The Score Magazine August 2013

ISSN 0974 – 9128

Vol 06 Issue 08 - August 2013

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India's National Pan-Genre Music MagazinE

aat powers QUIRKS n queries

Meesha Shafi the tune of beauty

BAND OF THE MONTH

indian ocean COVER STORY

Many people. One Band.

A Unique Identity.

Priyanka Chopra Takes the music charts by storm.

What makes her strategy tick?

Star of the Month: Brodha V, The Rapper/Producer/Composer/Programmer/Sound Engineer.

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the edit PAD I Strategy and Planning Ajay Prabhakar Director, Business Development Pragash VM Editor-in-Chief Nikila Srinivasan Associate Editor Supriya Talupuru Marketing Manager Sneha Ramesh Regional Marketing Manager, BLR Anu Pahalajani Creative Director George Vedamanickam Lead Designer Nipun Garodia Content Support Shresht Pod dar

t takes a lot of courage to be an artist these days, one can never quite fathom the huge risk it is. You are neither assured success, nor is there a “one right path”. The only currency you can bank upon is popularity and you do anything to garner some.

Not so long ago, I heard these famous words “Musicians are beer pimps and nothing more”. The local music pub-scene is a riot of mis-information and un-understanding. They work on the law of averages: i.e. in a month, some acts will bring the crowd, some won’t, eventually we will profit and everything will even out. There are newer music venues that are opening every day, and therefore, the content prices are going up. The question is, is it a big enough market? My gut tells me it is. Only time will tell though.

I can proudly say that despite the gloomy economy, 2013 will be the year of successful festivals. I am seeing some fantastic planning and media execution on the ground. Festival organisations are really getting their act together.

But it’s not all happy news: the digital download market for filmi, independent and classical music is doing too well. Flipkart flyte had a miserable end, and we hear iTune sales in India aren’t doing stellar either. My guess is, the average contemporary Indian listener does not want a library, he wants an experience.

So, where will all this this lead to? Would you as a musician give away your music for free to cash in on the proverbial “bankable popularity”? Or do you instead believe that music selling is badly only because the organisation behind it is poor. Write to us, we would like to air your opinions on our forthcoming issue.

ajay prabhakar Strategy and Planning

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i nside

cover story: Priyanka Chopra

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Gives a Golden Lesson about the whimsical Indian Music Industry and Moving Pasting it.

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Band of the Month: Indian Ocean Our Band of the Month Bring With Them Waves of Bliss. Make you stay under it

Pratichee Mohapatra

IndinatE With: Mohan Kannan

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Get the latest Bollywood bak-bak with Pratichee Mohapatra, the woman with much to offer.

Quirks & Queries POWERED BY AaT

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Ex- Banker. Vocalist of Agnee. The Plot Thickens.

Meesha Shafi: Her music. Her world.

Nikhil Chinnappa

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A stylish idol on his latest album and steadfast devotion to all things original.

Carnatic segment

star of the month: Brodha V 34

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Leveling up to , Saint Thyagaraja, Sri Mutthuswamy Dikshatar and Sri Syama Sastri.

INDIE reviews

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Oh boy, oh boy. We review albums as our fancy caught. Way too many shiny, brilliant artists scene happening this month!

The rapper with loads of style who puts the less in brainless.

a k n a riy

P opra h C

Cit y y M

rsal e v i n lU e of b e a e l s a c h i e s l T g mu ced the re turing n i d a n le a When India annou “Exotic” fe , s Music ka Chopra’ orldwide” ially c Priyan AKA “Mr. W A commer t l a .

Pitbul s wagged actress, wh e tongu sful Indian bout a succes she know ng. o would Right? Wr ar . l music ry to popu here Contra PC knows w We . , belief ents stand ing to l her ta her and br g twist talk to is interestin Indian you th progress of y. r in the usic Indust Pop M t ic o x E

In

Pitbull was enthusiastic and supportive at all times. He and his team are really really pushing it. I am very happy about that. He seems to be proud of the song and we had a lot of fun making it, the song and then the video.

Exotic is on the number #1 spot on I-tunes India chart.

Who deserves the credit for that?

The credit for this as soon as the launch has happened goes to I think, all my fans. You guys have shown overwhelming love. Amongst other things, by coming here today. In India, it became number 1 in a day or two. The song is also trending on international charts. Here I need to mention, it was also because of my family who have been my backbone and spine all through this.

The video. Give us the scoop!

I wanted to keep this video very simple and true to the song. For me, exotic is beaches, fun and parties. This is an out and out party song. It is a song that you can have fun to. It is not something you need to think about. I hope you enjoy it. It was a lot of fun putting it together.

Tell us about the Indian essence that maintained in this song.

What makes your Exotic track exotic?

Well, for that one, the credit has to go to the team. It is mostly RedOne (Nadir Khayat), the Moroccan producer, songwriter and music executive who produced my album. Because we were thinking about what kind of music we should do when he came up with this track. He came up with this idea of the song and said to me “You are exotic, Priyanka!

Exotic, exotic and exotic and that is what we have to do.” So, that is where the term came from. Then, we sat down and made the song and then I sang it. We also wanted a rapper on it. Once we listened to the song, we thought Pitbull would be perfect. We sent it to him and he loved the song. He put his lyrics down on it and sent it back to us. We didn’t change a thing: We loved it! Now the Hindi bit in the song: Some desi tadka was needed and in 10 minutes we wrote it down, sang it and then the track was ready.

It was a conscious idea. For me, it was very important that – my music is a representation of who I am, and I am very desi. I am very Bollywood; I like the masala, the little tadka. I wanted my music to have a reflection of that.

Whose idea was the desi girl thing?

Actually, everybody calls me desi girl since I showed them Bollywood videos which included my song desi girl as well. When Pitbull asked me what that meant, I said it means an Indian girl. It was his suggestion that we should put that in the song.

Who from the in the Indian music industry inspires you?

Well, I have a lot of people I really really look up to in terms of their voices and music. You know Anushka Manchanda. I love her voice, her tone. Likewise, I love Alisha Chinoy and Shreya Ghoshal too. These are among the females. Guys also I have huge amount of favorites. But I like voices which have interesting tones.

With your foray into this industry, do you think more such projects will come up in India?

I hope so. There are a lot of actors that have sung their own tracks. We have Mr. Bachchan and Abhishek have done it amongst many others.

They have tried it, done it and had fun. It may happen, you never know.

Is there any chance you’ll singing in public as well?

Yes, you will. We were waiting for another single to release before we could do a proper show so yeah now, we will.

What was the first response from your audience?

My friends, my co-actors, directors : everybody has been so supportive.

We spend a lot of time together so everybody had already heard the song. They have seen the video before he launch. But yeah, I have got amazing responses from people who I don’t know much about.

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R.Prashanth Vidyasagar/ Supriya Talupuru

The first time Priyanka sang was for the tamil movie Thamizan; her debut movie as lead actress, starring opposite the South Indian actor Vijay. The song is called ‘Ullathai Killathe’ and the music was composed by Music Director Imman.

She laughed when I spoke to her about the song; she said that she was asked by the music director to sing and it was never really thought of and it was a whim. She finished singing it within an hour. The next time she sang was when SRK insisted her to sing during a world tour.

If you are wondering who influenced her to sing, it was her daddy dearest who was a great singer but only pursued it as a hobby. He even gave her a lot of tips and practiced with her before her first single ‘In my City’ was released.

Here she’s now with her first single, I haven’t seen any other actress from India try and invade the music world like Priyank. Be it in terms of the massive collaborations, the big music label or the amount of curiosity generated. Western pop music had never broken into the Indian music scene because Bollywood is impregnable or that’s what one of the major labels thought; true in a way though. They thought why not pick up a popular Bollywood actor and make them a singing Bollywood actor and then into an international pop singer. Well, it does sound a little inception like, a singer in a singer in a singer but they found PC and she found the idea interesting. That’s how it began. It’s not about being in the right place at the right time thing or just being PC and giving it a try but a combination of both that factors in. Opportunity knocked on her door; she welcomed it in and made it her paying guest.

She does not hide anything at all- her strict routine, hectic schedule, taking her vocal instructor along with her to shoots to practice, 8 hours of sleep and avoiding fried food is as true as the fact that her first song ‘In my City’ was one of the many songs that were offered to her on a silver platter. She did say that it was tweaked to make it her own, be in terms of lyrics, the sounds, vocals and what not. She was not being arrogant here as some of us may perceive but was being truthful about how things are and were done. Evidently, she was confident that she had chosen the right song and that was the right start.

She puts an end to all those statements made by the all the virtual warriors who question her authenticity of her singing. That she should stick to acting and not simply saying ‘I as a young person am trying to do everything I can’. It starts there and ends there. She has her dreams and wants to try out her hand at things she wants to do. Singing, in this case.

She is not threatening to kill you if you don’t listen to her song right.

There are bound to be people bashing you left right and center but she simply doesn’t seem to care, being happy with how things are going.

All said and done, she seems to have resurrected the dead Indian Pop scene in a way. The last actual international-desi collaboration I remember was when Jay- Z worked with Panjabi Mc. After that it’s just been some Bollywood numbers featuring Akon and Kylie Minogue.

PC did say that this would open the doors for so many people who are so much more talented than me. Well, a good intention but one thing that comes to mind is, why not collaborate with some local talent as well? We have got real good artists and bands. She can even start off a new trend by having a local band/artist collaborate with her and the international artist. Exotic could have probably been much more Exotic if it would have been Priyanka Chopra feat Pitbull Feat a local artist. It sure is bound to give birth to new sounds.

Inputs from : R.Prashanth Vidyasagar, Music Columnist, Bangalore Mirror

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On Indians Indians, you know, we just know how to have fun.

Look at our Bollywood songs. We just need an excuse to dance!

On sparking a musical trend I think we have incredible talent in India when it comes to music. I sincerely hope that my foray into music will also pave a new way for a lot of new artists.

My mother was a hottie and she still is. And she never dictates what I should wear.

On herself I think I am not someone who is pretentious, or who has double standards or a hypocrite. If I do something I do it with conviction otherwise I don’t do it.

