Nitin attended Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School and studied law at Liverpool University for a short time. He then went to London, where he met Sanjeev Bhaskar. The pair became friends and created a comedy double act, The Secret Asians, together. The show sought to turn absurdly dated Asian stereotypes on their heads. It led to a contract with BBC radio and eventually grew into the award-winning BBC TV sketch show Goodness Gracious Me.
During that time he met up with an old school friend, acid jazz keyboards-player James Taylor. He joined Taylor for a 40-date tour in as part of The James Taylor Quartet. It introduced him to the jazz club scene and provoked him into forming his own band, The Jazztones. He moved on to join forces with tabla master Talvin Singh to form the Tihai Trio and, after that collaboration ended in 1993, released his debut album, Spirit Dance on his own label. Shortly afterwards, he signed with Outcaste Records.
Sawhney's music is intensely political, commonly approaching themes of multiculturalism, empowerment, identity, immigration, poverty, and spirituality. He is active as an artist in residence for five different performing arts organisations in Europe and Asia, and along with George Martin is a patron for the British Governments Access-to-Music Program which brings music education to the inner-city students.
Sawhney's skills include classical and jazz piano and flamenco guitar. He has released six studio albums, as well as countless remixes and collaborations. After releasing Beyond Skin on London's Outcaste Records in 1999, he was signed by V2 to do six albums. His first album with the Virgin subsidiary, the millennial/apocalyptical Prophesy, in 2001 won a MOBO Award and a BBC Radio 3 Music Award.
Sawhney's music is influenced by his roots in India, utilising and featuring Urdu and Hindi lyrics, Qawwali singing, tablas and other instruments from the subcontinent, and Raga phrasings in music which is often primarily meant for the dance floor.
Sawhney's work in production and arrangement has led to his working in film and television scores. He has scored television ads for Sephora and Nike, as well as more than 25 films from his London-based Spirit Dance Studios. He was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for Film and TV Composition in 2004 for his music on Channel Four's film, Second Generation. From there, he has begun to see acceptance from the "classical" community, and in 2004 he was commissioned by the city of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Britten Symphonia to compose new performance works. London's Royal National Theatre invited him to write, direct, and score a work to be opened in 2005.
For photographs and additional information visit Nitin's official site, www.NitinSawhney.com
Falling
Nitin Sawhney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you will see me clearly
One day these dreams of mine
Will bring me to my time
Someday I will become
What I am meant to be coming to
One day, but that's a million somedays
lately the sunshine
Makes a different shape around me
Lately my music
Has a different sound to show me
Lately I ask questions of the world
But no one is listening
tell me, when I go to sleep
What will the morning bring me?
falling, falling, falling
Or am I flying?
Flying, flying, flying
Or am I falling?
The lyrics to Nitin Sawhney's song "Falling" are about self-discovery and the journey towards finding one's true purpose in life. The singer reflects on the passage of time and the ways in which he has grown and changed, both spiritually and creatively. He yearns for the day when the wind will change and he will finally see himself more clearly, and when his dreams will lead him to the place where he belongs.
The lyrics express a sense of ambiguity and uncertainty about the future. The singer acknowledges that the journey towards self-realization is a long and difficult one, and that there are still many "somedays" before he reaches his destination. He observes that even the things that used to be familiar to him, such as the sunshine and his music, have taken on a different quality as he has evolved as a person.
The final lines of the song express a sense of duality and paradox, as the singer wonders if he is falling or flying. This ambiguity reflects the ongoing struggle that many of us face as we navigate our way through life, and reminds us that the journey towards self-discovery is never linear or straightforward.
Line by Line Meaning
Someday the wind will change
At some point in the future, circumstances will shift and hopefully it will be in my favor.
And you will see me clearly
You will at last understand my intentions, my motivations and my dreams.
One day these dreams of mine
At some point in the future, my aspirations will come to fruition.
Will bring me to my time
I will finally achieve the goals I set out to accomplish.
Someday I will become
In the future, I will embody my true self, the person I am meant to be.
What I am meant to be coming to
I will eventually fulfill my destiny and purpose.
One day, but that's a million somedays
While I know I will eventually achieve my dreams, it may take a long time to get there.
From today
Starting now, I will work towards my aspirations.
Lately the sunshine
Recently, I have become aware of the beauty of the world.
Makes a different shape around me
Nature seems to be shifting and adapting to my new perspective.
Lately my music
Recently, my art has begun to change.
Has a different sound to show me
I am discovering new aspects of myself that I can express through my work.
Lately I ask questions of the world
Recently, I have begun to truly wonder about the nature of existence.
But no one is listening
Unfortunately, it seems that my queries are falling on deaf ears.
Tell me, when I go to sleep
I am curious to know how the world will present itself when I wake up.
What will the morning bring me?
What new surprises and opportunities will arise during the day ahead?
Falling, falling, falling
I feel like I am descending or collapsing in some way.
Or am I flying?
But perhaps this new experience is actually uplifting and energizing me.
Flying, flying, flying
I feel like I am soaring and breaking free from previous constraints.
Or am I falling?
But at the same time, I am also fearful that I am losing control and heading towards disaster.
Lyrics © Orbi-Lee Music, Barbara Orbison Music Company, TuneCore Inc., BMG Rights Management, R-Key Darkus
Written by: Roy Orbison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind