Ruhfikra's debut song was released almost two years ago, just when the pandemic ravaged the world. Despite going through a difficult time meanwhile, he continued to make music and has so far posted 12 songs on YouTube.
The entertainment industry has faced many challenges in the wake of Pandemic, but in some cases, it also provided an opportunity to independent music. One among the independent artistes who have made it big in these times is Punjab-based singer-songwriter Ruhfikra aka Rohit Sharma, who is the voice behind hit singles like ‘Ruhfikra’ and, 'Khaab Tera' which was released recently on YouTube.
Making Hindi cover of Popular English songs was a creative hobby that further inspired Ruhfikra to create something of his own. Ruhfikra shares, “Writing the lyrics of a song and composing it, is where I find my true peace. Back when I started, I could not afford any studio time or fancy musical gear, so I used to borrow them from my friends and record myself at my office canteen after-hours.”
Crediting the pandemic for the rise in independent songs being popular on Youtube, Spotify and OTT platforms, Ruhfikra says, “Because there was so much being released, a large number of people began to listen to it. Many people become aware of the music realm that exists outside of Bollywood and the mainstream. People are becoming more collaborative and supportive of Indie music now."
Ruhfikra's debut song was released almost two years ago, just when the pandemic ravaged the world. Despite going through a difficult time meanwhile, he continued to make music and has so far posted 12 songs on YouTube. He says, “For an indie artist starting on his own, finding an audience is the hardest part especially when your music is of a niche taste. Back when I started, I used to use Discord to sing songs to random servers I found online. That bunch of a few were my very first audience.”
“With time, the distinctions between mainstream and independent music are getting increasingly blurred. It's all about the good music these days. It's becoming more important than anything else to find a voice that fits the mood or storey. Indie and mainstream music, in my opinion, are no longer two distinct genres.” Ruhfikra concludes.