The Score Magazine Jan 2017 issue! by The Score Magazine

ISSN 0974 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9128

Vol 10 Issue 01 January 2017

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India's National Pan-Genre Music MagazinE

Band of the Month :

Mrigya

Had a chat with us about their music, band members contribution and much more.

INTERVIEW WITH

PRAKASH SONTAKKE He gives us a sneak peak into his musical world, his journey as a Hindustani musician and much more.

Cover Story

Neeti Mohan

Spoke to us about how she entered the industry, her music inspiration, future projects and her message for aspiring artists. ALSO INSIDE : Events round up from 2016, music in the 90s, music programs for producers and more.

NOW IN INDIA

New

Music in Motion Welcome to the new era in Synthesizers from the company that brought you the industry-changing DX and the hugely popular Motif. Building on the legacy of these two iconic keyboards, the Yamaha MONTAGE sets the next milestone for Synthesizers with sophisticated dynamic control, massive sound creation and streamlined workflow all combined in a powerful keyboard designed to inspire your creativity.

Available in :

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Super Knob

Sophisticated Dynamic Control

Tone Generator

Super Knob

Motion SEQ

Envelope Follower

AWM2

Motion SEQ

Massive Sound Creation Envelope Follower

FM-X

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NEETI MOHAN

This gorgeous girl, the voice behind many blockbuster hits spoke to us about how she entered this industry, her siblings, inspiration and much more.

Interview with Prakash Sontakke 32

Band of the Month : Mrigya 24

Gives us a peak into his world of swaras, his journey as a Hindustani Classical musician into becoming one of the most well known names in the International circuit as an Indian cross-over artist, and much more.

Events round up from 2016

We give you a list of popular festivals that made a mark in 2016. Read and find out which month of 2017 they are going to happen again!

Open source music programs for Music Producers

World fusion band Mrigya, had a chat with us about their music, how they make music, about their band members and more.

The independent music producer depends on a lot of free and open source music programs. We tell us about some of them.

Product Round up from 2016! 90â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Music Era

We tell you how the 90s were the Golden music Era in our Jan issue. Check it out!

College festivals and their craze for International acts

In this issue, we give you a perspective on how college festivals prefer International headlining acts and why.

We give you the popular products that were hot selling from Harman, Casio, Roland and Sennheiser in the year that just went by.

SAPTASWARA

DIRECTOR'S NOTE Director, Strategy and Planning Ajay Prabhakar Director, Business Development Pragash VM Director, Marketing & Operations Sneha Ramesh Editorial Advisor Nikila Srinivasan Creative Director George Vedamanickam Creative Designer Manasi Doshi Content Contributors Sumit Suvarna Aditi Sarawagi Sriram Ravishankar Shreya Bose Amogh Rao Souvik Chakraborty

brand partners

Recently, accomplished musician Sona Mohapatra slammed Mood Indigo, the annual festival organized by IIT Bombay, for their 'blatant sexism'. Her facebook Post described how the organizers contacted her multiple times with an invitation to perform at the festival but with the stipulation that she MUST collaborate with a Male artist for any show at Mood Indigo. Backing up her claim, Sona posted pictures from the various campaigns of Mood Indigo that seem to play out this narrative Not backing down, the organizing team hit right back with their counter claim that Sona was making wild allegations and that Mood Indigo has hosted many solo female performers at various previous events. They went on to state that they could not afford Sona Mahopatra, and that she was expensive. The battle lines were drawn, and there were social media support for either side and who knew IIT students could also excel at trolling? Sona could have very easily tipped the balance to her favour by showing some sort of correspondence from the organizing team with pertinent details but she either wouldn’t or couldn't. Our theory is that Sona probably isn't the first artist to not receive a formal proposal and nor will she be the last. Sona’s outburst has definitely cast aspersions on mood indigo’s motivation and the organizing team will now have to work extra hard to mitigate any perceivable tinge of sexism. This event only proves that the world is certainly becoming a more transparent, less politically correct and more sensitive. All things considered, we look forward to 2017 breaking new boundaries with the human race entering uncharted waters! And speaking of 2017, a very Happy New Year to all of you! Musically yours,

PRAGASH VM

Director - Business Development subscribe to us at www.thescoremagazine.com

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contactus@highonscore.com +91 95000 12975 DISCLAIMER: Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photography or illustrations without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and illustrations. Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publication and accordingly no liability is assumed by the publisher thereof. Advertising copy and artworks are the sole responsibility of the advertisers. http://www.motherteresafoundation.org.in The Score Magazine is proud to support the Mother Teresa Foundation and urge our readers to join us in giving back a fraction of what we have been given.

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NEETI MOHAN

The voice behind many blockbuster hits speaks to us about how she entered this industry, her siblings, inspiration and much more.

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The first question is always a clichéd one. Tell us about your musical journey and how it all started.

You have sung across multiple languages and genres. How do you manage to overcome the barriers?

Since I was a child, I was always drawn towards music and was lucky that my parents never stopped me from being on stage, perform and participate in competitions. In fact, nobody from my family are into music or musicians and that is why I consider myself very lucky that my parents never stopped me.

I found it difficult in the beginning as I come from a Hindi speaking family. When I started performing with AR Rahman sir, I was given few lines to sing in Tamil and it was very difficult for me. I come from North and have nothing to do with South. I feel very lucky that I got a chance to sing in Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, and Kannada. India is very rich in terms of its cultures, languages, and music forms. I have learned it from AR sir that music has no language and that is how I overcame thisaenres of music.

They always appreciated that I was so excited to perform, sing and learn music. During school and college, I kept learning music and Indian Classicial Music was the most important thing at that time. I listened to a lot of Bhajans. My parents exposed me to some Gazzals by Jagjit Ji and I was drawn a lot towards semi classical songs. I always liked to sing tougher songs. That is how it all started. Finally, in college I got a teacher to train and I took part in Pop Stars.

You were one of the winners at Channel V's Pop Stars. Was this a good start in your opinion? There would not have been any other way for me to enter the industry as I don’t come from a family of musicians and it was a huge opportunity for me and to be a girl next door and be called as the country’s pop star and perform in concerts all over the world.

We have heard that you are a very good dancer as well and in your school days also been a part of the NCC Cadet. Can you elaborate a bit more on these for us to know what a complete talented package you are? I was always drawn towards singing, dancing and acting together. Watching musicals was something I loved doing. Whenever I watched Indian movies, nobody told me that the singer, actor and choreographer were all different. I thought one person did it all. I wanted to be that and by the time I realized, it was a huge shock for me. I still find it amusing that most kids think that the actors are singing themselves. For me, I could never separate singing from dancing. I always feel that while singing, you are expressing an emotion. For that, you use your face and body and not sing just from your throat. That is what makes me feel the song more. I caan’t otherwise feel it. I was a part of my school band and that was part of NCC. Through that, I learned how to fire a riffle, I went camping and it is amazing as you are very close to living an army life. Those made me change my life and become focused and disciplined. Sometimes music and dancing makes you happy. Without discipline in music, it’s tough to train and be serious about what you do. It was interesting for me to do singing, dancing and NCC altogether. That made me interested in studies too.

