Joi Barua
Encyclopedia
Joi Barua is a singer, musician
, and lead vocalist
of the band Joi. He was born in Assam
and is currently based in Mumbai
, India
. He has lent his voice to many India
n movies including 2010's Filmfare Award Winner (OST
) Udaan
and National Film Award Winner Dev D
. He was invited as a Fellow at the first INK Conference, a TED- affiliated multidisciplinary conference. He has a mixed musical style incorporating elements of rock
, soul
, jazz
, folk
and world music
.
, Assam
, the younger of the two children to Ranjana Barua and Rohini Dhar Barua. His father gifted him a violin
when he was four years old and that triggered his lifelong passion for music. His family moved to Jorhat
when he was in junior school. When he was seven years old, his sister pushed him to join a singing competition and taught him the popular Cliff Richard
song 'Bachelor Boy
'. Even though ignorant about singing at that age, he won the competition. It was a defining moment. His school principal, Sister Mabilia, understood his passion for music and since then she never missed an opportunity to encourage him into singing and taking part in stage acts. Her favourite was the Boney M
song 'El Lute' -about a man wrongly imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit- which he would often sing to her. He considers her as his first guru
in life and a constant source of inspiration. At home, he and his cousin Piku would sing songs of The Beatles
, The Eagles, Simon and Garfunkel
, U2
, etc. He passed out his high school from St. Anthony's College, Shillong
, and later attended Gauhati Commerce College for graduation.
n films as a playback singer
, vocal arranger and background singer. Those films include Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
, Luv Ka The End
, Udaan
, No One Killed Jessica
, Dev D
, Help, Azab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Jumbo
, Kalavar King (Telegu), Gangster
, Jab We Met
, Bhool Bhulaiyaa
, Bhagam Bhaag, Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.
, Lage Raho Munna Bhai
, Waqt: The Race Against Time
, Kya Kool Hain Hum, Zindaggi Rocks
, Ek Ajnabee
, Golmaal
, Golmaal Returns
, Tashan
, Neal ‘n’ Nikki, etc. He has worked with music directors like Amit Trivedi
, Pritam
, Anu Malik
, Ashutosh Pathak, Ram Sampath
, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
, Salim-Sulaiman
, Amar Mohile, Viju Shah
, Vishal-Shekhar
, Lalit Pandit, etc.
He had sung the song "Khiriki" for Hengool Theatre for the year 2011.
, The Eagles, Iron Maiden
, The Police
, Ozzy Osbourne
, Joe Satriani
, Eric Clapton
, U2
, etc. Classical Composers like Beethoven, Rossini, Vivaldi and Mozart, and Indians musicians like L. Subramaniam
, A.R. Rahman, Salil Chowdhury
, Ilaiyaraaja
, Bhupen Hazarika
and Jayanta Hazarika
also influenced him a lot.
, soul
, folk
and worldbeat
. Their first music video Aikon Baaikon has been released and is being aired on television and also available on YouTube. Current band members include Joi Barua (vocals), Pawan Rasaily (lead guitar), Ibson Lal Baruah (rhythm guitar), Manas Chowdhary (bass guitar) and Partho Goswami (drums).
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, and lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
of the band Joi. He was born in Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
and is currently based in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He has lent his voice to many India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n movies including 2010's Filmfare Award Winner (OST
OST
- Music :* Original Soundtrack, the soundtrack of a movie, TV series, or video game.* Open Source Track, a licensing and distribution model for music initiative* The alias of electronic musician Chris Douglas- Science and technology :...
) Udaan
Udaan (2010 film)
Udaan is a 2010 Hindi film produced by Sanjay Singh, Anurag Kashyap, and Ronnie Screwvala; and directed by Vikramaditya Motwane. The film was officially selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard category at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.- Plot :17-year-old Rohan is expelled from the reputed...
and National Film Award Winner Dev D
Dev D
Dev.D is a 2009 Indian romance film released on 6 February 2009. Written and directed by Anurag Kashyap, the film is a modern day take on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's classic Bengali novel Devdas., previously adapted for the screen by P.C. Barua and Bimal Roy and more recently by Sanjay Leela...
. He was invited as a Fellow at the first INK Conference, a TED- affiliated multidisciplinary conference. He has a mixed musical style incorporating elements of rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
.