On her mother

On the album It is an English album and it is catering to the global audience. It is not a Hindi album.

So, I wanted a balance. It is like an experiment where I wanted the balance maintained for desis and videsis as well.

On her family All the hardest or the biggest things I have ever done is because they have always carried me on their shoulders.

My family has always been very supportive of who I am, as long as I am honest to myself about who I am.

On actors being their own playback singers Somebody may sing their own playback. It is all mixed up. I don’t think we should put them under pressure for something that has been going well for Hindi movies for so long.

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#1 Hitesh Sonik

A wise old man once said : “Keep walking, there is always light at the end of the tunnel”. These words fit the producers of Coke Studio on MTv is what we think. We get talking to Hitesh Sonik and Ram as they go in for Season 3 of the show.

Hitesh Sonik started playing as a rhythm and happen to meet Vishal Bharadwaj. His first stint in mainstream Hindi cinema came with Vishal Bhardwaj’s Maachis in 1996, after which the duo worked together on several films. Although he wasn’t attracted towards composing initially, he got enthralled by the creative process and the responsibility it involved. He was part of the very successful season 2 on Coke Studio at MTv & the song Husna.

How has your journey been in Bollywood and non-film music till now?

As journeys should be full of surprises. Every day is a new day. The pressure of deadlines on one hand and the joy of delivering on the other cover a major part of it. It’s a great place to be - where the learning is encouraged and knowledge is respected. On the surface, it looks like a commercially driven field where ‘hits’ determine your future. But in the long run and deep within, that’s not the truth.

It is and always will survive on the fact that it’s fuelled by knowledge-hungry and artistically inclined people.

What do you think about this amazing venture- Coke Studio?

Personally, it is the best thing to happen to me outside of film work. I feel immensely fortunate to be living in these times. The freedom this platform gives you and the challenges it throws at you are things we musicians crave for. As I have said earlier, it has robbed us of the right to complain that we do not get to do what we can. We are all on flight now.

How is it like to work with other talented producers like Clinton Cerejo, A.R. Rahman, Salim and the rest?

We all have our respective episodes to work upon. Some day when we might actually get together and produce a few songs together for Coke studio on Mtv. Then, you’ll have your answer. (laughs)

Having a great singer for a wife, does music dominate at home as well?

‘Dominate’ has a slightly scary tinge to it! Our home has sounds like most homes must have. Music, Tv, sounds from the kitchen and the occasional car horn blaring in through the windows. Only that ‘bathroom singing’ has a whole new meaning now!

Since Macchis, how has your relation with Vishal Bhardwaj been?

It has been one of great learning and immensely insightful. Attributes like hardwork and perseverance are by-products of being in his company.

In a recent article online, it was mentioned that for Season 3 of Coke Studio- you want to go beyond the conventional boundary and create something that will resonate forever?

I don’t remember saying that. I would never make such claims. ‘Forever’ is a vain illusion. I don’t believe in boundaries either. So no question of going beyond any.

Do you have a tough time being a composer and a music arranger at once? How do you manage it?

In the earlier days, there was difficulty but only because I was seeing them as 2 different things. With time I have realized it is not so. All creative process is the same and composing and arrangement are anyway like cousins. so as long as people involved have sincere and ambitious intentions, it’s all good.

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“ #2 Ram Sampath

What can you expect from my episode of Coke studio? We have Sona, Hard Kaur, Aruna Sairam and many other brilliant artists lined up. It was great fun working with them! I hope it’s as interesting to the listener too.

Fukery

Talaash This was the album which announced Ram Sampath to the circuit. Dil Dooba is a personal favorite of mine and Aisa Jadoo was a national sensation when it came out.

Ram Sampath is known for not sticking to one genre.

This volume showed his variety to take on soulful melody Ambarsariya which has been dominating the airwaves sung

by Sona mohapatra or the trippy title track.

Delhi Belly

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The album which made Ram a national icon. With uncanny music like Bhaag DK Bose, Saigalal blues and I hate you like I love you.

Ram Sampath truly set Bollywood alight.

Mahak Rajgarhia/Sai Adithya

Ram is now one of the most sought after music directors in Indian cinema. It wasn’t an easy road though as Ram prefers quality over quantity and has had to bide his time to get what he wants. He travelled & recorded traditional thumri singers & storytellers from across the country. He considers himself a music schizophrenic & is as much in love with Indian folk music as with Stravinsky or Oumou Sangare. His versatility and the wide fusion repertoire make him one of the edgiest mainstream musicians in India today.We caught up with the man in the midst of a frantic rehearsal session for season 3 of Coke Studio

Since when have you been interested in music?

Coming from a family of musicians, music was something I was always exposed to. My grandfather was a carnatic musician, my father loved rock n roll. So I as exposed to all kinds of music at a very young age by the age of 14, I realized I wanted to become a composer.

How did your first film as a music director happen? Why was there a long break in the middle?

I was composing a lot of jingles and was also part of studio albums with Shaan (He was part of Shaan’s famous Tanha Dil). Ram Madhwani, a friend of mine told me to compose music for a film called ‘Let’s talk’ after which Raj Kumar Santoshi approached me for Khakee. Khakee’s music was insanely popular. Everyone loved Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai grooving to ‘Dil Dooba’ and Lara Dutta shake it for ‘Aisa Jadoo’. After Khakee, there was this phase where people wanted clones of ‘Aisa Jadoo’. It didn’t give me creative satisfaction and so I went back to composing jingles.

And then Delhi Belly happened?

Well yes, I did compose a few films like Rak Kumar Santoshi’s ‘Family’ but then Delhi Belly happened a little later. Initially Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy were signed to compose the music.

But then, Aamir Khan graciously spoke to them and thus, I was part of the project.

You don’t sing too often but then you were the singer for one of the biggest hits in recent times “ Bhaag DK Bose”. Elaborate.

I always do a rough cut of my songs to show the singers, how I want them to sing it. When I did the rough cut, Kiran Rao (Aamir’s wife) heard it and she wanted me to record the song in my voice and hence we did that!

How was it working with Aamir?

Aamir is amazing to work with! There is a misconception that he intervenes too much but no!

He just wants the best. It was a great experience working with him!

How is it being married another musician (Sona Mohapatra)? Do you two discuss music often?

It’s great, there is a lot of exchange between the two of us also, I have a singer whom I can use if she fits the song. (grins galore!)

You are half a Tamilian, Can we expect to see you compose for a Tamil film soon?

I know bits and pieces of Tamil. If something comes up, why not?

“Daav Laga” was actually used for a film called Aagey Se Right- most of us came to know about it only after it was used in the windows commercial. What do you feel about the delayed love the song is getting?

It feels great whenever your work is recognized! Now that the song has gotten international recognition, even better!

Was it more difficult being a musician when you started?

Top 5 5

Ram

Sampath WORKS

Well, to an extent it was, now with the advent of the internet it’s slightly better. Although it’s the good stuff that sells, you could do with some good marketing .

Khakee This was the album which announced Ram Sampath to the circuit. Dil Dooba is a personal favorite of mine and Aisa Jadoo was a national sensation when it came out.

Sathyameve Jayate In my opinion whenever Aamir Khan and Ram Sampath combine, they make magic. This was another album with the theme song Satyameve Jayate becoming a national sensation.

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Nikhil Chinappa is a brand.

What do you have to say about this?

A brand?!? Well, I think you should be your own brand.

What are your first memoires with music?

Being in a country like India, you’re almost always around ly music. Film music is constant s blared out of cars, trucks, shop g bein io (Rad o. radi the and his first true love) I always am listening to some music or the

c and ore your musi How do you st ? ity al qu assure it’s I started t I used when Vinyl was wha at the ok lo e On ! on me m all off. I mean, co ar ch nt re this diffe cover art, we ’s.

CD , moved on to together. Then a of l ve le e th me to Now, we’ve co a musician, as , ly al on rs pendrive. Pe es ’s. I use wav fil I don’t use Mp3 es and fil e rg la are very because these inal ig or out losing the n store up with ca u yo , at rm this fo at’s beauty. With th d: un so ss in the hear the richne maintained.

You are a youth icon. People follow you from your clothing to the way you speak. What do you have to say to this?

I hope to inspire them to not the SMS lingo. I mean, come on! How hard is it to write the damn spelling!

other.

h it w d n u o r e r fi id The Rap

a p a n i h C l i h Nik

on Tell us about your new compilati ’. What ‘Defected in the House India 2013 the sets this compilation apart from brilliant sets you play live? personally I’ve chosen house music that I timeless both is ch whi to ning liste love capture a to tried I’ve y. and contemporar music (or snapshot of what I hope dance like in the at least a part of it) will sound while also coming year - deep and soulful, ic that mus is This fun. and ky quir g bein py hap ers trigg , ally moves me emotion to dance, memories and makes me want the same smile and believe. I hope it does l) labe ed -bas to you. It’s a mix for (UK rds Reco cted Defe

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Which do you prefer, Live sets or Studio?

I can’t stand being in the studio. Being with people is very satisfying for me. Out in the open is the way to be. In fact, it accounts for the best times I’ve had. Dj’s are always introducing people to new music. That’s ours to do.

Making music is considered very the poetic. How’s do you experience process? ic, It is! It’s very romantic and poet er trigg to ng tryi ’re definitely. You ’re something in a person that you experiencing. I always close my ing eyes for it. Whenever I’m mak me find ’ll you k), spea to (so ic mus to need You ed. clos with my eyes connect with your music.

Vijith Quadros

One of the be you have ha st offshore gigs d till date and why?

Actually, I lik in India. In e playing here dia’s probab ly the best. It ’s very hea rt warming to be playing here.

at the You became a DJ when EDM was it like was How .

India in es stag g beginnin ?

India in EDM with to build and grow very is EDM in the mid 80’s it was underground. Because of that, (where re galo Ban . ized largely disorgan dance I grew up) inspired me into this ch of scene. It had this tightly-knit bun d the DJs. I don’t know how they foun did and tunes with no internet but they e to cam I n Whe g. were mind-blowin story.

Bombay, it was a very different the There were very few people into zing how scene at that time but it’s ama that’s changed.

