Both of us believe in the traditional form of garba: Parth & Sanjay Oza

I come from a family where music was celebrated all the time. I used to accompany my mother, the late Umaben Oza, for her concerts and started performing as a child artiste. I learnt a lot while singing for choir groups. In Mumbai, I sang for some top music labels before I started performing at garba events. I realised garba’s true potential and have travelled the world with it.
There was an obvious inclination towards music. Papa made sure that I was genuinely interested in music, and I started learning classical music under Pandit Krishnakantji, papa’s guru. I also sang for some regional films as a child artiste and did stage shows with dad. After studying medicine, I realised that my true calling was music.

Both of us believe in the traditional form of garba. Nowadays, when I perform solo, people request to add a Bollywood touch or modern beats to it, but I avoid it. I prefer keeping it the old way because it’s the most honest form of music.
There was a time when people loved disco dandiyas and fast-paced music in garba, but they have now realised its true essence. Over time, our composition patterns have changed, but our flavour hasn’t.

We don’thave majorcreative differences;they are more like discussions. Papa always knows what we will be doing finally, but he allows me to experiment (laughs). We discuss the playlist, our approach for shows, etc. There are many new things which we must keep up with, so our discussions help us stay updated with the ongoing music trends and practices.
Parth and I are from different generations, so I always value his opinions and suggestions while creating something. I trust the changes he suggests and sometimes, I even borrow his style of performance (smiles).
Every form of music has its own magic. We are not just garba performers. Round the year, we experiment with Bollywood songs, Gujarati film and folk songs, ghazals and more. It is important to stay relevant, and we experiment with different beats and rhythms.

I have never felt the pressure of being Sanjay Oza’s son. Papa allowed me to chart my own journey. Yes, he was there to prevent me from making mistakes that he might have made, but I was given a free hand about my career