Herald
Café: You have been playing for the last 20 years. Any memorable incident / gig
that you cherish till date?
Ajit
Pai: I started listening to Western pop music from
the age of 14. Being addicted to western music, I had a huge collection of
music on tapes and I listened to it whenever possible. At that time, there were
no professional DJs performing at any private parties as the whole party and
club culture was in its nascent form in Goa. At such parties, I would keep my
tapes near the player and everyone would just play whatever they wanted to
listen to. It was at my older brother Amit’s birthday party where I started
playing the tracks one by one as I exactly knew where each good track was in my
collection. Soon I realised that all those present were loving it and were
enjoying much more than all the other parties we’ve had before. The whole
feeling of being responsible for the good time everyone had, gave me such a
high and a rush I had never ever felt doing anything else all my life. This
feeling is what triggered it off for me.
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HC:
Being a veteran in the industry, does it bring an added sense of
responsibility?
AP: I have been guiding the newcomers in the industry and mentoring
them for the last 20 years. Definitely when you play the role model, it does
bring along with it a great sense of responsibility because of the fact that
you are shaping the careers of many.
HC:
What would you say about the current nightlife scene in Goa?
AP: Over the last 3 years, there has been a substantial number of new
clubs and party places which have come up in the coastal belt of Goa. This is a
sign of growth of the industry and also means healthy competition. Such
conditions only lead to delivering a better quality product to the consumer and
more jobs for those working in this industry. This has given a major boost to
the current nightlife in Goa. People have more party options and the club
owners have more reasons to improvise all the time in their business strategies
and set ups, giving the consumer a better quality party experience.
HC: Where
do you see yourself 5 years from now?
AP: For the last three years, I have been more focused on doing gigs in
cities outside of Goa. I end up doing more gigs out of Goa than in it. That
gives me more exposure, more fame and definitely more commercial gains. For
2015, I intend to get fully involved with producing my own tracks and taking my
music and performances to the next level.