What makes you listen to music and how do you w ant to use to inspire others?

Any music I like, I’d wan t to share it with people . With respec t to this albumSome songs I would have liked since I choose to go off mai nstream.

Evidently, I am very happ y when it was. I am an introvert.

I love observing pe ople. When I was 16 I didn’t have di stinctions.. I want a lush life. I lo ve travelling and I’d want to maint ain it that w ay.

il Chinapa h ik N . h u d , ic s With mu . s n e e k ir e ow! h h t y o t o b n , w h o o d d n le a p o d e He’s brought p ghts with this rapid-fire roun u gives us his tho Talk to us about the record ing for this album I was working with Nav ed and Pearl. When I’d have the se nagging second doubts, Pearl would be there for me. She ’s very about believing in what you’re doing. There’s this song section of 25 seconds longs that we worked on for one week. That’s the amount of dedication tha t’s gone into this album.

see w, where do we 10 Years from no Nikhil Chinapa? be w, I still want to 10 years from no DJing ic. us m g in pp ta making feet sh ves you this fla gives you this gi what I’m tly ac ex ’s at Th . of sunlight d maintain. I starte trying to do and in rm fo at pl t es e bigg out to create th llow it And I want to fo India for EDM. up, naturally. first ng. It’s been my Also: Scuba Divi I’m l al ’s at th d ars an break in two ye . to d ar looking forw

10 Years in the EDM. Forerunner. What has it taught you?

I am fascinated with the process information. What’s important to me is that Electronic Music becomes the 2nd most in demand after Bollywood.

See, I could have released the album with all well known sounds but I want people to see EDM music to be as interesting as the more popular genres. As I see it, it’s a portal. And a very necessary one to that.

What would you like to say to the umpteen number of youth who look up to you as God? I am not God and I don’t think n. he’s going to let his spot be take I would like people to be more stubborn. Make sure you do it.

Don’t compromise. Don’t cut corners. You’ll get where you want to be.

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HEALTH, WEALTH, HAPPINESS…and MUSIC. There is no question about whether or not music has a mysterious effect on the psyche. There’s a consensus of opinion in every culture. But did you know that music is an integral part of healing the mind?

Well, here’s where we stand the chance.

Psychiatrists use music to deal with common mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression and insomnia. Music medicine does not entail a therapeutic relationship between patient and therapist. The medicine is the effect of the music itself. In India, where there is yet to be a comprehensive survey done to assess the current, common mental health disorders of the citizens, these three seem to be on the rise. Awareness of these is slowly and steadily occurring within our population.

A few pilot studies on music positively effecting psychiatric conditions have taken place. One of which was done by Indian researchers from BYL Nair Charitable Hospital, KEM Hospital and Seth GS Medical Hospital in Mumbai, India.

Their research was entitled: The effect of Indian classical music on quality of sleeping depressed patients.

Music, Good et al (2000) had several cultural connotations.

People differ in their choice of therapeutic music. Hence, they conducted their research by allocating fifty individuals of Indian origin diagnosed with MDD (Major Depressive Disorder) who were undergoing treatment via anti depressants for residual sleep problems into two groups. One group received music with selected raagas and the other was treated with hypnotic meditations for a month. Any change in symptoms or lack thereof was measured on the PSQI (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and the MADRS (Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale). The raagas chosen were Bahar, Bihag, Mishra Pilu and Malay Marutam. There was an improvement recorded in this group of individuals, similar to the group that was exposed to hypnotic medications. They concluded that music is comparable to hypnotic medication in improving quality of sleep in depressed patients and can thus act as a useful adjunct in the management of depression (Deshmukh, Sarvaiya, Seethalakshmi R., Nayak 2008).

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They found that the effect of music that was seen was almost equivalent to 10 mg of Chlordiazepoxide or 7 mg of Diazepam (Both are benzodiazepines, sedatives which are used to treat anxiety, insomnia, etc.).

The renowned Tihar jail has tapped into this phenomenon of music medicine. Music therapy has been introduced into the daily regimen of inmates suffering from depression. It involves music training sessions, concerts and personal time for the inmate to explore a budding love for music and hone his skills in the same. According to Indrani Basu of The Times of India, Tihar has begun work on their brainchild- Tihar Idol. “The project involves selecting inmates from 10 jails in Tihar, conducting auditions to select the best singers, musicians, dancers and lyricists and recording these inmates to produce four music albums of different music genres - Bollywood, regional, devotional and Punjabi”, she stated in her article on the project.

This initiative of Tihar has impacted many inmates’ lives.

Christina Stephenson

From a paper by Wolf Brown on Music and Healthcare: Music has been used successfully to induce varying degrees of cognitive repair in patients suffering from stroke, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, or traumatic brain injury (Thaut, Gardiner, Holmberg, Horwitz, Kent, Andrews, Donelan & McIntosh, 2009). Additionally, ongoing research into treatment of pain focuses on music as a mechanism for retraining perception, essentially re-educating the brain away from its own deleterious pathways of sensation (Latremoliere, 2011). As Schlaug (a prominent neuroscientist whose lab specializes in the study of music and the brain) writes: music has the potential to fix the brain, by providing an alternative entry point into a broken brain system to remediate impaired neural processes or neural connections (2009, p. 373).

According to their study, each condition employs music differently. Burn patients undergoing surgery require less sedative to acquire a measure of relaxation if using music therapeutically. From the Musical Connections Survey of 2010, patients with cancer reported feeling less pain and nausea whilst listening to music. In a related finding, a study of 126 hospitalized persons with cancer pain in Kaoshiung City in southern Taiwan, found that it was critical to be able to offer a choice of familiar and culturally appropriate music to patients. In the gerontology department, older individuals report that music and music therapy can be a source of meaningful stimulation and enjoyment.

Independence, putting off of cognitive decline and reduction of chronic pain are benefits of music for the elderly.

People like Ram Prakash, whose obsession is the Bongo (a Cuban percussion instrument) would still be in the depths of depression and unhealthy behavior if it hadn’t been for this new found freedom within the jail. He battles his addiction to narcotics as well with constant Bongo battering. Baghirath, another inmate, found himself to be a drummer with a voice and his depression and anxiety melts away as he sings with naked emotion.

Music can be used to combat depression and offers benefit in areas related to dementia and specific disorders including osteoarthritis pain, postoperative delirium, sleep difficulties, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The Wolf Brown paper encompasses a wide range of other areas that can be affected by music.

In conclusion, John Lennon so perfectly put “Music is everybody’s possession. It’s only publishers who think that people own it.” I do believe that as music medicine knowledge has exploded in the past decade, we are responsible for its propagation. There has been a growing awareness and manifestation of positive effects in our India, but our research must continue. We are interested in conducting surveys on this very subject of music and mental health and your input is invaluable. Studies that went under radar must be given prominence, because the saying that music is the medicine of the mind is indeed true. And healing is awaited.

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Mix Bundles for Online & Stores These bundles have been created on looking at the products genre-wise, style-wise and their compatibility with each other by our product specialists. The purpose of the bundle is to give the customers a very good deal and also educating them about their various options in the market and to choose the best combo amongst them, to get a good tone and comfort for their playing.

We have looked it up on the thought process of a customer and on our part it’s a very friendly approach towards them. It’s a one stop solution to get your music career going.

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Rock Express

Keys Master

Consisting of an Epiphone SG Special guitar with the Roland Cube Amp, this combo is supposed to be meant for a hard rock lover. For making this deal, a super rock express we also added a small Digitech G1u processor which just makes it up.

The Korg PA-50SD is an amazing keyboard with many different sounds. The best part about it is, you can load Indian sounds and tones for your playing.

Replacing the old-school floppy drive, the Pa50 instead offers fast and reliable SD data card storage. The use of SD data cards also makes it much more convenient to share and store data on a computer. To feel and boast the magical sounds you make on this easy to use, affordable keyboard we have also added the Laney AH40, a 40 Watt amp with it, all in a very affordable price.

Strat Blues As we all know, Fender is selling history. This is if he/ she is looking for a bluesy guitar bite. The Tonelab, as its name suggests, you can have all your experiments on this little processor and build your own unique tone with the unique Fender guitar.

Classic Line Ever since Classic Rock was born, Gibson has been an important pillar in the Classic Rock Era. This is an amazing bundle, an American made Gibson, as old as its music. The combo also offers a Digitech RP-155 and a Laney Prism amp.

Metal Madness Whenever there’s this venomous Viper guitar and a Laney Camo, are the best ingredients for some serious heavy music. Supposed to slide in to your shredding and sweeping principles.

Groove the Jazz Way The Mapex Horizon PVC series is affordable but a great kit to push in your career into the Jazz scene. To make this even better, this combo will fulfil all your needs. The comfortable drum throne with a back rest, the reliable Direct Drive pedal. The Zildjian ZBT Crash Ride is just the cherry on the pie.

Steel Rims and Iron Legs This deal has it all, actually. The killer Pearl VML kit, the power shifter double bass pedal and the 3 cymbal pack. This will surely guide your way to speed and metal. Put in some sweat, and this kit with the pedal is just going to kill it.

Mr. Percussionist Percussions are the most important things, the finish of a song, effects, and something that might just take you off the track and keep listening to the song. The tribal djembe would help you at your home parties, too. The bar chimes will just make your audience stick to its sweet sound.

The Early Chord The Yamaha PSR-I425 is the most selling, and a decently prices keyboard. This is the perfect keyboard to start off with. The bundle consists of the keyboard with its stand and a Koss UR10 headphone. As a learner, rectify your mistakes without letting anyone know about it and then come onstage with a perfect key track.

The Music Pro Focusrite, which consists of its award winning mic preamps and it makes the best value and the best sounding interface in its class. It has the latency lower than any other interface in its range. It is reliable and easy to set up, providing you with the simplest route to record into, and play back from your computer. The Audio Technica AT2020 is the best condenser mic in the range and we make this deal pretty good which in all has the Interface, the Mic, and the Rokit G5 Studio Monitors.

Mastering the Studio The Focusrite Saffire PRO 24 is part of Focusrite’s new generation of FireWire audio interfaces.

