To celebrate its 5th Year, Sony MIX has announced something that is truly meaningful and relevant to the kind of people who for decades now, have been creating the great musical content that the channel provides: the musician. Neeraj Vyas, Business Head of Sony MIX, has come up with a truly brilliant idea that brings some of the top Media buyers and CMOs together sing their hearts out in support of a new project, The Dhun Project, created to help some truly brilliant musicians who are now out of work and therefore down and out. Musicians who today don’t get work because, also, of the fact that young samples-driven music directors are pushing out synthetic, literally out-of-a-physical-box, synthesized music that has replaced entire strings sections and real instrumentalists.
That is another litany, but what is relevant and truly laudable is that Neeraj, himself a naturally talnted singer more inclined towards the soulful Rafi and the softer Kishore Kumar songs, thought of this concept that is a lovely crossroads of ad sales relations and CSR. Knowing Neeraj, the two pillars just mentioned were in the wrong order. In fact, the presence of that Media Buyers and CMOs is more for awareness, because they come from large and very significant marketing organizations and verticals – that are massively digitally adept too, to boot – and that ensures great awareness and resonance. And to complete the thought of the two pillars, this time round, there is definitely only one pillar this project stands on: to give back to music.
Being a musician and music lover myself, one gushed, but now that the gushing introduction is over, let’s look at what Sony MIX is doing here.
Today, the 1st of September, marks the fifth year of Sony MIX, and the Neeraj and his team have decided that starting this year and every year on the 1st of September, Sony MIX will present a sum of Rs Ten Lakh to one out of work musician. And this year, even as you read this, the Channel would have presented a cheque to Roshan Ali.
The first leg of The Dhun Project involves Sony MIX’s contribution of Rupees 10 Lakhs towards helping a musician who needs medical support. The Dhun ambassador for this year is Roshan Ali (a dholak player).
https://youtu.be/3LekLku1GXo
The marketing industry leaders who participated in the Dhun Project are CVL Srinivas CEO South Asia; GroupM; Vikram Sakhuja Group CEO, Madison Media & OOH; Shashi Sinha CEO, IPG Mediabrands; Amin Lakhani Leader, South Asia, Mlndshare Fulcrum; Anupriya Acharya CEO, Publlcls Media India; Shuchi Singhai Sr. GM – Marketing, Idea Cellular Ltd.; Harish Shriyan COO – India, OmnicomMediaGroup; Sandip Tarkas CEO, Sports, Media & Special Projects, Future Group; Sonal Dabral Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group, India. Plus, of course, Rohit Gupta and Neeraj Vyas from SPN.
The project is also leveraging the crowdsourcing platform Ketto.Org, co-founded by actor Kunal Kapoor to raise funds for SPIC MACAY to organize a series of events across the country that will enable heritage musicians to perform in schools and colleges. Young students will be exposed to music performed by nationally celebrated musicians, who in turn will continue to earn a living from this artistic endeavour.
The Dhun Project is definitely a laudable endeavor, and a good example of how a brand can own its core content creation space with an emotional stake in the space. In the case of Sony MIX, it has been the reaching out to musicians – ailing, even destitute maestros – who need help. Hopefully, a more important mission would be accomplished – driving fans and lovers of our music to reach out and help and support the musicians who have made such brilliance possible. Good work, Sony MIX!
by chief mentor