You are now mentoring kids at The Voice India kids, how is the experience so far and what is your learning from this? It is one of the finest experiences for me to be a mentor on a show because all this while, I have had mentors shaping and molding me to be a better human being. Now it is an opportunity for me to impart to kids what I have learnt and be there for them to do more music and learn and perform each time with all their heart and soul. It is so nice to be able to give it back to them and it makes one more sensitive. I am grateful to Voice of India for giving me this opportunity in helping these kids. I will always be like a proud mother to these kids even if I meet them after ten years when they would be superstars. I would feel happy that I was a small part of their journey and helped nurture this plant that make them massive big stars by then.

What is your personal opinion on the reality shows in India? Do you think they produce great talent and provide a good platform for aspiring musicians? Well, I think there was a time when two separate industries (Independent and Film) were existing together. Independent music was at its peak in the 90s when film music was doing its own thing. And then for about ten to fifteen years, there was no independent music and film music took over. Thank to internet, now independent music and musicians are back. You can listen to anyone online and be updated about their music in a second. It is back and is meant to stay!

Is there one artist/composer that you've worked with who really made a mark in your career and helped you rise to where you are? Yes, I always dreamt of working with AR Rahman sir and I got to work with him and still do. I really have huge respect and love for him. He is my guru, my guide and my coach for life. He has changed me as a person for the better and I owe it to him. One of my first songs was for him and you can imagine the impact he has had. I have known him for seven years and still perform with him and there is so much more to learn from the legend himself.

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Who has been your greatest source of inspiration in your career and why? My parents! We come from the middle class family from Delhi and in spite of having us four sisters, they never shied away from letting us be an artist. My biggest source of inspiration and support system comes from my parents.

You have won quite a lot of awards for your songs in the commercial space. Which has been the most special one and why? Awards really encourage you a lot and when I won Filmfare RD Burban awards and I did not expect it at all considering that particular award is given to the brightest and youngest talent. I am a huge admirer of RD Burman saab and getting an award with that tag attached to it is something that will always be special for me. The first recipient of that award was Rahman sir and people who have won that award are very talented and I am a huge fan of all of them. This award will always be special.

Can you tell us your most embarrassing and your most funny fan moment in your live gigs journey. Some of the funny things I see almost on a daily basis on my fan page. There are some people who write about my song, some about my looks and some about a concert they attended and some just write random things like sending their own pictures and posing for you asking “Will you marry me”, “I want to marriage you”, “ I have a crash on you” (Laughs). So sometimes, the language I find very funny! During the gigs, some people are just obsessed with fast music and when I sing a balled they ask me to sing a fast song and when I do so, they ask me to sing a faster song. The same person would ask me to sing even faster and that makes me wonder if that person really wants to go on a tredmill right now because I don’t think there is something faster than your heartbeat. I find that funny! They are all enduring and leave a mark on you!

Tell us about the role your close family and friends have played in your musical journey. My sisters are my best friends and they are the ones who stood in line for me for Pop stars and said they wanted me to go for this and had faith in me and parents who have always stood by me!

Your message to readers of The Score Magazine You all must love your parents even if you are busy with your work! Tell them you love them! Enjoy music as it is your best friend! Stay in touch with music and your parents!

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AWARD GALLERY Filmfare:

RD Burban Award

Mirchi Music Award: Upcoming female vocalist

CHART BUSTERS • Pyaar Manga Hai • Kheech Meri Photo • Sau Aasmaan • Jiya Re • Tune Maari Entriyaan

rapid fire neeti Q: The best song you've sung so far in your opinion A: Bombay Velvet Album in my opinion.

As a child, watching musicals was something I loved doing. I thought one person did it all. I now find it amusing that most kids think that the actors are singing themselves.

Q: Your all time favorite song A: Mose Chhal Kiye Jaye Q: If not music, then what? A: Nothing Q: Your all time favorite singer A: Lata ji Q: A song that never leaves your music playlist. A: Dil Se Q: If you had a million bucks in your account, what would you do? A: Invest in Kids Education Q: If you had to disguise yourself, who would you be? A: Batman! Q: Music and Love: Your take? A: Music cannot happen without love and visa versa Q: What do you feel like eating RIGHT NOW? A: Ummmâ&#x20AC;Ś Pop Corn

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PX-560M WHEN YOUR MUSIC MATTERS

Introducing the Privia Pro PX-560 Digital Piano, a stage piano unlike any other. From the first look at its striking blue case, you’ll know it’s different. It boasts some of Casio’s most impressive sonic technology, in an easy-to-use instrument that sounds every bit as great as it looks. For the piano player who wants to go deeper, the PX-560 delivers a comprehensive set of features that will take your music further than ever.

TOUCH YOUR MUSIC Front and center is Casio’s new Color Touch Interface. Its bright, 5.3" display is clear and easy to read, and the interface is inspiring yet simple. You’ll see familiar graphics to help you select instruments and functions, making exploring the PX-560 fun and easy. You’ll find yourself experimenting with new ideas, new sounds, and new ways of creating music.

THE KEYS TO SUCCESS The PX-560 features Casio's renowned Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action II keyboard, which accurately reproduces the touch and response of a concert grand piano, despite the PX-560’s light overall weight. As on a real concert grand, the keys are heavier in the lower register, and lighter up top. Your fingertips will immediately feel the ebony and ivory textured keys, which not only feel more realistic, but also give your hands a positive grip to keep your playing on point.

THE PIANO In an instrument like the PX-560, the all-important piano sound must be as rewarding as the keys themselves. Casio’s Multi-Dimensional AiR (Acoustic and Intelligent Resonator) Sound Source delivers some of the best piano sounds you’ve ever heard. Its Linear Morphing

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technology creates smooth transitions between the softer and louder sounds. Damper Resonance gives you the deep feeling of the piano’s soundboard interacting with the strings. String Resonance models the harmonic relationships between vibrating strings. Hammer Response mimics the time between pressing the key and the hammer striking the strings. Key Off Simulation gives you control of a note’s decay by how quickly the key is released. And with a massive 256 notes of polyphony, you won’t have to worry about dropped notes, even while all of these incredible details are being recreated. These specifications are impressive, certainly, but what’s most important is that they combine to form the perfect and complete experience of playing a 9-foot concert grand piano.

A SOUND DESIGN FOR SOUND DESIGNERS Under the hood, the PX-560 is not just a highly capable stage piano, but a full-fledged synthesizer. Unlike most other synths, going deep into sound design is as easy as touching the display. The PX-560 features Casio’s Hex Layer technology, borrowed from the flagship Privia Pro PX-5S. This means you can create massive splits and layers, with four zones and a total of 14 layers at once. What’s more, you can edit these Tones to sculpt them into something new and all your own. There are three realtime control knobs, as well as a modulation wheel, all of which can be controlling up to two assignable parameters at once. With great-sounding filters, responsive envelopes, and extensive modulation, the PX-560 can be a sonic playground as well as a performance instrument.