Saffire PRO 24 is attentively designed with recording musicians and the modern home studio in mind. With Saffire PRO 24, sonic integrity reigns supreme. And we have already discussed about the excellent AT2020 and Rokit G5.

The F kit The F kit is whatever you may call it, but it consists all those little things without which a musician can’t live. The F kit is the accessory pack for different kinds of musicians. Strings, picks and cases for guitarists.

Drumsticks and drumstick bags for the drummers.

Cables, headphones for the keyboardists and the studio masters.

Feel like getting in touch with us?

Call us at 080-41104304/05/06 or Drop a line at our website (www.furtadosonline.com)

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Band of the Month

Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean Indian Ocean’s music has captivated audiences from around the world for over two decades.

This journey recently took a new turn when Susmit Sen (the lead guitarist) last month announced that he would be leaving Indian Ocean. We talk to this band with a higher understanding of things.

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Adit ya Vikram Singh The journey of Indian Ocean remains mystical and Indian even today. The band’s music and principles define who they are and their greatness lies in their humility. A band amalgamating Rock, Jazz, Indian Classical, Indian Folk and other genres of music, has inspired the youth to connect to Indian roots while maintaining a contemporary outlook. Not to mention their way of caring for their fans. What with the free download of their album 16/330 Khajoor Road. This ingenious and honest approach is what makes Indian Ocean so unique and so revered by fans across the globe. Let’s come to the raging talk about Susmit Sen moving away from the band professionally. On being asked how this would change the music of the band, Rahul Ram replied saying that with the addition of Nikhil Rao (the new lead guitarist) the music will definitely evolve.

Depths of the New Nikhil Rao has been playing the guitar for over 15 years.

Largely self-taught and this is the first time he is pursuing music as a full-time career. Prior to joining Indian Ocean, he was pursuing his Masters in Engineering in Singapore. The Hyderabad boy’s current music influences range from Jazz to Indian Classical. He is an outspoken yet humble musician with great respect and awe for the talent and dedication of the other members of the band.

The Tabla has been a key instrument in the band’s music and Late Asheem Chakravarty’s unique style of singing and playing the Table simultaneously has mesmerized fans all over.

The ‘Tabla’ tradition is being upheld by the talented, young and coy Tuheen Chakravarti. After college, he was part of a band called ‘Tantriks’ and later started playing with the renowned artist Rabbi. His father being a drummer, Tuheen was influenced by percussions from a very young age.

After the departure of Susmit Sen, there has been speculation about the reasons behind such a surprising exit. According to the band , Susmit had been feeling a little frustrated for some time due to the difference in the type of music he wanted to create and the type of music he was playing with the band. The kind of work he wanted to do is reflected in his solo album Depths of the Ocean.

Rahul feels that Susmit’s decision to part ways with the band, although emotional, is all in all a good thing for Susmit and the band. Mostly because this would enable Susmit to pursue his endeavours in the realm of music that he is closer to.

Same goes for the band too. The band has been practicing every day for over a month with Nikhil and it has infused new energy into the band.

Although sharing a bond of over twenty years with Susmit, the band feels that one cannot and perhaps should not stop a member from leaving band. Kilam says that over the past few years band was not seriously working together as a band. In his opinion, he felt frustrated with this fact so much that he started looking forward to the change. Not because he wanted Susmit to go, but because the Gabgubi player has always wanted to work.seriously towards creating new music.

the the

The Indian word On being asked what young musicians and bands should do to become better musically and successful, Amit Kilam’s (Indian Ocean’s drummer) advice was “Bajaate raho (keep playing music)’. He says “There is no ‘formula’ to be a successful band or a musician apart from basics like dedication and patience”.

“Willingness to be poor!” adds Rahul while laughing.

Amit says that one also has to be lucky enough to end up with the right bunch of musicians in a band. A band member has to like and connect to the music and also the individuals of the band. He says “At times, musicians can’t accept that another band member or is a critic of the musicians playing or music style. Therefore, it is very important for good musicians to take criticism in the positive light. This attitude towards criticism is indeed very important for the learning and the making of a successful musician.” In addition to this, Rahul and Amit say that whenever there is a disagreement between two band members it is important that other band members don’t join the argument.

The sorting out needs to be left to the two members squabbling.

Also a difference of opinion is required in a band to make music however one should know when to stop says Amit.

Quick Chops The band members are very enthusiastic when it comes to discussing any random topic. With knowledge ranging from Environmental Toxicology to physiotherapy, Indian Ocean knows it all!

Current Indie bands and musicians Rahul Ram: One among many favourites is Agam Nikhil Rao: Rudresh Mahanthappa (Saxophone player) Kilam ‘Killer Drummer’: Dualist Inquiry.

Them Merch The band’s Coffee Table Book is due out now. This book will comprise of photos of the band from 1990’s till present. The book is a non-linear collection of photographs from Indian Ocean’s performances and adventures. Many fans and friends have contributed to this amazing collection of photographs.

Amit says that playing in Indian Ocean was never supposed to be a job. It is not what the band had initially set out to do. He feels that apart from performing on stage, sitting together and creating music was a predominant part of the band’s existence.

This confluence of ideas from different band members could have been affected by the fact that the band was on an extremely tight schedule for the past few years. Factors like constant Media attention, over seventy shows in a year and iterative film Industry offers might have caused a shortage of time for the band’s creative juices to mingle and produce more number of musical masterpieces.

Indian filling lives of is unique and is simplistic and it will continue to if there are little

Susmit will be dearly missed by the band members and the band’s admirers. However the rivers of Ocean’s music shall continue to flow people across countries. Their music their approach to life and stardom pure. The band’s stature is such that make beautiful and divine music even bumps on the road.

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with

Powered by

Meesha Shafi We got a chance to speak to the lovely Meesha whom India got to know through the box office “Coke Studio” song “Alif Allah Chambe di booty”. She recently acted in two big flicks: Mira Nair’s “The Reluctant fundamentalist” and Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra’s super hit film “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag”. Read on to know more about the super woman in her!

As an art student and a painting major, the kind of creative expression my years at college gave me really helped hone my thought process. It was a great period of learning and it continues to help me in abstract ways even as a performing artist.

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Sai Adithya SO: What do I do for a living, huh? I act, I’m an art student, a model, a singer and along with this you are a mother. If there was a formula for this much multitasking, I would’ve loved to share it. But till now, I myself am left scratching my head. The closest I have come to figuring out an answer is that I can do a hundred things as long as they are interesting and have substance. With some elements of fun sprinkled here and there.

My Coke Studio experience was eye opening? (That is like our window to Pakistani art. We got to know about so many amazing artists through that. We here are thankful to Rohail Hyatt and the whole lot of you for being so AWESOME!) I was amongst inspirational talent and true professionals. Other than that, the concept itself was a breath of fresh air.

It’s a significant platform for artists, both new and old. All credit goes to Rohail and his vision.

It was a lovely albeit brief experience being part of Rakesh Mehra’s ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’. I am a small presence in a huge story but nevertheless, I am honoured to be part of such a legendary tale of human determination and achievement. It was lovely working with Rakesh Ji and experiencing the on-set vibe of a great movie.

TOP 3 MEESHA SHAFI SONGS: Alif Allah Chambe di booty - This “Coke studio” song broke all kinds of Youtube records. This was reused in the film “Cocktail” featuring Arif Lohar and Harshdeep Kaur.

(The original is loads better).

Bijli aye ya na aye - Originally composed by Meesha for an Overload album, this song became a bone of contention between the two of them. This was recently used in “The reluctant fundamentalist”.

Ishq aap Bhe awalla - Another Coke Studio sensation.

Meesha teamed up this time with the folk singers who call themselves “The Chakwal group”. This song has a very rustic Pakistani feel to it and this makes it a must listen.

I come from a family of actors. I think I have the performing bug in my blood. The day I stepped in front of the camera, it felt like I had been acting and performing forever. People just didn’t know it.

Except for the occasional chauvinist (yes they still exist), there isn’t any particular disadvantage that I have experienced just because if being a woman. In fact, my experience has mostly been to the contrary.

I love my Indian fans and the appreciation and positivity I always get from across the border leaves my touched and feel loved. My message for all of you: break boundaries, bridge gaps and do whatever little you can to ensure that we keep reciprocating and sharing the positive energy.

Overload was a great learning experience in terms of figuring out what I don’t want to do with my career.

I found myself restricted and deliberately held back. I guess it’s natural in team for insecurities to rise when on member is gaining more popularity and overtaking senior members.

I follow Indian cinema and music. There are many to choose from.

But the classics will always be classics. For example, I will always love Sri Devi and am so happy to see her return to the big screen recently. I am a huge fan of Amir Khan too.

Both, my mother and my grandfather are my role models in life! They are my personal and professional heroes.

Singing will always be a big part of my life. I prefer not to see acting and singing as an ‘either/or’ situation. If they can run parallel to each other, why not?

When it comes to music, the choice is overwhelming here. I am a big fan of Shankar Ehsaan Loy, A.R.Rahman and amongst the newer lot, Sneha Khanwalker is brilliant and refreshing.

I compose my own melodies as well as write many of my own lyrics. My first song released by universal just a month ago was featured in The Reluctant Fundamentalist and its OST.

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!

A IV V M O R F THE DIVA

e e h c i Prat a r t a p Moha 30

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Shresht Poddar

She rose to fame by winning India’s first reality show - Coke [V] Popstars and launching her band Viva with her co-winners. Life has presented her with many ups and downs (including battling with Cancer), but her spirit has remained undeterred and that is why we love Pratichee Mohapatra!

A LOW PROFILE? I have been maintaining a very low profile out of choice since that is the kind of person I am. People think that just because I am not the cynosure of the media’s attention means that I am not doing well but this is far from the truth. I choose not to paint the town red by attending every page 3 party. Work wise, my jampacked gig schedule keeps me busy all the time. Otherwise, I am very much in Mumbai.

VIVA - THE DREAM LAUNCH PAD Coke [V] Popstars was the first reality show of the country. I truly believe that Viva was the best launch pad for me. It has been 10 years since the show ended but people still talk about us. The kind of contention, popularity and reach we got has not been matched by anything till now. ‘Viva’ can easily be considered my surname today since people still remember me vividly. We disbanded because the time wasn’t right for all of us collectively since we wanted to break solo.

