SubraMania is a name in its own right. The contemporary world music band, which draws inspiration from myriad influences, launched its first full length album You Were There on Sunday. We caught up with Ambi and Bindu Subramanium, the illustrious sibling duo from Bengaluru, to tell us more...
“For us, SubraMania is a space to create new things. While we’re siblings who connect over music above all, our music preferences were always different. Over a period of time, elements from English music were thrown in with a smattering of African rhythms and of course, different aspects of world music,” shares Bindu, the vocalist of the band. Hinting at how the album encompasses tracks surrounding different themes, Ambi, the violinist, reveals, “The album takes you( the listener) through our journey in the last couple of years. Each song out of the nine in the album has a different theme. We’ve had one song, where a contemporary spin of rock has been infused into a traditional bhajan, there’s also a smattering of gypsy influences thrown into another track.”
Inspired by life and the beauty of it in itself, the famed violinist adds that despite a strong influence of world influences, the SubraMania element reigns over. “Despite having been massively inspired and influenced by world music, we have incorporated our individualistic ‘SubraMania’ aspect into the different genres as well,” he says. The album, though was successfully put together in just a couple of days, has been a learning journey nevertheless. “Through our first draft to the final recording, what we’ve realised is that each song takes its own path-a journey. Which is in complete contrast to how we envisioned. It’s been a beautiful experience,” opines Bindu.
Having carved a niche for itself in the local as well contemporary world music scene, the band is on a roll. And most importantly, the merger of two successful third generation musicians- siblings is paying off well. Are there expectations as such? Surprisingly not. “There’s always a hope for someone to enjoy the music as much as we enjoyed making it. But beyond that, there isn’t much we can control. To enjoy the process, to pump some life into the music we make on stage and at the studios - that has always been the motivation and the driving force,” explains Ambi.
A fresh album aside, music virtuosos are also prepping to perform live on an international stage. “ We have the World Music Festival, Chicago on the cards. It’s happening on September 9 and we’re excited. As a band, we’re always looking at interesting collaborations with fresh talent, let’s how things unfold!” Bindu signs off.
