As we sat near his checked wall studio wall, Hitesh Madan took out his white jacket, wore it nicely and sat with a warm smile. Hitesh Madan became a household name for Indie music fans as the lead guitarist of Euphoria. Today, being the frontman of his new group EKA, he is still hitting those high notes with his voice and his electric guitar.
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Hitesh Rikki Madan, a man of many talents, believes it was a natural course of progression that his musical career took. He was only four when he realized music was his life, and at thirteen, he drowned himself in learning the guitar. The veteran indie-pop guitarist is a former member of the 90s music band Euphoria for 14 years.
Another thing that made him a little closer to music was his brother Sandeep, whom he always adored to see, playing a classical guitar.
Euphoria played a significant role in shaping Hitesh's musical journey. Hitesh's father wanted him to join the family business, but later, when he saw him doing what he does the best, he gave his musical journey his blessing.
The Indie-pop band gave him the name and fame that he deserved. The band performed at many important events with Hitesh as the band's primary guitarist.
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Talking about this, he says, "In 1998, when Euphoria released their first studio album, Dhoom. Little did they know that not only would they be a part of an uprising of new Indie Pop culture in India but would be loved by many. Euphoria got the opportunity to play during the 2000s at the Beale Street music festival in Memphis where the best bands all around the globe get the opportunity to play. "
He continues, "We got the chance to play in the hall of UN assembly hall. These are such opportunities that every band would die to get, and Euphoria gave me something like this at such an early age, and it was truly a blessing."
For Hitesh, parting with Euphoria in 2010 wasn't the ending but the beginning of something beautiful. "In 2003, I established my recording studio, and in 2005, I found my music school, Aria. There was so much that I wanted to do in music production, collaborations, and self-actualization goals that it would only be possible if I took on new challenges, and in 2010 my band EKA was formed. It has been 25 years of me in the music industry".
Being an Acoustic guitarist, we saw Hitesh singing and performing. On being asked about this, he says, "I have been singing since I was four years but later, I joined Euphoria as a guitarist, and due to that, my singing got subdued as every band member has a role to play and mine was to play the guitar."
It took a few years to break out of that mould and prove that he could also sing, and act as a frontman apart from playing the guitar. With EKA, his journey of being a performer and singer took centre stage as they started performing together. In the early years, he worked hard on these aspects, especially his singing.
Hitesh's recent song Gal Sunn Zara has created quite a buzz on the internet. One could hardly tell it was his debut, singing a Punjabi song and acting in it as a lead. The song is about reaching out and talking to each other. The desire to listen and communicate.
On this, he says, "My first effort at writing and singing a Punjabi song is 'Gal Sunn Zara.' It expresses a desire to reach out and offer affection. Musically, this nearly six-minute song takes you on an emotional journey, which I was able to communicate sonically by employing a variety of guitar tones."
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Hitesh is a father of 2 sons and his children are indeed his true reflection. He considers himself fortunate to have the most loving and supporting partner in the world. He says, "Payal, my wife, is not only the inspiration for this love song, but she is also someone who has always motivated me to achieve my highest potential. It is one of her favourite songs, and it was this song that has inspired me to share a piece of my heart and intellect with the world."
During the pandemic, when all of us were locked in our homes, Hitesh could not share his music with the world. At the depressing time, he made his balcony his stage and his neighbours his audience.
"It was the Janta curfew day, and later the lockdown extended. I kept getting requests from our neighbour for concerts. Eventually, we started the concert series, it was great learning for my sons, we practised and played together. As the response was great, people loved our concerts, so we made it a routine during the lockdown, and it just kept getting bigger and bigger. I am glad we could spread joy and positivity during the tough times", says Hitesh with a lot of satisfaction on his face.
When talking about his future plans, Hitesh plans to produce more original tracks with his band EKA. He wants to keep creating music and spreading joy. For Hitesh, his greatest reward is to share happiness with his music.
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