Lou Majaw’s long road
Shillong-based musician Lou Majaw talks about his album The Road Ahead
By : cris
Update: 2015-06-08 23:30 GMT
When he talks, you’ll never hear Lou Majaw use the word “I”; when speaking of himself, his music or his life, he refers to himself in the third person. For instance, when talking about all the things that have happened in his life, which inspire his songs (such as the eight tracks in his newest album The Road Ahead), he’ll say, “These are the beautiful happenings in Lou Majaw’s life”.
The album’s very first track, Ride The Wind, compares life to a bumpy ride. “There would be twists and turns, and bumps on the road you take. But if life is a bumpy ride to you, it means you are in the wrong road or you are a bad driver,” Lou laughs and says.
Hey Love is about the beautiful relationships and I Care is dedicated to two people in Lou’s life. “One passed away, she sort of gave up hope… But the other is doing pretty well for herself,” he explains. You Are Gonna Lose Me, he tells us, is about two people reaching for the same flower and grasping it, not realising that all the petals will be gone if they keep pulling at it. Despite all the poetry in his lyrics, Lou shies away from calling himself a “poet”. He modestly insists that he isn’t all that well-educated and that he never even checks his grammar.
But Lou is careful about his words. For instance, he chooses to describe Bob Dylan as his “inspiration”, not “influence”. “Influence is like a thin layer, it fades away. Inspiration comes from deep within, it grows in your body and soul,” he points out.
Lou recently paid his annual tribute to Dylan on May 24, a practice he began 43 years ago, at a small venue in Shillong. Next year, he hopes to take his tribute outdoors and make it special, as it will be Dylan’s 75th birthday.
Lou has never met Dylan in person, however, he says, “Lou Majaw has met him through his writing, and it would be nice if he finds his way to India and to Shillong.” Lou’s son is named Christopher Dylan Majaw, and he often accompanies his father when they play at Café Shillong or some other venue on the weekends.