CAREER = HAPPINESS?!

I don’t think that any artist is ever truly content with their work. If they claim otherwise, then they are lying. Having said this, I do not have any regrets nor do I have any reason to complain but the fact is that I want to achieve much, much more. I want everything! At the same time, I believe that destiny and luck play a large role in the way things pan out. Music will always be my primary career. I did pursue a brief modeling and acting stint but I was never crazy about it. I have never chased anything except music.

MY FAMILY - MY BACKBONE! Since my dad was in the Navy, we have lived everywhere in India. My mom is a homemaker, as well as, a teacher. My sisters - Sona & Madhumita - and I have been trained extensively in Indian Classical music. Despite working for Oracle, Madhumita has sung for a few South Indian movies but doesn’t pursue it full time. Sona has done excellent for herself and has managed to created a niche with her songs (Jiya Lage Na, Bedardi Raja, Aaja Ve, Ambarsariya).

BLURBS My name i.e. Pratichee means West (the direction).

Words that best describe me - dependable, extremely punctual, impatient & talented!

I am highly inspired by R.D. Burman’s music. From the West, I adore Madonna and truly believe that if any of us manage to achieve 10% of what she has, we should consider ourselves lucky My best friends from the music industry are Anushka Manchanda & Chin2 Bhosle (of Band Of Boys fame).

3 twitter handles I religiously follow OMG Facts, Optical Illusions & a lot of modern stand up comedians (I don’t want to pinpoint anyone!).

My favorite Indie bands - Pentagram & Indian Ocean.

3 things on my bucket list - bungee jumping, attending a Michael Jackson show (sadly, will remain unfulfilled) and get Viva together for one last performance.

I AM MARRIED! I am married to ad-film maker Anand Iyer. Sona, the sly woman that she is, set us up and as they say, the rest is history. One of the funniest stories involving Anand is the way he proposed to me. I was driving back to my place when I received an SMS from him saying ‘Winter Wedding?’ I asked him, ‘Is this how you’re planning to propose?’ He said no and asked me to wait for a surprise. It has been 3 years since we’ve been married and I still am waiting to be surprised.

CANCER - NOT THE ZODIAC SIGN! I am a cancer survivor. I had a 6 kg tumor near my kidney for which I needed surgery. Thankfully, all of it was removed in a single go and none of it had spread. That phase was horrible because of the pain my family was feeling. It is easier to deal with the disease by yourself but when your loved ones suffer, it kills you. I had to keep the bravest front for all of them yet I couldn’t have done it without them. I really pray that the other cancer patients have the same support system that I had in my parents, my sisters, my husband, my in-laws & my friends. I came out of it with the knowledge that life can be amazingly unpredictable since I was absolutely healthy before being diagnosed.

FUTURE PROJECTS! I have been working on my album ‘Perils Of A Pop Princess, for quite some time. Its first song - Teri Tamanna - is in the mixing stage. I plan on releasing the other tracks over a period of time since I don’t want to rush into anything. One tends to become superstitious after being a part of this industry. Also, I keep doing a lot of ad jingles too.

SISTER SPEAKS! No one in this world can understand you as well as your sibling. Keeping this thought in mind, we asked Pratichee’s elder sister, Sona Mohapatra, to share some insights about their sibling love!

Fondest memory of Pratichee: Too many to mention. Peeking to watch her sleep as a baby in her cot. I was a 2 year old toddler but I remember that vividly.

Her weird habits: Her wardrobe is meticulously arranged with a ruler.

A complete contrast to me.

The sweetest thing she has ever done for me: When we were kids, she saved up her pocket money for 5 months and bought a poster of my favourite show horse - Red Rum - for me.

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Compositions by

the Trinity

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Ananya Ashok

The trinity composers, Saint Thyagaraja, Sri Mutthuswamy Dikshatar and Sri Syama Sastri, are known to have created a new era in the history of Carnatic Music. This month, we dig around to understand why.

Why Trinity?

When I ask musicians about what their opinion of a good concert list consists of, the response is usually something like, “Well, first criteria for me would be to include at least one composition from each of the Trinity.” Incidentally this is a criterion for many performing musicians. “The compositions of the trinity are so vast in variety and we can practically find a composition to fit into any place in the concert line up - from start to end.” Says singer Vidya Kalyanaraman. The trinity composers, Saint Thyagaraja, Sri Mutthuswamy Dikshatar, and Sri Syama Sastri, are known to have created a new era in the history of Carnatic Music. Their style was distinct and each composer had demonstrated originality in their approach to handling ragas. While Thyagaraja was known to compose numerous pieces in one raga, exploring the raga’s personality with each song, Syama Sastri not only composed, but created refreshing and new ragas such as Cintamani and Kalgada, illustrating his innovativeness in raga melody.

Mutthuswamy Dikshatar exhibited his multifaceted abilities through lyrical complexity, variety in ragas and talas. The Trinity in short have provided future generations with.

Saint Thyagaraja Born in 1767, the Thiruvarur native was named after Lord Thyagaraja, the presiding deity of the temple in Thiruvarur.

As a student of music, he viewed music more from a devotional angle rather than focusing on technicalities.

Hence, one can see the systematic development of the raga in a given composition. A primary example of this is the immortal Pancharatna kritis. ‘Pancha ratna’, meaning five gems are seen as one of the finest works in Carnatic Music. The uniqueness of these five pieces is the way in which the ragas of each of the pancharatnas are logically and scientifically developed. In Carnatic music, there are two basic principles that are to be met to develop a raga. One is the arrangement of the solfa syllables in the natural order of Arohanam (ascending) and Avarohanam (descending) for the sake of satisfying principles of harmony and continuity. The pancharatnams are a testiment to these principles.

Another notable aspect of his composing style was his ability to bridge the music of the past and making the music relatable to everyone. Singer Bharat Sundar noted, “Though he was a saint, Thyagaraja covered all material aspects of life through his compositions. He

was a composer with great flair.” Devoting most of his compositions to the praise of lord Rama, Thyagaraja has continuously dazzled audiences with an ability to describe one deity in innumerable ways, both in lyrics and melody.

Mutthuswamy Dikshatar Sri Mutthuswamy Dikshatar began his journey as a composer when his guru asked him to go on a pilgrimage to Tituttani (a temple near Chennai). According to legend, he was immersed in deep meditation in the temple of Tiruttani when an old man appeared asking him to open his mouth. He dropped sugar candy into his mouth and instantly disappeared. As Dikshatar opened his mouth, he had a vision of Lord Muruga and thus composed his first composition in Mayamalavagoula raga, “Sri Nathadi Guruguha”. Soon after he went on various pilgrimages, visiting temples at Kanchi, Thirvunnamalai, Chidambaram, Tirupathi, and Kalahasti before returning to his hometown of Thiruvarur. Mutthuswamy Dikshatar also was a master Veena player and the instrument’s influence is very evident in most of his compositions both in use of gamakas and description in his lyrics. What is striking to many about Mutthuswamy Dikshatar’s compositions was his command over the language, grammer, raga, and thala.

One of the most celebrated group of compositions at Dikshatar’s Kamalamba Navavarnam kritis on Devi. ‘Nava’ meaning nine is the number that also correlates to the nine days of Navaratri. Dikshatar’s Navavarnam is dedicated to this festival and traditionally, each Navavarnam is dedicated to a specific day. Other notable sets are the Navagraha kritis dedicated to the nine planets and the Nilotpalamba kritis.

Syama Sastri Sri Syama Sastri did not compose the vast amount that the other two composers of the trinity did. However, his pieces were scholarly in musical nature and varied in complexity.

At the time, they were not as appealing to the lay person and needed detailed attention in order to be truly savored.

Vidya Kalyanaraman notes, “His music is very emotional.

He is always pleading to the Goddess - so we need to be able to sing it with much bhava and in an unhurried pace.”

Syama Sastri was also the only one of the trinity to explore different compositional styles such as varnams, swarajathi, and kriti. Some even believe that he may have been the first to conceptualize the swarajathi form. His set of three famous swarajathis, are typically sung in concert although it was primarily a dance form to start with. They are in the ragas, Bhairavi, Thodi, and Yadukula Kambodhi.

Trinity’s Influence Today As the basis for communication with ones audience constantly changes, the challenge of Carnatic Music meeting the demands of modern times increases. Thankfully, composers post trinity as well as those of today’s times have made it a point to address this issue. Sri Papanasam Sivan, Maharaja Swathi Tirunal, Mysore Vasudevachar, etc. have all contributed vastly with regards to lyrical, raga, and linguistic variety, thus making the art form relatable and appealing to different audiences. Even as the range of compositions expands, Carnatic music will continue to uphold the highest of ideals. Even with globalization and interaction with other traditions, it is in the nature of the music to communicate ideas that are of philosophical and religious value.

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Star of the month

Brodha V

“Rap is beautiful. Not everybody can do it, though they think they can.

Rap is basically Rhythm and Poetry.” That’s Brodha V for you. The rap artist from Bangalore who recently worked on the “Ready Steady Po” song from Chennai Express has a lot to say. Fo shizzle. Aptly, our Star of the Month.

My name is Vighnesh and I was pretty sure that the first letter of my name should be prominent. I was sure of the ‘V’. Also, every one of us used to address each other as ‘Bro’, which obviously is short for Brother. I simply took ‘Brother’ and called myself ‘Brodha V’. The next day I met my friends and I told them that I was going to call myself Brodha V. They thought that it was kinda Ghetto and Old-School, after which there were some fist bumps and complex hip-hop handshakes, and so, ‘Brodha V’ was born!

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Supriya Talupuru What is one of life’s continuing pleasures in your line of work?

The very fact that I can do what I like till I want to do it. Freedom from 9 to 5 jobs and not having to look back at life when I’m old and say, “Damn, I wish I had lived my own dream instead of somebody else’s”.

How was college like for a cool cat like you?