TAKE THE STAGE The PX-560 is designed to perform, and to make you sound your best. You’ll be delighted at how lightweight it is (just over 26 pounds), and how easily you can integrate it into your live setup. Its 1/4" outputs

The PX-560 is the latest edition to Casio’s Privia Pro line. Featuring many of the sound design elements of the award winning PX-5S, the PX-560 adds new tones, user-programmable rhythms, built-in speakers, all centered around an amazing, easy-to-use 5.3” Color Touch Interface.

and inputs give you great connectivity for PA systems and multikeyboard rigs, and its dual pedal inputs can be configured to accept an expression pedal, damper pedal, or footswitches.

HOMEWARD BOUND In addition to fitting just about any commercially-available keyboard stand, the PX-560 fits neatly in Casio’s optional CS-67P wooden stand, making a stylish musical statement in any home. Add the optional SP-33 3-pedal unit to experience realistic soft, sostenuto, and damper pedals, fixed in place for an accurate piano performance. The built-in speaker system has more than enough power to entertain at home. If you connect your favorite music player to its 1/8" stereo audio input, it even becomes a high-quality music dock.

5.3" COLOR TOUCH INTERFACE

your playing, creating a backing band that plays in the style of your choice. In addition to exploring the built-in Rhythms, you can even assemble 30 customized User Rhythms by combining basslines, drum beats, and other elements. You can also create 100 of your own Music Presets, which encompass a Rhythm, Tones, effects, and built-in chord progressions.

A BUILT-IN STUDIO When the muse speaks, you owe it to yourself to capture your idea. You don’t want to miss the chance to record your creation. The PX560 gives you two ways to make sure your work is preserved. There is a 17-track MIDI recorder with editing features, and a USB audio recorder that creates an audio file directly onto a USB stick. You can create the sounds you want to play, record and edit MIDI songs with them, then add external instruments via the audio inputs, and capture the whole mix to share with the world.

TOOLS FOR SCHOOL

BRING THE BAND Going beyond the traditional definition of a stage piano, the PX-560 includes 550 Tones, covering a huge variety of musical instruments and genres. There are dynamic and expressive guitars, basses, strings, drums, and much more, enhanced by powerful onboard DSP effects. The 220 onboard Rhythms allow multiple instruments to follow

The PX-560 includes features that are especially beneficial for private lessons and music labs. Duet mode splits the keyboard into two equal pitch ranges, letting two people (i.e. teacher and student) play side by side on a single instrument. Classroom mode adds the ability to send each side to an individual audio output, making it compatible with the most popular third party piano lab systems. Two front panel-mounted headphone jacks also make the PX-560 great for lessons or practice.

PLAYS NICE WITH OTHERS Like all Privias, the PX-560 has a class-compliant USB port which connects to a PC, Mac, or iOS device with no drivers needed. Easily control your favorite music software, without any extra setup. The

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Sennheiser

EVOLUTION

In 1998, evolution microphones were thrust into the spotlight for the first time, providing bands with a complete microphone solution for flawless and rich sound for both vocals and instruments. Since then, the company has sold some 10 million wired and wireless evolution microphones. evolution microphones are designed specifically to withstand the rigors of live stage performance, excelling at meeting a range of specialized needs in this demanding market. At the same time, tahe series manages to strike the right balance between affordability, impressive sound and high quality workmanship. The evolution series has the right microphone for any performance, regardless of whether the stage is big or small. They are a permanent fixture of the sound techâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rider for countless bands and events. In Grammyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as well, evolution microphones are used for vocals. Evolution 900 Series â&#x20AC;&#x201C; designed for the most demanding tasks In 2003, the first premium evolution 900 models were added to the evolution microphone series.With the microphones of the 900 series, Sennhesier started a new tradition of testing the microphones from the outset in the environment in which they are actually used. The company took the first prototypes straight to a music club we know well , where they were put through their paces by musicians and the developers. Once there, we could hear directly where changes needed to be made to the sound, or where more brilliance was needed. Our developers with their design and music expertise, then, usually knew which refinements and tweaks were required to achieve the sound quality they were aspiring for. In the record sphere/segment, the Sennheiser 900 series have become a well-known brand among bands, artists and sound engineers. The sound of the vocal capsules and the 935 capsule in particular is amongst the most popular. Every detail counts for a perfect live sound. Take the evolution wired 900 series: conceived of as a harmonically calibrated family, these high-end microphones combine demanding sound

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with unmatched reliability. Uncompromising stage equipment for uncompromising professionals. Evolution 600 series- Drum set microphone set Sennheiser introduce the Evolution 600 series Drum Set microphone set. This seven piece set features Sennheiser's renowned Evolution mics in a sturdy aluminium case, along with clips and manuals. The frequency response and cardioid pick-up pattern are optimized for drum sets and other percussion instrument miking, while also producing exceptional results on all forms of brass and woodwind. An integral stand mount screws directly onto mic stands and included clip attaches mic to rim of drum. Very high sound pressure level handling, in excess of 160 dB, is combined with a balanced, clear, low distortion signal similar to a high-end studio condenser microphone. Lightweight voice coil provides extended high frequency and rapid transient response. A tough reinforced glass fibre body takes the knocks and shocks and suppresses impact noise. The original models of the evolution series include instrument microphones e 602, e 604, e 608 and e 609, with more models added over time. The sennhesier E-604 and E- 602 (II) are amongst the most popular. Sennhesier E-604 has various features including low sensitivity to impact and handling noise ,very high sound pressure handling capability ,low distortion microphone, hum compensating coil, integral stand mount and are easy to position due to compact design. Similarly, The Sennhesier E 602 II is a cardioid instrument microphone especially suitable for use with bass drums, bass guitar cabs, tubas and other low frequency instruments. It includes various features including high-performance voice coil construction, fast transient response, low frequency extension ,ideal for direct use on the most problematic bass signal ,frequency-independent directivity provides isolation from other on-stage signals, humbucking coil and Integral stand mount. Every detail counts for a perfect live performance and Sennhesier products help ensure the same by delivering the evolution series which are most popular series amongst bands, sound engineers and live performers.

Roland RP - 302 Digital Piano COMPACT AND AFFORDABLE FAMILY PIANO WITH PRACTICE FRIENDLY FEATURES ON BOARD

Stay Inspired with Authentic Piano Sound and Expressive Feel With onboard technology derived from our flagship digital pianos, the Roland RP302 will keep you inspired—whether you’re just starting out or you’re an experienced pianist. A sound engine powered by Roland’s SuperNATURAL technology delivers the rich, expressive tone you’d expect from a premium acoustic grand piano, while a dynamic array of built-in speakers ensures the sound fills the room (even if the compact cabinet doesn’t). And as your style develops, the responsive Ivory Feel G keyboard follows every nuance of your touch. When

Travels Light, Avoids Costly Maintenance, and Allows Practice When It Suits You Acoustic pianos can be heavy and costly to maintain, and

if you want to play at night, you may be bothering other people close by. The Roland RP302 is the solution to all these problems. Weighing just 41 kg, it’s easily shifted by two adults, while a space-saving cabinet depth of just 432 mm won’t swamp your home. The advanced digital sound engine will never need tuning either, saving you time and money.