Early life
Joi was born in DigboiDigboi
Digboi is a town and a town area committee in Tinsukia district in the north-eastern part of the state of Assam, IndiaCrude oil was discovered here in late 19th century, in a span of ten years when the discovery of Oil took place in first Oil drilling in the world. Digboi oilfield has the oldest...
, Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, the younger of the two children to Ranjana Barua and Rohini Dhar Barua. His father gifted him a violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
when he was four years old and that triggered his lifelong passion for music. His family moved to Jorhat
Jorhat
Jorhat is a city of Assam in India. Jorhat was established as a new capital in the closing years of the 18th century by the declining Tunkhungia Ahom Dynasty. Jorhat, as the name signifies, was just a couple of markets . Two parallel markets namely, Chowkihat and Macharhat, lay on the eastern...
when he was in junior school. When he was seven years old, his sister pushed him to join a singing competition and taught him the popular Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
song 'Bachelor Boy
Bachelor Boy
"Bachelor Boy" was a double 'A' side with "The Next Time" the first of three number one hit singles from the Cliff Richard musical Summer Holiday...
'. Even though ignorant about singing at that age, he won the competition. It was a defining moment. His school principal, Sister Mabilia, understood his passion for music and since then she never missed an opportunity to encourage him into singing and taking part in stage acts. Her favourite was the Boney M
Boney M
Boney M. is a Eurodisco group created by German record producer Frank Farian. Originally based in Germany, the four original members of the group's official line-up were Jamaicans Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett, Maizie Williams from Montserrat and Bobby Farrell from Aruba...
song 'El Lute' -about a man wrongly imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit- which he would often sing to her. He considers her as his first guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
in life and a constant source of inspiration. At home, he and his cousin Piku would sing songs of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, The Eagles, Simon and Garfunkel
Simon and Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel are an American duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They formed the group Tom & Jerry in 1957 and had their first success with the minor hit "Hey, Schoolgirl". As Simon & Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965, largely on the strength of the...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, etc. He passed out his high school from St. Anthony's College, Shillong
Shillong
-Connectivity:Although well connected by road, Shillong has no rail connection and a proper air connection. Umroi Airport exists but has only limited flights.-Roadways:Shillong is well connected by roads with all major north eastern states...
, and later attended Gauhati Commerce College for graduation.
Recording career
Joi has worked in a number of IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n films as a playback singer
Playback singer
A playback singer is a singer whose singing is prerecorded for use in movies. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras, while the actual singer does not appear on screen.-South Asia:...
, vocal arranger and background singer. Those films include Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is a 2011 Bollywood coming-of-age film, directed by Zoya Akhtar and produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani of Excel Entertainment. The film features an ensemble cast including Hrithik Roshan as Arjun, Abhay Deol as Kabir and Farhan Akhtar as Imraan...
, Luv Ka The End
Luv Ka The End
-Development:On April 1, 2011 the film was unveiled publicly as the first production venture of Y-Films and the cast of the film met the press along with the actors from Y-Films' other two ventures, Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge and Virus Diwan....
, Udaan
Udaan (2010 film)
Udaan is a 2010 Hindi film produced by Sanjay Singh, Anurag Kashyap, and Ronnie Screwvala; and directed by Vikramaditya Motwane. The film was officially selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard category at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.- Plot :17-year-old Rohan is expelled from the reputed...
, No One Killed Jessica
No One Killed Jessica
No One Killed Jessica is a 2011 Bollywood film starring Rani Mukerji and Vidya Balan, produced by UTV Spotboy and directed by Raj Kumar Gupta, who directed the acclaimed film Aamir ....
, Dev D
Dev D
Dev.D is a 2009 Indian romance film released on 6 February 2009. Written and directed by Anurag Kashyap, the film is a modern day take on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's classic Bengali novel Devdas., previously adapted for the screen by P.C. Barua and Bimal Roy and more recently by Sanjay Leela...
, Help, Azab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Jumbo
Jumbo
Jumbo was a large African Bush Elephant, born 1861 in the French Sudan – present-day Mali – imported to a Paris zoo, transferred to the London Zoo in 1865, and sold in 1882 to P. T...
, Kalavar King (Telegu), Gangster
Gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster....
, Jab We Met
Jab We Met
Jab We Met is a 2007 Hindi romantic comedy film directed and written by Imtiaz Ali. The film, produced by Dhillin Mehta under Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd, stars Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in their fourth film together...
, Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Bhool Bhulaiyaa is a 2007 Bollywood psychological thriller comedy horror film directed by Priyadarshan. The film constitutes the official remake of the 1993 Malayalam film, Manichitrathazhu, which was already remade into several Indian films...
, Bhagam Bhaag, Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.
Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.
Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. is a 2003 Indian comedy directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The story involves protagonist Munna Bhai , a goon, going to medical school. He is helped by his sidekick, Circuit . It is the first film in the popular Munna Bhai series...
, Lage Raho Munna Bhai
Lage Raho Munna Bhai
Lage Raho Munna Bhai is a 2006 Indian musical comedy film directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It is the second film in the popular Munna Bhai series of Bollywood. Sanjay Dutt stars in this film as Munna Bhai, a Mumbai underworld don, who begins to see the spirit of...
, Waqt: The Race Against Time
Waqt: The Race Against Time
Waqt is a Hindi film, released in India and the United Kingdom on 22 April 2005. It is a remake of a 1999 Malayalam movie Veendum Chila Veettukaryangal.Waqt is loaded with family drama and comedy...
, Kya Kool Hain Hum, Zindaggi Rocks
Zindaggi Rocks
Zindaggi Rocks is a 2006 Bollywood film, directed by Tanuja Chandra and produced by Anurradha Prasad. It is about the love story between a famous singer, Kriya, played by Sushmita Sen and a doctor, played by Shiney Ahuja....
, Ek Ajnabee
Ek Ajnabee
Ek Ajnabee – A Man Apart is Bollywood remake of Tony Scott's 2004 film Man on Fire, which was also previously made in 1987. The film is directed by Apoorva Lakhia, with Amitabh Bachchan playing Denzel Washington's role...
, Golmaal
Golmaal
Golmaal may refer to:*Golmaal , Bengali film*Golmaal , Hindi/Urdu comedy film directed by Rohit Shetty.*Golmaal Returns, Hindi/Urdu film sequel to Golmaal *Golmaal 3, Hindi/Urdu films sequel to Golmaal...
, Golmaal Returns
Golmaal Returns
Golmaal Returns is a 2008 Bollywood comedy film directed by Rohit Shetty. The film is a sequel to the 2006 film, Golmaal Fun Unlimited with Ajay Devgn, Tusshar Kapoor and Arshad Warsi reprising their roles and Shreyas Talpade taking on the role originally played by Sharman Joshi. Kareena Kapoor,...
, Tashan
Tashan (film)
Tashan is an Indian Bollywood film starring Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Anil Kapoor in the lead roles. Produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra of Yash Raj Films, it was released 25 April 2008, and marked the directorial debut of Vijay Krishna Acharya.- Plot :In the beginning,...
, Neal ‘n’ Nikki, etc. He has worked with music directors like Amit Trivedi
Amit Trivedi
Amit Trivedi is an Indian film composer, musician, singer and lyricist, working in Bollywood. After working as a theater and jingle composer and composing for non-film albums, he debuted as a film composer in the 2008 Hindi film Aamir, and shot to fame in the Hindi film music scene with his...
, Pritam
Pritam
Pritam Chakraborty , better known as Pritam is a music director and composer from Kolkata who currently works in Bollywood, Mumbai.- Early life :...
, Anu Malik
Anu Malik
Anu Malik , born Anwar Sardaar Malik, is a famous music director in the Hindi film industry. Son of veteran music director Sardar Malek, Anu Malik made his debut as a music composer in the year 1977. After a considerable period of struggle, the 90's welcomed Anu with hits like 'Phir Teri Kahani...
, Ashutosh Pathak, Ram Sampath
Ram Sampath
Ram Sampath is a composer, producer and musician, working mainly in the Mumbai advertising circuit. He has also helped promote local bands and talent.-Songs and Background Score:*Rock The Shaadi *Delhi Belly *Luv Ka The End...
, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy are an Indian musical trio consisting of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. Record producers, musicians and multi-instrumentalists, they have composed music for over fifty soundtrack across four languages...
, Salim-Sulaiman
Salim-Sulaiman
Salim Merchant And Sulaiman Merchant are a musical duo of brothers, born and brought up in Bhuj, Kutch, India. They belong to Ismaili Muslim family and are inspired by their father Sadruddin Merchant, who used to lead Ismaili Scouts Orchestra in India..Steeped in a family tradition of music as the...