I was initially pursuing Mechanical Engineering. I couldn’t handle it even for a few months. It wasn’t inspiring me at all. So, I quit and then took up Film Making and Audio Engineering. I went to SAE/AAT where I met a lot of other talented musicians and film makers. I was learning a lot about the technicalities of making music and it was helping me become a professional rather than being somebody who only takes it as a hobby. When surrounded by creative people, you tend to work even harder and constantly try to think out of the box.

Most musicians these days are all about being social media active. What is your take on it?

Social Media and the Internet have helped me in ways unimaginable. Back in 2007 and 2008, I would go around looking for shows but nobody would let us perform in Bangalore. They thought Hip-Hop wouldn’t work in the Rock Capital of India. Fed up with the situation, I started recording demos and released them online on YouTube, Soundclick and shared them via Orkut and Facebook. Slowly, more and more people started listening to our music and a music director from Chennai called us over to record a song for a Tamil Movie. One of our fans shared our links with Mr. Raghu Dixit. He noticed us online and called us over to record ‘Dheaon Dheaon’ from the movie ‘Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge’. Event Organizers were interested in getting us to perform live because we are already creating a buzz online. We also won the Best Hip-Hop Artists award at the Radio City 91.1FM Freedom Awards after being noticed online. Vishal-Shekhar heard us online and called us to record for ‘Ready Steady Po’ from the movie ‘Chennai Express’. So, knowing how to use Social Media while making good music will only do wonders for you.

Which aspect of making a song is unfortunately underplayed: pre or post production?

Definitely Post Production. Most Bands and Musicians concentre a lot on their Compositions. Many good compositions have been ruined due to bad mixing and mastering. It is a complete waste of time and energy and is going to leave the artist disappointed and dejected at the end of the day.

People like Yo Yo Honey Singh draw the ire and love of people for his lyrics. Is being brash essential?

Eminem was brash and said things openly that no other artist would. He’s one of the most loved artists in the world today. It is the people who get hooked on to controversial things that artists say. They’re tired of being controlled and forced to live in a certain way even if they don’t like it. We are now living in a time where people openly talk about sex and swear in every sentence they speak. We all know it and still act like it is taboo. The man openly talks about what he wants to talk about and I’m all up for Artistic Freedom. The only people who are offended by his music are older people and feminists (that too only post the Delhi Rape incident). People have been overfed with songs about love and break-ups. They want something new and different. Today’s generation is bold and hence, they love bold music.

Hip hop is growing in India. Slowly and surely. Where do you think all this originated in our scene- Who caused the first uprising?

Though Baba Sehgal is credited to be India’s first rapper, I think the first major breakthrough in the Hip-Hop scene here was when Pakistani-American rapper Bohemia released his album with Universal Music India in 2006. The whole of North India was now exposed to Hip-Hop Music. He was all over Local Radio and TV. Apart from that Hip-Hop in India has only been Underground and we’re one of the first rappers from India to break into Bollywood, have our Music play on Radio and on MTV and Vh1 and take it to the mainstream while staying Independent. Now that a majority of people recognize Hip-Hop Music in India, the coming years are going to be great for artists like us.

Machas with attitude: seems to be about taking the action and doing something positive rather than blaming other extraneous factors for the same. Is that a conscious approach to lyrics or totally by default?

It just comes by default. We don’t think too hard and break our heads over the lyrics.

We decide upon a topic for a song and then write whatever comes naturally to us. That way nothing would sound forced. The whole process of making music is mostly natural and instinctive. Everything that we do comes from the heart.

Quick Chops Rhyme these for us, please?

Sock Drawer - Caulk Hoar Nincompoop - Infant Soup Vasco Da Gama - Got no Shawarma Circles - Turtles David Bowie - Dated Joey Deranged Comet - Stained Vomit

One artist you think is off the hook in a cool way: Eminem One artist you think is off the hook in a bad way: Nicki Minaj One quote you love from a well known musician: “If you end up with a boring miserable life because you listened to your mom, your dad, your teacher, your priest, or some guy on television telling you how to do your shit, then you deserve it.”

- Frank Zappa

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AAT & Music

Avinash A G, Deg 03 student from AAT is an upcoming musician who has sung with Vignesh S (BrodhaV) for songs like “Aathma Rama” and “After we Party”.

We get cracking with this kid who believes in old school charm and keeps it real sans the hipster lingo.

What’s your greatest take away from your time at AAT? The whole AAT episode wasn’t planned anytime. I always knew how sound is captured, processed & broadcasted. But always thought it’s not my cup of tea, since I was just a musician. Google (the dude) one day in a random search suggested AAT for me.

From then there was no turn back. Did an extensive research about the course, college and the career opportunities. The next day I was at AAT Bangalore for the course enquiry eventually admissions. From there started, the whole new journey. The whole new concept of technology & music started to unfold before me. The faculty made the best of efforts to make things simpler & easier as most of us were new to the deck. Easy of access to the resources made things simpler.

The most interesting part was minimal theories and more practical in hand experiences was provided by to us. There aren’t many institutes in india which equals itself with AAT with respect to this.

Being an artist doesn’t come with instructions. What was the most dramatic learning for you?

Rule number 1 which has helped me as an artist to become better is Practice Practice & Practice! I started singing at a age of 7. It was my parents who shaped my dreams since then. Without them, it wouldn’t have been a journey though.

I started with Indian classical music and also had formal training in vocals.

Naturally a good listener to anything new.

As the world around me grew, exposure to new music & musicians completely changed the world around me. It gave a whole new dimension to my thinking & approach towards music. There are many misconceptions about the art world.

Ask someone to describe what it means to be an artist, and they will probably paint a picture of one of the two extremes. There is no perceived middle ground, no stability and no security: there are simply those who make it, and those who don’t. If popular opinion is anything to go by, the creative sector is a huge gamble, braved only by reckless, or masochistic, individuals. But if you’re an musician, you need to know if this “make or break” view bears any relation to reality.

What is your bone of contention with other musicians your age?

Musicians in any field have different tastes, different ways of enunciating a particular note and this hold true across the world of different cultures as well.

Lot of times when it’s an ensemble performance in a concert or a public forum, it’s extremely challenging to get all the musicians involved in the same page and provide for a comprehensive, compelling performance. Although I have had the fortunate chance of performing at various stages during my life so far, one thing that really bothers me with respect to other musicians of my age or circle is taking short cuts to get things done and far too much emphasis on the technicalities of the music content being created. While I understand that technical soundness is important, I also strongly feel that the basic essence of music should not be lost. Its very intricate, fine nuances should be given equal importance, if not more. The whole idea of music is to entertain people and more so to make them feel happy and content within. This can be achieved only when the feel of the music is infused with the spirit of the person creating the music along with the technical perfection as so aspired. So I’d like to say that conveying the feeling behind the music needs equal impetus as much as technical excellence.

Share with us some good times with friends at college.

AAT is known for its multi cultural student population.(laughs) We were a batch of 15 guys and most of them were from different backgrounds. My three years at AAT was never boring. It just passed by like an Indian movie with happy ending.

Never thought I would make such good friends professionally. I also got to learn the finest things of life from everyone.

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ScoreNight EVERY FRIDAY!

only at BAK BAK BAR (Bangalore) Star Rock (Chennai)

EVENTS Galore

For more bleh, blah, boo on gigs and all things sound bound: knock on www.highonscore.com.

We’re watching you.

What’s been buzzing you ask? Some here, some there. We pick up bits of this chatter in the hope of telling you an untold story. Or whatever sails your boat.

Lagori A band known for its musical agility (if there was such a term) and also for its spirited alacrity. We’re talking about Lagori, the Indian Folk/Classical/Fusion Rock band. The band consists of Tejas Shankar on Vocals, Geeth Vaz & Edward Rasquinha on Guitars, Shalini Mohan on Bass with Vinyl Kumar on Drums.

Allegro Fudge Allegro Fudge is famously known for taking interesting tangents from various genres like Rock, Pop, Country, Celtic, Folk, Jazz, Classical and Metal in the aim of presenting a musical counterpoint. That’s exactly what they did at Score Night. The band consists of is Saahas Patil – Vocals, Jason Zachariah –Piano, Anish Nadh – Acoustic Guitar and Shalini Mohan – Bass Guitar.

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Veekes & Thomas Veekes & Thomas and Score Magazine came together for an Open Mic Brunch. We had some serious talent showing off. What’s more, everyone eat their heart out at the brunch for just Rs.199 in Veekes & Thomas outlet, Residency road. Full scene.

Amrita D G

Bangalore Open Air pre-party Metal was earned at the Bangalore Open Air pre-party on ScoreNight at Bak Bak Bar, Bangalore.

Fragile Silence is a Goth/Progressive metal band from Jaipur, formed in early June 2010. The band consists of Komal Panwar on Vocals, Alvin Stanly on Drums, Pranav on Keyboards and Vishal Agarwal on Guitars with Abhishek Chatterji on Bass.

Nihilus, the Bangalore based Technical-Death Metal

band has Navneeth Shiv on Vocals, Siddharth Manoharan on Drums and Backing Vocals, Jason D’Souza on Bassand Manu Manjunath on Guitars.

Devoid, the Mumbai culmination of all things angry is made up of Arun Iyer on Vocals & as Rhythm Guitarist, Sanju Aguiar as Lead Guitarist, Abhishek Kamdar on Bass and Shubham Kumar on Drums.

Providence brought the vile to life with Charan Singh Pathania on Guitar, Shrikanth Rao on Bass, Aaron Pinto on Drums, Shezan Shaikh on Guitar and Karan Pote as Vocalist.

Sycorax of Darjeeling showed us how Pavitra Gorkha Metal is done. The band consists of Gautam and Dewansh on Guitar, Ravi on Bass, Ribesh on Drums with Trivinesh on Vocals.

Photo credits : Uday Shanker The

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The Bangalore Open Air was intense. With Sodom cancelling on one side and some mad hat acts by the other bands. Shrikant Sreenivasan of the band Coshish shares his experience about the same.

DEVOID Devoid came all the way from Mumbai and created this insane amount of energy with a brilliant set. I’ve been listening to Devoid for so many years.