Kick-Start Your Piano Journey with Practice-Friendly F It can be hard to stay engaged when you’re learning piano, but the Roland RP302 is full of additional features that make practice a pleasure. Along with the authentic acoustic piano voice, there are over 300 additional sounds to help you get creative. An onboard metronome improves your sense of timing before you assess your progress with the onboard recorder. Audio and MIDI playback (from USB memory) lets you jam along with your favorite songs as they play through the piano’s speakers, while Twin Piano mode avoids the grind of solitary practice, allowing you to play in the same key range side-by-side with a duet partner or teacher.

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Band focus: kurangan Formed in late 2015, Kurangan is a four piece Tamil pop-rock band based in Chennai. The band is popular for their hard-hitting lyrics, infectious hooks, funky grooves and energetic live shows. Kaber Vasuki and Tenma first worked together on the Tamil indie pop album “Azhagu Puratchi” (which was the first ever crowd-funded indie album in Tamil). The album released in late 2014 and has since acquired cult status among Tamil indie music fans online. In late 2015, the duo decided to form a pop-rock band. Tenma brought in drummer Krish (Krish and Tenma had earlier played in Krish’s band - Blind Image), the band auditioned for a guitarist and found Sahib Singh. Kaber Vasuki is a singer - songwriter from Coimbatore. Between 2009 and 2014, Kaber Vasuki had slowly built a small following for his unique style of Tamil songs among Tamil indie music aficionados on the internet. After moving to Chennai in 2010, he started performing as a solo singersongwriter act and slowly built a listener base for his music in the city. In 2014 he successfully crowdfunded for an indiepop album. Called “Azhagu Puratchi”, the album consisted of 6 of his songs, arranged and produced by music producer Tenma, who he met during the course of his crowdfunding campaign. Tenma is a bass player and music producer hailing from Chennai. Tenma has been performing as a bass player and producer for over a decade for numerous indie artists and bands and solo projects in India and London. Tenma and Kaber Vasuki met at a gig in Chennai and after a brief conversation on Facebook and his studio they started working together on Azhagu Puratchi. The rest as you know it is history. Krish is a drummer from Chennai, who is also the drummer for the Metal band Blind Image from chennai. He has been playing drums for the last 10 years and have done extensive touring with his band BlindImage. He is a good friend of Tibu and has played with tibu in the past with Blind Image. Tibu brought Krish to the band to take the drummer spot .

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Sahib Singh is a guitarist from Chennai. Having studied in Swarnabhoomi Academy Of Music for 3 semesters and learning various different styles form all over the world started playing in numerous bands such as High Definition, Jatayu and collaborations with Artists like Nikhila Sarma and Mridhula Sekhar , Sahib saw a post by Kurangan on Facebook and came in for an audition. The band was complete once Sahib joined and they immediately set out to record some material while playing acoustic and electric shows in Chennai. In less than a year since their formation, the band has released two popular singles (soundcloud.com/kurangan) and a few popular live videos of their shows (youtube. com/c/kuranganofficial). Their first music video “Rasathi” is expected to release on YouTube in the middle of December.

How it is like to do music with regional language and then maybe on how regional acts are born? Tamil independent music (urban, non-cinema music) is at a nascent stage. New bands and artists are cropping up all over the state, but are relying mostly on day jobs and the internet for their survival. There is a lack of venues for indie music and cinema music dominates the mainstream. The only way for an indie act to get noticed by the mainstream media is by making something go viral on the internet. And even if that is achieved, long term success is something that is hard to crack without support from cinema music gigs.

Reception by the audience

Whenever the audience has the opportunity to be exposed to indie music, listeners love it. The younger generation especially is quite exposed to music from around the world and follows indie musicians the older generations are not quite aware that such a thing as indie music exists.

Band of the Month:

MRIGYA

We chatted up with the band Mrigaya on their music, formation of band, about the band members and much more. 24

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Tell us how the band was formed? The band was initially formed as a jam band project for a music club called “Friends of Music" and was originally christened “Mrigaya” (Sanskrit for “hunt”). A misprint in the promotion flyer named the newly formed outfit as “Mrigya”. The band decided to retain this new name born out of that amusing incident.

than not, interesting ideas come up while Jamming at practice or even at soundchecks. If we like it, we keep it!

What makes your band unique amongst other bands? Mrigya is an Indian World fusion music band . Ours is a fusion of Hindustani and Carnatic Classical Music with Blues, Folk, Funk, Rock, Jazz and other Global forms like Latin, Celtic and even African Music. But what makes the band Unique- is the seamless Fusion of these various musical influences. All forms merge into one another to become - A "Mrigya" sound!

Any artist you guys would like to collaborate with? and why? If given a chance...We would love to collaborate with Greats like John Mc Laughlin, Ustad Zakhir Hussain, Trilok Gurtu and L Shankar for sure!! Shakti and Mahavishnu have had a huge influence on our music... And Trilok Gurtu is just awe inspiring! We were lucky enough to also have Shakti member and Ghatam maestro Shri Vikku Vinayakram join us for a collaborative project a few years back... Also, we regularly feature artists from across the globe in some gigs and even our last album featured guest artistes. We would love to do something like this again!

How did the name Mrigya come about? Answered in the first Question... Tell us one unique aspect of each of the band members. Every Member is extremely well versed at his or her craft... and instrument. To get into the details of each person's uniqueness... would need a book ! But what we can say is, that each one of us, inspite of being fiercely individualistic, compliment each other beautifully. It is this individuality that adds to the colour of our sound. Each one can hold an audience on their own... but also have the discipline to fall back and hold up a song or a sound as a band... when required. A sense of, where to play, how much to play, when to play, what to play...in a song, that is the mark of a true musician! So we all are musicians first and instrumentalists later! Which has been your best performance till date? and why? Very hard to point one performance as the best, each performance gives us a high and we feel that we give our Best each time we are on the stage. And by the Grace of the Almighty..every gig is the Best one!

What inspires you guys as a band the most? Music and Life, inspire each other and we are no exceptions to that rule... our friendships, travels, collaborations, life experiences, musical preferences.. inspire us!

Tell us about your upcoming projects. As of now we are focused on doing what we do best... Perform live! We are also in talks with ICCR for another international tour. Your message to readers of the magazine. We would like our readers to actively promote independent music by going to live concerts and legitimately downloading music of Indie Artists. The Music Industry is going through tough times across the Globe, so music lovers need to support artists in everyway they can, Most importantly, there are a large no. of talented musicians coming in the scene who might not be " commercial" but by expanding our listening choices, we can help infuse better music into the world. God knows that the World NEEDS Music now more than ever! Peace and Love :)

How do you write music for your band? It is a team effort! Anyone person can come up with a motif and then the whole band takes it forward. Also, sometimes individual members do come up with near complete compositions and the band gets in to make it a song tweaking it as required to bring out the best compositional values. More often The

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HOT SELLING PRODUCTS OF

Harman,Roland, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic and casio IN 2016

HARMAN - SRX800 SERIES JBL Professional has made a name for itself by producing great sounding, long lasting portable PA systems. With the introduction of the SRX800 line of powered portable PA loudspeakers, JBL has set the standard for what a fully professional powered PA system should be. SRX800 breaks new ground, bringing together JBL’s premium transducers and enclosures, Crown’s Proprietary Front-End DriveCore Technology, user-configurable DSP, and full HiQnet Network control compatible with a variety of platforms. Integrating industry-leading levels of sound quality, power, control, and durability, SRX800 is a perfect all in one solution wherever high performance, comprehensive control, and pristine sound are required. Each component in the SRX800 Series was purposefully designed and thought through to deliver a perfectly tuned system that is powerful, easy to use, and rugged enough for the most demanding applications.