, Amar Mohile, Viju Shah
Viju Shah
Viju Shah is a music director of Hindi cinema. He is the son of music director Kalyanji Virji Shah of composer duo Kalyanji Anandji...
, Vishal-Shekhar
Vishal-Shekhar
Vishal-Shekhar are a music directing duo for Hindi films and are among the leading music directors in the industry today...
, Lalit Pandit, etc.
He had sung the song "Khiriki" for Hengool Theatre for the year 2011.
Inspiration and influences
His personal inspirations include his father, who always encouraged him to take music out of classrooms into the hearts of people, and his ex-principal Sister Mabilia who guided his passion for music. His musical influences have been varied. It includes Sting, The BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, The Eagles, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
, Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
, Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani
Joseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, etc. Classical Composers like Beethoven, Rossini, Vivaldi and Mozart, and Indians musicians like L. Subramaniam
L. Subramaniam
Dr. Lakshminarayana Subramaniam is an acclaimed Indian violinist, composer and conductor, trained in the classical Carnatic music tradition and Western classical music, and renowned for his virtuoso playing techniques and compositions in orchestral fusion.-Early years:Subramaniam was born to V...
, A.R. Rahman, Salil Chowdhury
Salil Chowdhury
Salil Chowdhury was an Indian music composer. He mainly composed for Bengali, Hindi, and Malayalam films. He was also a poet and a playwright. He is affectionately called Salilda by all his admirers....
, Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja is an Indian film composer, singer, and lyricist mainly in the Tamil film Industry. He is regarded as one of the finest music composers in India. Ilaiyaraaja is also an instrumentalist, conductor, and a songwriter...
, Bhupen Hazarika
Bhupen Hazarika
Bhupen Hazarika was an Indian lyricist, musician, singer, poet and film-maker from Assam. His songs,written and sung mainly in Assamese by the legend himself, are infused with humanity and universalism, and have been translated and sung in many languages, most notable being Bengali ,Hindi and...
and Jayanta Hazarika
Jayanta Hazarika
Jayanta Hazarika was arguably the most melodious singer and composer in the world of Assamese music . In His short life span of 34 years he performed playback singing for numerous Assamese films and made a number of vinyl records and audio cassettes...
also influenced him a lot.
Awards and recognitions
Joi was awarded the Best Debut Award (2010) for his album Joi- Looking Out of the Window at the Big Asomiya Music Awards organised by Big 92.7 FM, Guwahati.Ad jingles
Joi has been a part of some of the biggest advertising campaigns in the last few years and has sung ad jingles for Fiat Linea, Vodafone, Reliance, LG, Hero Honda, Nescafe, Club Mahindra, Yatra.com, Raymonds, Tata Tea, Coca Cola Minute Maid, San Frisco Jeans, Kurl-On, Barclays Bank, Horlicks, Alfa One, etc.Joi- Looking out of the Window
Joi came out with an album called Joi- Looking out of the Window, which was officially launched on 21 December 2010. The songs are a blend of rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and worldbeat
Worldbeat
Worldbeat is a music genre that primarily refers to a blending of Western pop music with traditional/folk or world music influences...
. Their first music video Aikon Baaikon has been released and is being aired on television and also available on YouTube. Current band members include Joi Barua (vocals), Pawan Rasaily (lead guitar), Ibson Lal Baruah (rhythm guitar), Manas Chowdhary (bass guitar) and Partho Goswami (drums).
| Song Name | Time | |
| 1. | Kot | 4:55 |
| 2. | Aikon Baaikon | 4:33 |
| 3. | Tumi Bhaabisa Ki | 5:13 |
| 4. | Uri Jaai | 4:08 |
| 5. | Tejimolaa (feat. lyton on piano) | 5:11 |
| 6. | Dusoku Melute | 4:49 |
| 7. | Tumi | 4:24 |
| 8. | Doba Kobaai | 4:24 |
- All songs composed & sung by: Joi Barua
- Arrangements: Pawan Rasaily & Joi Barua
- Guitar & Music Programming: Pawan Rasaily
- Bass: Manas Chowdhary
- Lyrics: Ibson Lal Baruah
- Mixed & Produced by: Abani Tanti
- Mastered by: Jatin Sharma at Geet Audiocraft, Mumbai