They have always become tighter gig after gig. Sanju used this Fender guitar with a Seymour Duncan humbucker on the bridge pick up (if I am not wrong) and the tone was pretty heavy. At any gig, one of the most important things I always see is the overall sound of the band. Sounding huge in an open air venue is not that easy as compared to a closed venue. Also, in India, metal bands don’t regularly get to play at open air venues other than bigger festivals. But these guys sounded heavy and balanced as compared to any other Indian band at Bangalore Open Air. The band consists of Arun Iyer on Vocals & Rhythm Guitar, Sanju Aguiar on Lead Guitar, Abhishek Kamdar on Bass and Shubham Kumar on Drums

DEMONIC RESURRECTION Next up was Demonic Resurrection and you could hear many kids screaming from the front row for these guys. They sounded pretty nice while they were doing sound check but it was really disappointing when they started their set.

Drums were too low and guitars were loud. Everything was imbalanced which is why they sounded bad in my opinion. Being a fan of Ashwin’s bass lines, I couldn’t really hear his work. We cannot really blame the sound engineer as the whole tuning of PA system was changed during Ihsahn’s sound check and so DR sounded wavery. Sahil Makhija kept his guitar aside and sang the whole song, did 360 head banging and then surely hurt his neck. It was fun to watch him do all this sometimes.

Demonstealer on Vocals/Guitars, Mephisto on Keyboards, Daniel Rego on Lead Guitars, Ashwin Shriyan the Bassist and Viru on Drums

ANIMALS AS LEADERS I was waiting to watch these three monsters and the moment they got on stage I felt this full power energy coming out the moment they started their set. Oh man, what a sound. My ears, eyes and all kinds of senses were so happy and it was like an eye opener. I must say they took the level of music to a different level and they owned the damn place. Just three humble monsters, ripping off the stage with some real technical, djent, groovy music. A different trip compared to any international bands I have seen live. The best part was the drummer ripped off the kick drum and they had to get another one. In my opinion, AAL were the best band out of all the bands for sure.

Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes on 7 and 8 String Guitars with Matt Garstka on Drums.

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Photo credits : Sagnik Karmakar

Shrikanth Sreenivasan LEPROUS I had never really heard of these guys but knew that some of the members are Ihsahn’s students. I really liked the band when they started their set. What a vocalist! But after few songs, the graph wouldn’t go up. I felt they were like a warm up band for Ihsahn which served the purpose for sure. I enjoyed the long sustained vocals and the overall sound of the band. They were surely sounding full and loved their tones. This is what I like about any international band. No matter how bad the sound is, all of these guys make sure they sound huge. And I am so sure within few years, as we play more open air venues, we will also start sounding huge no matter how bad the sound is.

Einar Solberg on Lead Vocal and Synth, Tor Oddmund Suhrke on Guitar and Vocals, Øystein Landsverk on Guitar and Vocal, Rein Blomquist on Bass with Tobias Ørnes Andersen on Drums

IHSAHN Being an Emperor fan, I have been waiting to watch Ihsahn live. Ihsahn’s solo project is so matured that I feel he is the only black metal artist who has experimented to this extent on the composition and sound. Ihsahn’s band members were Leprous themselves. Ihsahn sounded really powerful and heavier but I really wish I could hear some saxophone too. Again, there was some problem with the sound. I think sound was a big issue this time at Bangalore Open Air. Ihsahn was surely the second best out of all the bands.

The one and only. Emperor.

DARK TRANQUILITY If I am not wrong, they played the last time they came to India but I was unlucky to miss that show. Surely lucky enough to watch them live this time. I don’t really listen to their albums frequently but have been watching their live shows on YouTube and was quite excited to watch them here. They had a brilliant set and were super tight. The best part was the videos at the background. It is something that really makes the audience connect more to the music.

Stanne on vocals, Sundin and Henriksson on guitar, Jivarp on drums, Brändström on electronics with Antonsson on bass.

ICED EARTH The headlining act for the night and the most awaited band of the night, Iced Earth came up on stage and started killing it with their old school music, melodious riffs, solos and vocal lines. I seriously feel Bangalore is the Old School Rockers’ hub. I have always been an old school rock music listener and was very happy to see Iced Earth in India. People were singing along with the band and enjoying all of their songs. I frankly did not like the drum sound of Iced Earth somehow. It wasn’t as open or wide as it could have been for sure. I still cannot get over with the vocals, such crisp and perfectly high pitched voice with some really nice variations and vibrato, rarely going off. It was surely mind blowing and I wish to see them live again.

Jon Schaffer on Rhythm & Lead Guitar, Vocals, Stu Block on Lead Vocals, Troy Seele on Lead Guitar, Luke Appleton on Bass and Raphael Saini on Drums

The moment of Metal Overall, I was quite disappointed with the sound this time.

This year’s Bangalore Open Air was surely way better comparing the turnout and the location. I think around 3500 to 4000 people attended this metal show.

I heard many people talking about why Sodom couldn’t make it to India. There was lot of cribbing as well but the fact of the matter is someone is at least calling these bands to India and letting all of us feel so proud. I think we all, as metal heads should be proud of Bangalore Open Air as they are doing so much for the Indian scene by calling old bands and new bands, balancing the whole package and giving it to us.

One thing I really missed at Bangalore Open Air was the kind of mosh I would experience in Mumbai. The level of energy or aggression in metal gigs is slightly calmer here in Bangalore. People here like to watch bands more than moshing and making circle pits. It’s more of an eye to eye connection here which is pretty nice.

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Indiva women of the world

Four women, one band. Venus has come trumpeting back! Indiva, an all-women Indian band with World Music Roots released their album recently. We talk to them about all things musical and xx.

{

{

Vivienne Pocha The much acclaimed Western Jazz Vocalist who received the JD Rolling Stones Award for the best female vocalist.

Amongst other things, of course

{

{ {

Merlin D’souza

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India’s leading music director/ pianist/composer who has worked in advertising, Bollywood and concerts globally.

{

Shruti Bhave

An all-round artiste, she plays the violin in Carnatic and Western styles and records for Bollywood Films too, in addition she is a trained Indian Classical Singer and Dancer.

Shristi Ambani

Define ‘Diva’?

V.P: Light M: Woman of substance!!!!

Money or fame?

V.P: Got famous a long time ago, waiting for the moolah now!

M: Money always follows

Folk or jazz?

V.P: Grew up with folk music, and dig jazz now. But I choose according to my state of being.

M: Fusion is my middle name!

{ { Hamsika Iyer

The “Chammak Challo” girl who sang this famous song in Ra One and a few days back she sung the hit “1234 Get on the Dance Floor” from Chennai Express.

How indiva came to be?

VP: Merlin and I go back a long way back. We’ve performed together on corporate shows, jazz, blues, world fusion concerts and musicals.

Hamsika has also collaborated with merlin on the advertising front, singing jingles and also on Bollywood projects and live shows.

What the three of us brought to the creative table was so diverse, yet strong and seamless that it seemed inevitable we would start making music together. A niche that was not heavy metal, rock or pop. The process was so satisfying and uplifting, we knew Indiva should be an all woman band. With a fourth member playing music rooted in India with influences from the world. Alas, who would it be though! We needed an Indian classically trained instrumentalist with the same mind space and voila! Hamsika introduced us to Shruti and it just clicked! She came with extra baggage too: she could play the violin and sing!

Indiva was born H: We come from different school of music. There is an influence of Jazz, Rock, Carnatic, Classical, Hindustani & Folk. Over the years we have worked with each other in different projects & built a fabulous rapport. Indiva was meant to happen for obvious reasons!

Each of you incorporates a lot of different styles in your music. Tell us a little more about this unique fusion music you make.

VP: What we did was to focus on each of our strengths. Hamsika is a Hindustani and Carnatic trained vocalist. Shruti too is a trained Indian classical violinist and vocalist. Merlin has a strong foundation in western classical music and plays jazz and fusion with equal panache while I am a western soul, blues and world music vocalist. The way each one of us interprets our parts in the whole makes the composition go beyond just sounding Indian or World. For example, the composition Amaar Maa, a Bengali folk ditty embraces the strains of World Musical flavors giving a folklore expanse through its orchestrations and singing.

Do you feel there’s a need for more women only groups in indian music?

V.P: It would be refreshing to see more women wanting to be percussionists, drummers, horn players and flautists. This is what Indiva found lacking when looking out for good instrumentalists.

H: Music is a form of expression.

Gender is beside the point. Women should feel free to form a band & express their views about everything they believe in.

M: Why not?!! It’s also heartening if we can reach out with a message to women. You can make your musical passion felt and have a reach.

Your song Suno was very touching. We hear it’s a song to Nirbhaya, the Delhi rape victim?

V.P: The song was composed by merlin just after the Nirbhaya rape case came to light and the lyrics by Asif Ali made us use our voice as musicians to stand for what we believe in and to help bring about change.

H: To add to that Suno is a song that asks for simple things. Love & respect for the womanhood.

Being the alpha women you all are, how do you manage ego clashes or friction with other musicians?

V.P: It is true, we all have strong personalities. However, the first rule for me is to respect other points of view. If I strongly believe in something, I may push it to the limit but sometimes you have to let go. We do get along pretty well and humor is a big asset all of us are gifted with that dilutes the worst confrontations or differences of opinion. Rule of the day: leave your egos and your excess baggage at home, nobody else wants it.

H: We do have our differences sometimes & I think that’s healthy.

But luckily none of us are on an ego trip for the wrong reason.

M: Alpha or Omega. It doesn’t have much bearing for us as we are fiercely confident in our music, style and passion.

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Indinate with

Mohan Kannan In 2006, a former banker and his on/off jamming partners decided enough was enough thus forming one of India’s biggest rock bands “Agnee”. That man was Mohan Kannan. Over the years Agnee and Mohan have taken their musical pursuit to whole new levels.

Read on to know more about this special journey.

Top 3 Mohan songs

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Lootera Shikayatein Music by Amit Trivedi

Sai Adithya

“

With Agnee, I’ve had a LOT of memorable moments. From the launch of the first album to the first time I heard our song as a ringtone on someone’s phone, to the first time we had an audience of over 8,000 people singing our songs back to us, to the time we crossed 25,000 people at a concert, our first ever video shoot, the time we got our first GIMA… so many!