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Casio- MZX-500 Arranger keyboards are something of a known quantity these days. All serve up a buffet of sounds, “one-person band” accompaniments that follow your chord changes, the ability to record your performance, and bells and whistles such as auto-harmony. Powerfully musical in experienced hands? Yes. Cool, easy-play factor for beginners? Of course. Hip and relevant for 2016 onward? Opinions diverge, but the Casio MZX500 might make them diverge less. With the Casio MZ-X500, Casio tried to give us a new take on an arranger and wound up offering a very robust multi-timbral synth workstation with a contemporary and fun user experience in the bargain. Its bang for buck is off the scale. Being Casio’s most premium keyboard so far, it does an unprecedented job at living up to all the hype around it.

Roland Boss ME-80 Mobile, battery powered and filled with a diverse selection of flagship-quality BOSS amps and effects, the ME-80 is the ideal compact tone processor for performing guitarists. A friendly knob-based interface makes it simple to dial in great sounds in seconds, while easily selectable operation modes offer the flexibility of individual stompbox-style on/off or instant recall of complex multi-effects setups. Unique new footswitches deliver twice the control of previous designs for efficient and intuitive effects switching, patch selection, and real-time sound shaping while playing on stage. The free BOSS TONE STUDIO software unlocks even more tonal possibilities, providing a cool graphical interface for tweaking and organizing sounds on your computer, plus a web connection to BOSS TONE CENTRAL for direct access to free gig-ready patches created by top pro guitarists and much more.

E835 Sennhesier’s E835 is a lead vocal stage mic, designed to perform under pressure wherein the uniform frequency pickup pattern maintains signal quality when moving on and off axis during performance and gentle presence boost evens tonal response ensures clarity and projection. Apart from this other features include Dynamic cardioid microphone for speech and vocals, clear reproduction with a high presence, optional silent on/off switch, rugged metal housing, excellent feedback rejection, hum compensation coil and helps isolate handling noise. To add on, the minimal proximity effect provides consistently clear bass and performance when singing closer to or farther from capsule

Beyerdynamic -beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro It is an old friend used in countless studios throughout the world. The roots of the legendary beyerdynamic DT 770/880/990 line go back to 1981. Their outstanding sound and durable design laid the foundation for these headphones’ unprecedented studio and stage career. These headphones are designed to perform even under extreme conditions. Its superior build quality has ensured that the DT 770 PRO is the No.1 choice for professional users around the world. However, in the rarest of occasions should something break, nearly every part can be replaced individually thanks to intelligent design and implementation. This is what we’ve promised our customers for more than 30 years, and this is what we deliver.

Roland E-09 IN Following the legacy of E Series arranger keyboard, E-09IN has raised the bar further by redefining the standards of Indian Arranger Keyboards. With over 676 powerful tones and 135 rhythm styles, E-09 IN is the first choice of any student who wants to aspire to learn music as it is fully compatible with Trinity and Rockschool exams. Apart from being suitable for learning E-09 IN also doubles up as an awesome companion during small informal gathering at home.

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MONTAGE MUSIC IN MOTION Welcome to the new era from the company that has brought to you the DX and the Motif. Montage sets the next milestone with sophisticated dynamic control, massive sound creation and streamlined workflow

Yamaha has taken the wraps off the Montage, its new flagship synth, which is very much an all-rounder, and a serious studio/stage instrument that comes in 61-, 76 and 88-note flavours. At the heart of the Montage is the Motion Synthesis Engine, which combines Yamaha's AWM2 waveform-based subtractive synthesis engine with a new "modern version of synthesis" known as FM-X. This offers eight Operators, 32 algorithms and seven Spectral Forms. Other features include Spectral Skirt and Spectral Resonance - which are said to enable widening of the harmonic curve and the shifting of harmonic peaks - plus filters, EQ, an additional Common LFO and effects. You'll probably be familiar with the AWM2 technology, but in the Montage it delivers 128 notes of stereo polyphony, with the synth having ten times the waveform capacity of the existing Motif XF (in fact, it looks like Montage is the direct successor to Motif). This can be used at the same time as the FM-X engine - the engines can be played in up to 16 keyboard zones and also layered. Montage also promises a new method of manipulating sounds known as Motion Control. The Super Knob can control multiple parameters simultaneously, Motion Sequences enable you to sync parameter tweaks to tempo, and there's also an envelope follower. As you'd expect, the Montage comes packed with presets, including a high-quality grand piano and synth sounds

from Yamaha's DX and TX synths. It also offers direct connection to a computer over USB - audio channels for all 16 parts are sent to your DAW, as is MIDI data - and it can even be hooked up to an iOS device. All three Montage models feature a 7-inch touchscreen; the smaller two keyboards have semi-weighted synth action keyboards, while the 88-note model has a hammer action. Availability will be in May, with pricing still to be confirmed. For more than 40 years now, Yamaha has created synthesizer milestones - from the revolutionary DX7 in the 1980s to the legendary MOTIF series, Yamaha has set the standard with its FM and AWM synthesis. Now it's time for a meeting of generations: With MONTAGE Yamaha presents a unique flagship synthesizer and re-defines the criteria for stage and studio. Its Motion Control Synthesis Engine, combining FM-X and AWM2 Tone Generators with controllers, allow completely new interaction with sounds and sound shaping, making MONTAGE one of the most flexible synthesizers of all time. At the same time the instrument is a dream machine for all songwriters and keyboardists and comes with 61 or 76 keys with synth action and with 88 keys with weighted hammer action. The

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AKG C7 : STUDIO SOUND, STAGE PRESENCE

The AKG C7 reference handheld condenser microphone delivers premium studio-quality condenser sound and hassle-free operation on any stage. With pristine clarity and sparkling high end, the C7 allows lead and background vocals to shine through. It has specially engineered circuitry and custom-designed components, C7 prevents feedback, spill, handling noise, and pop noise from interfering with your performance. No matter where you’re performing, C7 delivers premium, worry-free vocal reproduction so you can focus on what really matters.

The C7 features a proprietary mechano-pneumatic shock absorber suspension that ensures handling noise won’t clutter your sound. The capsule sits on top of a unique rubber insert, preventing vibrations from the housing from reaching the capsule. AKG searched extensively to find the right rubber to meet the specification, ultimately working with a Viennese company to source a material with exceptionally strong absorptive properties. The result is far superior to mics that feature extensive internal electronic filters to minimize handling noise.

Key features of this product

MULTI-LAYER POP NOISE PROTECTION SYSTEM

Custom-tuned supercardioid condenser capsule with high SPL handling

The C7 features a three-layer pop noise rejection system to protect your vocals from annoying plosives. This multilayer system includes the proprietary mic grill, dense foam underneath the grill, and a mesh layer that encases the capsule. Each layer slows down the air directed toward it, absorbing the “pops” before they ever hit the capsule. So go ahead sing as hard as you want.

