Garv was 12 when he started writing and composing music. He grew up listening to old Bollywood songs on FM radio and FM Gold on the transistor set his parents had at home.
He also speaks Faiz Ahmed Faiz, a rarity for a 20-year-old Gen Z these days. He spent most of his time locked in his room with his gadgets, so his mother always said to him that he was perpetually locked in the four walls “Chaar Diwaari” of the house. Hence his screen name, thanks to his mum. He did go to music school but dropped out only to start creating his songs, which we all know are topping the charts on Spotify, Instagram and YouTube.
The evolution of revolution
The evolution witnessed in artists like Chaar Diwaari reflects a Desi Hip Hop (DHH) movement akin to the changes in Western hip hop during the 2010s. This marks the fusion of rap elements with Indian narratives, resulting in an urban sound that balances abrasiveness with melody and soulfulness. This genre draws from diverse influences—Trap, Metal, Hip Hop, Rap, and Pop—making it challenging to label precisely. Led by artists like Chaar Diwaari, this new age Desi Hip Hop embodies a unique blend of influences, creating innovative sounds that resonate from India.
Going down memory lane
Speaking to the newsweekly, Garv said, “My songwriting, arrangement, and attention span have been heavily influenced by old Hindi music. In the past, songs had an average length of six to seven minutes, even longer during live performances. Today, with a shorter attention span, I find it challenging to sit through lengthy content, like a four-hour movie. The change in attention spans has influenced how songs are crafted to fit shorter timeframes.”
Explaining how his songs are different from his contemporaries, Garv said, “Bridges were popular until the '80s or '90s, but now they're rare in songs. I appreciate incorporating them, creating a unique blend with verses and intros reminiscent of older songs into my work. Like Bappi Lahiri songs used to have one-and-a-half-minute intros. So like that, I can interpret things that people have left behind and things that people have stopped using and put them into my work. Like having big intros big outros.
“Ultimately, I approach packaging a product much like packaging a song – treating it as a commercial entity for public consumption. Once it leaves my laptop, it ceases to be solely mine; it becomes something that belongs to the people. Their reception and ownership of it is something I appreciate most of the time.”
A paradigm shift?
Garv is not just into writing and composing, but he’s also the brain behind marketing his work. His latest single “Jhaag” (Froth) gives us a glimpse into how he channelises the creative juices inside his young brain, to put up an equal fight in the business of marketing music. He’s linguistically quite gifted for a 20-year-old who uses Urdu, Hindi and everything urban English in his songs to captivate his audiences. His most streamed song ‘Mera Saamaan Kahan Hai’ starts with the lyrics: Rakhe tinke sajaa ke, Fevicol diwaar banaa ke, Aaa, Bedimaag siyaape, Moh kapaal makaan banaa hai, Aaa, Dere raat subah ke, Mujhe rakhaa rakhwaal banaa ke, Aaa, Mera samman kahan hai?”. Chaar Diwaari has dedicated this song to a friend who, he found out, is grappling with schizophrenia. The lyrics convey the idea that this individual has constructed mental barriers, brick by brick while seeking answers within the confines of their mind.
Diwaari is also a great collaborator and likes to have multiple perspectives associated with his work to further expand his reach and creativity. His song ‘Roshi’ in association with musician Bharg is also a testament to the former’s inspirations he draws from old Bollywood songs. The lyrics and the overall composition remind you of the 70s and 80s.
Diwaari is a fan of songs like Raina Beeti Jaye and Chingaari Koi Bhadke from Amar Prem (1972) composed by RD Burman and also loves listening to Humne Dekhi Hai Un Aankhon Ki Mehakti Khushboo from the film Khamoshi (1969) sung by Lata Mangeshkar, written by Gulzar and composed by Hemant Kumar. So the young boy who is slowly taking over the country with his metaphoric, dark and fusion rap, is still seeking inspiration from the golden era of Hindi films. He interestingly told us a story of how he as a child thought that in the song “Panna Ki Tamanna Hai Ke Heera Mujhe Mil Jaye”, Panna was searching for a real diamond. He only grew up to realise it was well, just a song. “I thought it was a metaphor for something,” he laughed.
Garv did affirm that he is keeping track of numbers and he also needs to get into the revenue game in the long run, but this Gen Z artist isn’t futuristic. He lives in the present. He honestly told the newsweekly that he doesn’t follow a premium or specific routine to make his music, but he does work on multiple tracks at the same time and spends a lot of time in his room to keep composing and experimenting in his Chaar Diwaari.
