Kishan Baalaji is a familiar face on the local music scene, we’ve sen him with the Galeej Gurus and in Masala Coffee. And now, he’s paying tribute to the music Gods who have always inspired him, returning to the music he loved growing up. The KishaanBaalaji Collective paid Guns ‘n’ Roses a tribute on Friday, to an audience that was happy to dance along to songs we can never stop loving. The band known for their compositions like "Paradise City", "Sweet Child o' Mine", "You Could Be Mine" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" among others has certainly redefined rock music.
As his mother is a professional Indian classical singer, Kishan always knew that music was his calling. “I have been playing for around 15 years with a lot of established acts such as the Galeej Gurus, Masala coffee, Bhoomi to name a few. In this period, I have been lucky enough to meet some amazing musicians along the way which has helped me perform every now and then. The act is about bringing different musicians, friends, and talent together to pay tribute to bands that have inspired us to get better at what we do. It is just a lot of fun and I have started this band just two months ago,” says Kishan. Some of his musical influences are Dave Weckle, Vinnie Coluita, Dennis Chambers, Gavin Harrison, Richard Christy, Sean Reinhardt, Flint, Brett Garsed, Sting, Jojo Mayer, Simon Phillips, L Shankar, and Mr Big. Naturally music has always been a way of life for him. “I have never had a moment without being involved in music. From programming venues to being part of a few established acts, I have always tried to surround myself with music. I would not know what to do in life if I had not found this calling.”
Playing for six odd years predominantly in the circuit of diverse forms of music, Kishan has carved himself a mark with a sizeable fan following. From winning the fans over at every place he has performed, he also plays for a diverse range of bands catering to various different types of genres. He has also played around 250 odd shows in total and counting. For the GNR tribute, the team includes Girish Pradhan, Yogesh Pradhan, Nagen, Suraz who all are part of the Famous GIRISH and the chronicles, one of the best rock bands in the country. There are also upcoming and budding musicians such as Pradip Ramanathan, Ashish Limbu who are masters of their instruments. Kishan also has a studio setup where he records bands at very reasonable prices enabling more artists to come out with their material, grow as musicians and help the overall scene grow as well. He is involved in the production of music for online virals, ads, sound design, electronic projects, and other forms of production. Ask him about who or what inspires him and he admits that he is mostly inspired by people. “Any kind of person that is full of perseverance, working towards a goal is an inspiration and luckily I have had many role models along the way that have reminded me to do what I love doing,” says Kishan. The band will be playing around 14 hit numbers by GNR that include Sweet Child of Mine, November Rain and Don’t Cry among others. “My future plan is to stick to this format till we have a sizeable following, maybe include a few originals,” concludes Kishan.
What: Guns N' Roses tribute ft. KishanBaalaji Collective
When: May 24, 8 pm
Where: Fandom, 1st floor of Gilly's Redefined, # 413, 100 Feet Road, 4th Block, Koramangala