Worry-free performance with multi-layer pop noise filtering system Mechano-pneumatic shock absorber suspension eliminates handling noise Open-space capsule technology for reduced feedback and spill Rugged zinc alloy housing and spring steel grill 24-karat gold-plated capsule What you need to know about the product! WORLD-FAMOUS AKG CONDENSER SOUND QUALITY When it comes to premium studio-quality sound, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. The C7 microphone features a customtuned supercardioid condenser capsule with hand-selected components, so your voice is reproduced with pristine clarity and sparkling highs. And the C7 handles incredibly high sound pressure levels, for maximum fidelity during your loudest performances.

RUGGED CONSTRUCTION With its extremely rugged zinc alloy construction and spring steel grill, the C7 stands up to the most demanding tour schedules. And its 24-karat gold plated capsule protects the microphone against moisture and corrosion. Just focus on your performance the C7 will take care of the rest, night after night. Included accessories with AKG C-7

OPEN-SPACE CAPSULE TECHNOLOGY

•SA61 Stand Adaptor

During your performance, the only feedback you want is applause from the audience.

•Microphone Bag

The C7’s innovative open-space capsule uses a specially designed inner-capsule holder and three window ports to reduce air turbulence and inner reflections at the backside of the capsule. This creates an extremely consistent supercardioid polar pattern throughout the entire frequency spectrum, for extraordinary feedback and spill rejection. PROPRIETARY SHOCK ABSORBER SUSPENSION

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Optional Accessories •SA44 Stand Adaptor •ST45 Table Stand •ST46 Miniature stand •W23 Windscreen

JBL Celebrated 70 Years of Extraordinary Sound! Launched Limited Edition Platinum Headphones to Mark its Platinum Anniversary HARMAN International Industries, the premier connected Technologies Company for automotive, consumer, entertainment and enterprise markets, celebrated the 70th birthday of its renowned audio brand, JBL. As part of its 70th birthday celebration, JBL introduced limited edition commemorative Platinum JBL Everest Elite 700 headphones. JBL’s GRAMMY® and Oscar-winning audio technology is a force behind music's most pivotal moments, including revolutionary recordings, legendary concerts like Woodstock, and recordbreaking rock tours. For the last seven decades, it has delivered industry-leading audio in entertainment venues, in the home, and in the car. JBL audio systems are used in thousands of the world’s most notable performing arts venues, stadiums, arenas, recording studios and THX-certified movie theatres. Founded in 1946, JBL has consistently contributed to the evolution of audio reproduction in professional, home, automotive, multimedia applications and now connected technologies. The rest is history, including: •The introduction (1940s): JBL was founded by James B. Lansing, a talented engineer who maintained an unswerving dedication to defining ‘state-of-the-art’ in professional and consumer audio. •Legendary innovations are born (1950s): The high-fidelity market entered a golden age in the 1950s, with JBL as a major contributor with the introduction of legendary products, such as the Hartsfield and the Paragon. •Remarkable design (1960s and 1970s): In the 1960s, JBL continued to create a series of remarkable loudspeaker designs, including the renowned 4310 Studio Monitor, which was adapted for consumer use as the famous Century L100 in the 1970s. •Home theater gets “ultimate” (1980s and 1990s): Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the company saw the birth of acclaimed models, such as the L212, designed with one of the first satellite/powered subwoofer designs, the Everest and the JBL Synthesis ultimateperformance complete home theater audio systems. •Audiophile sound quality for all (early 2000s): In the ne w millennium, JBL loudspeaker designs continued to embody

the company’s heritage of excellence, from high-performance models, such as the K2 S9800 and Project Array loudspeakers. Additionally, recording studios, concert halls and movie theaters around the world were outfitted with JBL loudspeakers. JBL’s “Pro Sound Comes Home” design philosophy also offered consumers the same clear, accurate and dynamic sound heard by professionals at home. •2010s: JBL continues to grow its consumer line by launching new headphone and portable speaker technologies that provide connected and personalized experience, such as the JBL Everest Elite 700 with sound calibration and active noise cancellation. JBL further permeates culture though becoming official sound for the NBA and working with influential brand ambassadors like basketball star Stephen Curry and Bayern Munich football star Jérôme Boateng. With innovations such as the JBL® Trip invehicle portable communication and entertainment system, the Under Armour ® Headphones Wireless Heart Rate, engineered by JBL, and the JBL Charge 3 waterproof portable Bluetooth speaker, JBL unites lifestyle design, meaningful new technology and seamless connectivity for a powerful acoustic experience. •Automobiles (2000s to now): JBL has delivered premium sound to Toyota vehicles for more than 20 years and has worked with Ferrari since 2008, providing these automakers, along with others, top sound performance in the car. “Today, as over the past seven decades, JBL is the leader in revolutionary sound and continues to push audio boundaries through innovative, connected and personalized sound technology,” said Michael Mauser, president, HARMAN Lifestyle Audio Division. “Whether for consumers at home, in the car and on-the-go, or in large scale spaces like sports arenas and concert venues, JBL’s signature sound offers unprecedented performance for authentic audio experiences.” The limited edition JBL Platinum headphones will be available for purchase while supplies last starting early December exclusively on www.JBL.com and www.BestBuy.com. The

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Sriram Ravishankar

Swaras! A MYRIAD WORLD OF

Renowned Classical-World musician and composer Dr. Prakash Sontakke gives Sriram Ravishankar a peak into his world of swaras, his journey as a Hindustani Classical musician into becoming one of the most well known names in the International circuit as an Indian cross-over artist, and much more..

Tell us more about your beginnings as a musician

Coming from a family of musicians, my mother Dr Mani Sontakke and father Dr Mani Sontakke were incredible educators with a very open mind deep rooted in tradition. My first discovery of Michael Jacksons “Thriller” was the discovery of the fact that if you can read the musical notes then the entire music of the world is the same. It so happened that when my Dad heard me sneaking in the cassette and listening to the first Bass riff of the song, he walked into the room and asked me for the Swara pattern of that Bass Riff and later on when I did that he said “Now isn’t this song in Raag Bheempalasi?” This one statement opened up the doors of the most beautiful world of swaras and how there is swara in everything for me.