How has the journey been so far?

8 years since I quit banking and a little over 6 years since Agnee launched its first album: It’s been a good time. Koco had called me in May 2005 to do a guest performance for his band (Sankara) and I remember walking into the HR office the next day at Deutsche Bank and submitting my resignation. Didn’t know it would be such a nice journey and certainly had no idea Agnee would ever happen (that was about a year later) or that Agnee’s music would reach so many people. It’s been fantastic, and I’m so glad I gave in to an impulse and followed it through.

How tough is it being a performer in India? Agnee was one of the trendsetters for the modern music scene has the journey been tough?

The live scenario in India is much better now than it was a few years ago. Being a band is exciting, rewarding and happily lucrative too. Just as all Bollywood music does not sell, likewise, all independent music does not. It’s important for bands and other independent artistes to make honest music and then find the right ways to promote it. We were the first guys to let go of a mainstream label and launch independent music. The first to release it free, the first to give songs to reality shows, the first to involve listeners in our creative process through Create with Agnee…some of these moves worked very well, some of them weren’t the best. However, we’re constantly coming up with ideas on how to launch our music just to make sure we not only create music but also own up to and follow through with the responsibility to market it the best way possible.

Talking about Bollywood: which is your favourite song amongst the ones you have sung?

How did “Hello Andheron” happen?

What was the story behind that?

Rohit, our friend from MTV, had moved to UTV (now Disney) last year and he called me to ask me if Agnee was interested in doing a song for the Avengers. I said yes. I spoke to Koco and he asked me “What’s Avengers?”. I don’t think the scale of this whole thing really hit us till we saw the video with us interspersed with shots from the film. It was fantastic! The song itself started with Abbas (who we’d asked to write lyrics for this) being overly efficient and writing the lyrics in a day. The lyrics were brilliant! We then sat on composing and composed some 13 tunes to the same lyrics. Try as we might, the tune didn’t work as well as the lyrics did. Finally, the 14th version was the one that we got right and we’re glad we went for it. We then asked Aditi Singh Sharma to come sing it with us and she’s always brilliant.. it was a LOT of fun!

Aah, this is difficult. My favourite song I’ve sung on playback is Naav from Udaan composed by Amit Trivedi and written by Amitabh Bhattacharya. I just sang Shikayatein for Lootera for the same team and it’s a lovely song too.

Amit and Amitabh are two of the most talented people I’ve met and it’s always a pleasure. I’ve also sung a few songs for Indraadip Dasgupta in Bengali and those songs are also very close to me. In fact, the last two songs are actually Agnee versions where Indraadip asked us all to be part. So Koco played guitar, Aditya produced the track and I sang. All of us thoroughly enjoyed it.

We know you were composers for the film Dil Dosti etc. What’s more?

We composed music for a film called Aalaap that was released last year. The film didn’t do well, but the music was appreciated by the few who managed to hear it. We also did a song for Shala, the award winning Marathi film which won the Video Music Award (VMAI) for it. We did the official Indian theme for The Avengers. We’re also working on Abbas Tyrewala’s next film as music directors. We’ve done the songs and background score for national award winning Janaki Vishwanathan’s film Bakrapur to be released soon. We’re composing for Deepak Tijori’s next Rockin’ Love. So yes, we are doing quite a few films, they have just not come out yet. Hopefully releases will happen soon!

What are the future projects Agnee and Mohan are involved in?

We’re working on films as I’d mentioned and also on a couple of albums. We have a very interesting project of re-interpretations of old songs that we’re doing with Saregama and that should be out soon. Looking forward to it!

What was your most memorable moment with Agnee and as Mohan the playback singer.

With Agnee, I’ve had a LOT of memorable moments. From the launch of the first album to the first time I heard our song as a ringtone on someone’s phone, to the first time we had an audience of over 8,000 people singing our songs back to us, to the time we crossed 25,000 people at a concert, our first ever video shoot, the time we got our first GIMA… so many! With playback, when I first sang Khanabadosh, composed by SEL. From them, I also learned other soft things like work ethic, preparedness, and just the general ability to be a fantastic musician as well as a wonderful human being.

Udaan

Naav

Music by Amit Trivedi

London dreams

Khanabadosh Music by Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy

Would you like to say something to your fans?

To all our friends who make music as well: Thank you. For inspiring us and for constantly reminding us with your music how wonderful it is to be a part of this fraternity. I hope we can keep making music that will touch you, and connect you with us.

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Indie Reviews From cribbing about Metal losing its vibe in the scene to discovering Indi Pop again: we’re back with reviews about the latest songs sans the drama. Over to you. «««««

Sky Rabbit - Where (EP-Punk Rock/Electronic/New age)

It’s been a while since I had given a listen to Sky Rabbit’s earlier avatar named as ‘Medusa’. I remember hearing one of their songs in GIR(Great Indian Rock) compilation CD a while back.

Well time moved on and I have simply forgotten about them as I have been seeing a horde of pop punk indie bands doing shows across the pubs in the country. A few of them sounded same to me and thus held no interest! When I recently came across Sky Rabbit, I got to know that they are Medusa’s reincarnated avatar. Their newest EP known as ‘Where’ is very original in its sound (if you avoid a bit of Eddie Vader inclined vocals). The EP starts with a groovy synth oriented track called ‘In dance’ and slow packing punk guitar notes. They sound very happy and trippy.

TheEP consists of five happy listening, easy going tracks. Very much radio friendly and can be a good companion in your long hour drives. I hear carefully chosen melodic guitar notes with synth and groovy basslines. Although it sounded very simple to me but I say this is a brilliant effort by them!

Top Picks: ‘In our times’ & ‘Maybe is open tonight’

The band already toured UK and I guess they can well be India’s official entry into ‘Glastonbury festival’. Well may be!

http://www.oklisten.com/skyrabbit

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Tania Tarannam - Ore piya (Hindi Contemporary pop)

Top Picks: ‘Saaware’ & ‘Le chale’

I remember there was a time in mid 90’s when the market is flowed with Hindi pop albums! All the music channels were airing one or the other music videos from numerous pop artists. Some of them were good and some of them easily disposable. Over the course of time the trend had disappeared, somehow the artists had over done it and left it in a state of complete obsoleteness.

Over the years I have not seen much innovation in this field. This young singer from Assam has caught my attention recently. I usually refrain myself from contemporary popular music but Tania’s mesmerizing voice is really hard to miss. She is a trained classical singer and has done a very decent job on the lyrical contempt. The music by Joy Chakravarty didn’t do anything extra ordinary for me. It’s a contemporary pop album and I am sure it was made to grab a larger mass of listeners rather than a group of genuine music lovers. But, she has an awesome voice and it will catch your attention like it did mine. It’s a perfect pop album and quite radio friendly as well. My only suggestion to Tania is if you can change the lyrical content from love to some other topics, the audience would still be loyal to you.

I am sure this album would help her to get an entry to Bollywood as well.

http://gaana.com/#!/streamalbums/ore-piya

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Sibarshis Dutta

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Anthracite - Groove sandwich (Nu Metal/Groove)

Well, I thought Nu Metal is dead even before it started - until these Mumbai lads reminded me of its presence in current scenario. Young, energetic Nu metal honcho ‘Anthracite’ enters the scene with their debuted full length called ‘Groove sandwich’. Their title suits the perfect meaning behind their music. It is an amalgamation of new age metal, rap, pop punk and everything in between. Strictly for the followers of band like System Of Down, Dope, Disturbed and Korn. If you are a classic heavy metal follower then you would choose not to step into their music. Vocalist Abhishek Nair is almost perfect in combining growl and clean singing. I find that the guitar riffs are too predictable, most probably because of the reason that Nu Metal is a very much predictable genre by itself. No offence meant. Not my cup of tea because there is an intense similarity in the vocal patterns of almost all the Nu age metal bands.

Here I’d like to say that their bassist caught my attention and how! Good job mate!

Top Picks: ‘Urgent Decision’ & ‘Facts’

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http://bajaao.com/shop/172-albums/18258-anthracite-groove-sandwich.html

Insane Prophecy - Apogee of an inquisition (Blackened Death)

These Guwahati based blackened/Death duo have been making quite a remarkable attempt to keep the cult of underground extreme metal alive in Northeast since most of our younger siblings have decided to straighten their hairs beyond limitation and got merge into groove. Metal has been losing its vibe and do you understand it? In this time of discrepancy, I love discovering these kinds of musicians. They are furious to the max and musically brilliant as well. The EO starts with a mellow acoustic intro track titled as ‘Obsequies’ and at first listen you would be wondering if it’s really an extreme metal attempt. But from the beginning of the second track ‘Apogee of an inquisition’, it will hammer your skull with an invisible thud of metal sledge hammer and will leave you numb. Musically, they are portraying the skin of modern blackened death metal bands like Belphegor and Azarath. This four track ep will definitely find a place in my collection.

Top Picks: ‘Blasphemy ov a diabolic’ & ‘Apogee of an inquisition’

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Brilliant guitar work minimal break downs. Flawless drumming which sounded pretty old school to me

http://transcendingobscurity.com/products/982-insane-prophecy-apogee-of-an-inquisitionprocd-r-ep.aspx

The Burning Deck - Kalinihta (Down Tempo/Ambient/Electronic)

Electronic/Down Tempo music and I have been a fan of bands like Lights Out Asia and Hammock since. But I hardly knew the facts that there were some outstanding tunes are raging up from our own Bangalore itself! Don’t get confused by the title of the album, it has nothing to do with Indian mythology but rather it means ‘Good night’ in Greek. So what they called a bed room project became serious and Bangalore duo Sandeep Madhavan and Floyd Santimano had decided to offer some dreamy yet haunting electronic tunes. Musically, it has everything what an electronic dark ambient album should have-dark synth, melodic voices and weird electronic sounds. But I also got a very much 70’s psychedelic Rock influenced sound as well. I would probably blame bands like Ozric Tentacles and Porcupine Tree as some of their influences.

This album is dark and beautiful and has got a very much ethnic Asian feel in it.

Top Picks: ‘Kalinihta’ & ‘Blink of an eye’

http://www.musicfellas.com/tritha

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