jewish parents: Norman, a dermatologist ...
, Gerald Albright
Gerald Albright is an American jazz saxophonist. He earned Grammys for 24/7 in 2012 and Slam Dunk in 2014 and has been nominated for New Beginnings in 2008 and for Sax for Stax in 2009.
Biography
Born in Los Angeles, Albright grew up in its ...
and Norman Brown, and the eventual winner Chris Botti
Christopher Stephen Botti ( ; born October 12, 1962) is an award-winning American trumpeter and composer.
In 2013, Botti won the Grammy Award in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category, for the album ''Impressions''.
He was also nominated in ...
. He was the first ever Singapore citizen to be nominated for a Grammy. His follow up album, ''A Stagey Bank Affair'', was chosen as the Critics's Pick for Best Album of the Year by Jazziz Magazine.[ He was conferred the Outstanding Computing Alumni Award by the School of Computing at NUS in 2018][ and is also a Distinguished Alumni of MIT, Manipal.][
]
Discography
See Arun Shenoy Discography
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shenoy, Arun
1978 births
Singaporean musicians
Singaporean music
Singaporean composers
Singaporean singer-songwriters
Living people
National University of Singapore alumni