Your influences and what drove you towards World music

I was always a little notorious as a child especially musical notoriousness.The story goes like this that the music teacher at my convent school had the typical “Riyaz karo beta dus pandora seal” (practice for ten to fifteen years) approach and all this Gyaan for only playing notations as basic as SRG RGM. I tried explaining to him that I would prefer playing a movie song like “Yamma Yamma ye Khoobsoorat Sama” which upset him deeply and he failed my only chance to go and play for the schools’ participation in some local competition. I was not the kind to easily give up so I quietly sneaked into the venue and just before his so called “bright” disciple went to perform I slowly went and detuned the Instrument the disciple obviously had no clue of the instrument being detuned and he gave a blissful performance with a totally detuned instrument. The interesting part was now when the Judge Legend Pt Kishan Maharaj asked the student to tune the instrument and when he realised that the bright one had no clue he requested someone to help him. That someone was me and I cut a deal saying I should be allowed to play for at least 2 minutes. He agreed and after the bright one, I went and played Yamma Yamma. Pt Kishen Maharaj was amused and said, “When you can tune so well why aren't you playing classical too . And that was the opportunity and I played classical too. The crowds had enjoyed YAMMA YAMMA already and now they were very much more impressed with the display of Classical. “Music of any kind is great as long as it is

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performed and executed well” were his words which ring in my ears even now. My greatest influences are Pink Floyd, Omkarnath Thakur, Kumar Gandharva, Beegees, Karft Werk, Vallabham Kalyansundaram Bundu, Ali Khan Saheb, Gopal Shankar Mishra, MS Gopalakrishnan, Allarakhaji, Zareen Daruwala, Balram Pathak, Nikhil Banerjee, Ravishankar, and Depeche Mode. What was appealing to me was, the fact that the World of Swaras could connect anything to anything as long as it was the Raga. As more maturity set in, the Jazz of Chick Korea and Keith Jarret along with Jon Garabarek and Edberg Gismonti finally landing at Hermeto Pascoal (Introduced by Iain Ballamy) kind of opened up an even bigger door of improvisations in Indian Classical with some inspirations of great Jazz (I strictly say inspired by because I have learnt only Hindustani Classical) to me. The exposure and opportunity to perform with “ FOOD”- British Norwegian Duo was an experience which opened up many more doors for me.

Tell us more about how you broke into the international circuit as an Indian classical musician I was always known as the “Yes! ” man and I really don’t know if that is a right thing. Talking about opportunity the chart is such that opportunity gives experience; experience helps in honing the skill and that helps in creating more opportunities which creates more experiences. The chart looks organic but after first stage itself musicians are happy with the money coming in and the next stage starts looking like a waste of time and a major risk taking which could be avoidable. Anyway apart from some small tours of Indian Classical dance segments where you are hauled up in some NRIs basement, cooking your own food and waiting to finish the weekend’s concerts so you can go shop for some T-shirts and perfumes, I looked away and preferred to do something else. One such opportunity was with Arya. Later on, Lehera was born and that was a major break in the Canadian circuit. I think I have seen more of British Columbia then probably most of the Canadians. (chuckles)

Later “Moonarra” happened and the sound was intriguingly different and we have done some amazing tours and been successful at that. Thanks to the Manis ( Dr. TAS Mani and Vid RA Ramamani), I was introduced to the duo “ FOOD” and the subsequent ECM recording ‘Mercurial Balm’ was hailed by many critics as a Hall Mark album in more ways than one. An Indo-French collaboration (thanks to Alliance Francaise Bangalore) with artiste Jeremy Labelle from the ‘Reunion Islands’ was a very exciting and unique one. Also, I released an album with Italian Musician Guitarist Eraldo Bernocchi which was making waves internationally, released by Rarenoise records titled ‘Invisible Strings. Recently I also released an album as Dr Prakash Sontakke Group called “Progressive Raga” which is another new experiment with ambient sounds and what not. The album features Karthik Mani, Kedar Nayak, and Shadrach Solomon which is now at the Top 20 in iTunes chart. I don't know weather “broke into” makes sense, but small spaces of our own creative and unique space is what has made me happy.

clutter of Popular Music?

Its fun to see all the new things going on. There’s a new wave of fusion which is kind of very power oriented where each player is “Fast and Furious”. Its all different ways to achieve the same thing. I love Popular music and as a matter of fact, all world music projects came out of Pop projects which did one of those experiments which made them a cult like status. Our project Progressive Raga is one such emblem of change to come and the sounds of progress are already echoing.

How did ‘Winds of Samsaara’ happen?

Ricky Kej and I go a long way back when we met at Omshree Studios where I had given music for a English film by Rajesh Murthy called ‘The Peak’ in 2002. He liked my work and we hit it off from there and I have worked on almost all his major projects since then. It is a wonderful achievement and more of such projects need to be happening.

What’s next for you?

I am working on small projects at schools which can focus on developing instrumental music as a personality and character building tool for all the happy future citizens who will get to hear a lot of music in the “ears” to come. Knowing some instrument will make them a part of this silent movement called “Listen and Play”.

With so many international collaborations, how easy or tough is the crossover for you? Tell us more about your collaborative process

When I work on a project the last thing I do is think of how the end sound will be like. Approaching with a mindset to listen rather than just perform is an important ingredient of any collaboration. If there is too much of skill display, believe me after some time the listener as well as musicians will grow out of it. How to form a new sound together should be the primary objective. For example, Progressive Raga has some tracks which we have played for years but when we started to record, the result was very unique and different sounding. If you listen it will surely help.

Coming from a family of music educators, how important is music education to you? How have you taken the torch forward? I have done my PhD and have a triple masters in Vocal, Violin, and Guitar. My mom and dad passed the bug onto me very well. The Phd is about the development of the Slide Guitar as a prominent instrument in Indian Classical music. I am also attached with the Shankar Mahadevan Academy of Online music education and I believe that Online Music education is here to make a big mark. My wife Chaitra Sontakke is associated with the Hindustani Music Department of the Academy. I am willing to share all the time and am a part of Octavium which is a beautiful place for young and sensitive minds to take a creative shape.

What’s the reality like for a Veteran Classical musician to be stuck amidst the The

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2016's top Festivals from india As 2016 comes to an end, we’ve had an uncountable number of festivals that defined this year’s music scene for us. Looking back, here’s some of the absolutely unforgettable ones that can help you prepare for a musically fulfilling 2017.

Covelong Point Music Festival

IndiEarth XChange

If you’re looking for a surf and beach getaway, there’s nothing better than to double up with some music to fit the mood. Chennai’s Covelong Point festival boasted a myriad mix of genres from international acts like Natalia to tribal music and regional favourites like Thaikkudam Bridge. The lineups are categorized into the simplified and intimate Acoustic stage, the massive and energetic Beach stage, and the soulful and heartwarming Yoga Shala Stage. Considering all of this, we’re definitely looking forward to a colourful August next year, with tentative dates scheduled as 26th to 28th.

Indie events that comprise of something entertaining for everybody aren’t easy to come by. Chennai’s XChange, however, provides not just for a stunning live concert experience, but also a platform for the public and professionals alike to conduct workshops, showcase their products and enjoy live screenings. This year’s lineup comprised of artists from across the country, along with crowd-pleasing favorites like Nucleya and Vidya Shah. Classical, folk, roots, electronic and world music dominated this year’s vibe. We’re definitely looking forward to November of next year to experience this again.

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Rajasthan International Folk Festival You know you’re in for something special when you attend a festival endorsed by UNESCO as a “People’s Platform For Creativity and Sustainable Development”. This not-for-profit partnership has lead to one of the most popular folk festivals in India. Artists from countries like Yemen, France, Africa, and Scotland along with our very own iconic folk musicians from Jodhpur collectively created a mindboggling array of experiences. This year’s lineup included world famous icons like Fazal Qureshi, Dilshad Khan, Yemeni Blues, James Mackintosh and Joseph Tawadros. Next year will see this festival emerge from 5th to 9th October, so book your calendars soon.

