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
Spark
Nitin Sawhney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a note from your heart I keep written inside
Frozen air surrounds your eyes
As you speak fountains collide
With a mouthful of stars I trip over my feet
You've blown me away, I can hardly speak
Stolen my silence, scattered my peace
Memories of you fading into the past
To keep you inside, freeze your kiss so it lasts
In the shadow of your light
I live my days like they were nights
With a mouthful of stars I trip over my feet
You've blown me away, I can hardly speak
Stolen my silence, scattered my peace
I'm lost in the dark, mislaid my spark
All the space that you need and the silence you plead
I've thrown them away 'cause your signs I can't read
Forgotten thrills in the sudden chills
Frozen air surrounds your eyes
With a mouthful of stars I trip over my feet
You've blown me away, I can hardly speak
Stolen my silence, scattered my peace
I'm lost in the dark, mislaid my spark
I'm lost in the dark, mislaid my spark
Lost in the dark
The lyrics of the song "Spark" by Nitin Sawhney describe a person who is deeply in love but feels lost and misplaced, unable to find their spark, which represents their passion, creativity and energy for life. The imagery in the song is rich, with references to crackling colors, leaves coming alive and frozen air, which creates a contrast between the warmth and excitement of love and the coldness and stagnation of feeling lost. The singer talks about keeping a note from their beloved inside, frozen kisses, and memories fading into the past, as they struggle to hold on to their love and sense of purpose.
Another highlight of the song is the recurring phrase "mouthful of stars," which is both poetic and mysterious. It suggests that the singer is overwhelmed by the magnitude and beauty of their love, but also tongue-tied and unable to express it fully. The line "I live my days like they were nights" is also powerful, as it implies that the singer is in a state of emotional darkness, unable to find light or joy in their daily life.
Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the complex nature of love, loss, and self-discovery, set to a haunting melody and atmospheric instrumentation.
Line by Line Meaning
All the colors are crackling, the leaves are alive
The world seems to be full of energy and vibrancy, with the colors and leaves coming alive, making everything look more colorful and brighter.
With a note from your heart I keep written inside
The person has a note from the other person's heart which is written on their heart, making them feel closer to them even when they are apart.
Frozen air surrounds your eyes
The air seems to be still and cold, giving a feeling of winter, especially around the person's eyes which may be reflecting similar emotions.
As you speak fountains collide
The person's words create vivid images of fountains and their impact is so strong that it is as if they are colliding.
With a mouthful of stars I trip over my feet
The person feels overwhelmed with emotions, as if they have swallowed stars, and they stumble over their words or actions.
You've blown me away, I can hardly speak
The other person has left the singer in a state of shock and awe, making it difficult for them to express themselves.
Stolen my silence, scattered my peace
The other person has disrupted the singer's peace and has made them more restless and anxious.
I'm lost in the dark, mislaid my spark
The artist feels lost and without direction, as if they have misplaced their inner spark that drives them forward.
Memories of you fading into the past
The artist is trying to hold onto the memories of the other person but they seem to be slipping away into the past.
To keep you inside, freeze your kiss so it lasts
The artist wants to hold onto the other person's kiss and is willing to freeze it, just to make it last longer.
In the shadow of your light
The other person's presence is so bright and illuminating that the singer feels like they are just a shadow in comparison.
I live my days like they were nights
The dark and lost feeling has made the artist feel like they are living in a perpetual night, with no end in sight.
All the space that you need and the silence you plead
The other person is asking for space and silence, but the singer is finding it hard to give them what they need.
I've thrown them away 'cause your signs I can't read
The singer is ignoring the signs from the other person because they are finding it hard to understand or interpret them.
Forgotten thrills in the sudden chills
The singer is reminiscing about the forgotten thrills they used to experience with the other person, but now they only feel sudden chills of loneliness.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: NITIN SAWHNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@freddybmp
N.Sawhney is a genius. The melody, lyrics, musical arrangements, electronic sounds... everything is amazing.
@billkasi2680
Beautifully sung poetry...
@quickstr
never can play this too many times, bliss
@quickstr
Nitin is amazing
@zazoubeful
@rita6047 Tina Grace. She sings in almost all the albums, which is not the case of most of the others, and has her own album 2+2=April. Great voice and charismatic when you meet her
@Tambo45
Love this!
@xjuanp
Wonderful!
@AGAFilms89
Buying the cd on AMAZON NOW!!!!!!!!!!! lol <3 Love this song!
@flakito0031
this music fits 2010. I got 2 albums from this guy :)
@Skyduchess
It is off the album "Philtre". I have searched everywhere for it. How can I get it. I so need this ti be part of my collection.