As we prep for the 69th Independence Day, we take a look at at the triumph of the Bengaluru indie musician
Raghu Dixit Project
How do you showcase a dynamic culture that’s several millennia old, has hundreds of languages and is simply waiting to stand out? Through the bond of music of course! As we gear up to celebrate 68 years of the country’s independence, we glance at some Bengaluru-based indie artistes whose exhilarating sound incorporates intricacies of the Indian melody and whose identities are defining the indie scene.
“When I say I’m in a band, my relatives always think that it’s something to do with western rock or metal,” says Vasu Dixit, lead vocalist of Swarathma. “With the flourishing indie scene it’s safe to say that we no longer have to stick to the conventional western framework to reach out to our audiences, be true to ourselves or speak up in our languages,” he says. One of the leading indie folk bands in India, these Topiwalleh sing songs on society, politics and aim at making music socially relevant as well. Another city band that’s worthy of a mention for being opinionated is Live Banned. “Our identity is our quirkiness, being bold and open to experimenting with new sounds, ideas, genres, styles, costumes and talking about the society we live in, through satire and comedy. Freedom to do all this is independence for us as a band,” says Amrit Rao, lead vocalist of the spunky outfit that is known for their ‘Indo-International Mass Music.’ Founded in the cosmopolitan city of Bengaluru, Lagori is fascinated by evolving definition of what it means to be ‘Indian’ and produce tunes that reflect the modern face of Indian youth.
With fusion music quickly catching on with a generation that loves experimental soundscapes, blending western influences with ‘Indian’ music isn’t too new to us – like the grand band, Indian Ocean has so often brought to our ears. “It’s great to be a part of a scene that especially represents the complex art of Carnatic music and allows us to bring it to the world in a contemporary way through our songs,” says Praveen, one of the guitarists of Carnatic progressive rock band, Agam.
The genius of all this is that the infectious music of these indie bands transcends language and age barriers too! Take The Raghu Dixit Project for instance. Their numbers like Jag Changa, Hey Bhagwan and Mysore se Aayi has the power to inject you with so much happiness that it will have you dancing – even if you have two left feet. “We are, I believe, truly representative of today’s India. Deeply rooted in our tradition and culture but yet looking outward and imbibing the best that the rest of the world has to offer,” says bass guitarist Gaurav Vaz of The Raghu Dixit Project, that recently completed their tour of UK.
Relatively younger bands on the scene like Peepal Tree are testing international waters too. Having just wrapped up their set at the ABU Radio Song Festival in Myanmar earlier this year, Peepal Tree is leaving fans with goosebumps through tracks like Chetana. “I think we’ve kind of established a ‘sound’ for ourselves at this point – mature and musical. That’s pretty much our identity, when it comes to the band. But then people come for our gigs, and they find that we’re also a bunch of clowns!” quips their guitarist, Tony Das about the band that just celebrated turning a year old on the scene. After a dose of tunes by these homegrown artistes, you wouldn’t want to celebrate ‘indie’pendence any other way!
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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