Sunburn Anyone who knows anything about the electronic music scene knows of Sunburn’s popularity on an international scale. This year marks the 10th edition of this festival, and to say they aren’t disappointing would be saying far too little. EDM pioneers like Armin van Buuren, Axwell, Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike are headlining the event along with supporting acts like Nucleya, Angerfist and Haywyre. Complete with 40 plus experience zones, flea markets, courts, fan villages, after parties and a massive 90 acre campsite near Pune to accommodate it all. 28th to 31st December makes for a fantastic experience, and we’re hoping for the same next year.

Mahindra Blues Festival

Enchanted Valley Carnival

Blues seems to be a binding factor for pretty much every music lover out there, and Asia’s largest blues festival is a melting pot for all of these individuals from across the country. This year’s line up included some stellar performances by the Heritage Blues orchestra, King King, Melina Moyes, Joss Stone and three time Grammy awardwinner Keb’ Mo’. MBF also nurtures rising talent, which was evident from their band-hunt for upcoming musical artists and a dedicated stage for students from the True School of Music. We’re hoping for an eclectic start to 2017 with next year’s dates scheduled as 11th and 12th February.

Nested in Aambey Valley City was another EDM festival that was as diverse in its line-up as it was in its audience. From Alan Walker and Flo Rida to Farhan Akthar and Arijit Singh, there were vastly colourful artists spread across five stages. There was also the notably interesting jam sessions that were held at the venue, for aspiring artists and fans alike. Artists both national and international defined genres ranging from house to electronica. If you missed it this year, you’d definitely want to book your December for 2017.

NH7 Weekender

Echoes of the Earth

Arguably the most popular weekender in India, NH7 is also called the world’s happiest music festival and for good reason, considering the raw energy, enthusiasm and vigor that both the artists and audience bring to it every time. With a turn out of upto 60,000 at the Pune leg, this year’s biggest highlight was probably Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson’s performances at Shillong and Pune. Pretty much every artist in the line-up managed to put up such surreal performances that we’re convinced that the vibe at this festival is infectious. Look forward to an explosive few weeks in November and December of next year and make sure you witness them all.

A celebration of music and our planet, this ecologicallycrafted festival had it’s debut in November this year. The purpose of this festival was to promote and celebrate sustainability, and it took place in 150 acres of nature and bliss with a perfect balance between international acts and Indian bands. The lineup included Submotion Orchestra, Susheela Raman, Sitarsonic, Nicholson and the F16s, among others. Roshan Netalkar, the Director of the festival, said, “Echoes of Earth is a celebration of music, nature, and design. A festival that celebrates music from around the world with a focus on the environment and sustainable living.” We’re looking forward to another edition of Echoes of the Earth probably in November next year.

Ziro Music Festival

Electric Daisy Carnival

Travellers, trekkers and music lovers can all be satiated at this outdoor camping experience at the Ziro valley in Arunachal Pradesh where music marries nature’s space. The tribals and villagers of the valley with their infinite hospitality, along with acts and artists from countries like Israel and Italy. The independent scene seemed to be emphasized in particular through the lack of corporations taking over with their sponsorships, along with the local bamboo stalls and their traditional food. Look forward to September next year and plan a trip to this four day lifechanging experience.

EDC is one of the largest electronic festivals in the world, dubbed as the “American Ibiza”. Since it’s conception it has spread across the globe, including India where it took place in September this year. The lineup included massive artists in the scene, such as Steve Aoki, Afrojack, Alesso along with Indian artists like Anish Sood, Nucleya and more. The larger-than-life stages, enchanting performances and party vibes made for a beyond successful debut in India, and we’re hoping for a similar experience next year.

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OPEN SOURCE applications THAT INDEPENDENT MUSIC PRODUCERS rely ON

The independent music producer depends on a lot of free and open source music programs; here are some. Many music composers including the likes of Nucleya often gave in to independent and openly available softwares available in the internet like Frooty Loops. There was a time when, learning instruments meant investing thousands and practicing hours before finally being able to clinch in a reputation in the highly competitive music industry. Thanks to the talented bunch of coders around the world, who have given birth to these remarkable freewares. Not only are these softwares gaining momentum in terms of use, but also, the world is transitioning fast towards distributing the end content on a professional level. In fact, developers have gone a step further to facilitate zero bottlenecking by making open source software which means it is virtually possible to do anything with the software at hand, one can skew and tax his creativity to a level where the technical juice is churned to the core and blended with the goodness of technical supports and technical versatility. It would however, be awesome to have a head start with the right assortments of equipments before you dive into the softwares. So keep a MIDI keyboard, studio speakers, microphones and if possible maybe a MIDI drum handy just in case. So add these weapons to your arsenal now and you could well be shouting loud your name as the next rockstar of the city. There are a host of programs waiting to help you out:

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Souvik Chakrabort y AUDACITY Audacity is one of the most popular and widely used software in the indie music and movie scene. Not only it has a surprisingly easy to use interface but also, making samplings and exporting them in various formats like WAV, AIFF, MP3 is breezingly refreshing. Audacity is easily available to download and use, thus democratizing the way how music has been stone walled through the complicated mathematics of samplings and bit rates.

DRUMBOX Drumbox could be your high school crush and if fiddled well, it could well be the reason to fall in love with your hidden talents. Why wait, indulge and see already. This ware lets you assort various patterns into rhythms that can well sell off itself as originally composed tracks. Low pass, high pass filters, enveloppe ADSR powered controllers and VCO generators. It works cross platform across Windows, Mac and Linux and makes analog synth emulation ultra fast HYDROGEN For a bit more advanced user it becomes extremely important to understand and take full control of the entire musical graph of the composition. Hydrogen on the surface level is an out and out monster size drum machine packed in a computer program. One can actually layer both samples and patterns. It has a host of function open to its user, that can tweak and twist the right way of composing and experimenting the way an user would push it to. Add to that, the tacky zing of humanisations and swing options.

MIXXX If DJing is your thing and you would compromise for anything but professional quality, you are in game for a tryst with Mixxx. The fun part about Mixxx is that it is available from Apple app store and boasts also of being the first open source software to be available widely from Apple store. DJing taxes the creative juices to another level altogether and you would want absolutely no snags whatsoever. Mixxx is super fast. Add to that the spicy mix of a powerful mixing engine and MIDI controller support. Mixxx welcomes most formats with open hands like WAV, MP3, FLAC, and OGG VORBIS to name a few, so what else can you ask for.

SPEK This software uses a spectogram to analyze music. Sounds nerdily great, well it is. Its FFmpeg libraries boast of a large volume of lossy and losless audio file formats. Furthermore it uses multiple threads to fasten analysis. Users can save the spectrogram result as an image once the test has been taken. SPEK has well incorporated audio signal parameters. SPEK is translatable into 19 languages. It thrives on Windows and Mac OS X etcs.

SONIC BIRTH Though these softwares make way for lot of innovations and wild experimentations it necessarily limits the extended use of the music across platforms. For this there are advanced softwares like the Sonic Birth. This is a software based on Mac OS X. SONIC BIRTH gives the

freedom of exporting in VST or Audio Units plugins. Thus the user with additive and subtractive mixes of modules can give birth to awesome electronic synthesizers and audio effects. Sonic Birth is not the usual go getters lucky charm but it is of a certain charisma that is for the scholastic musician to tap in and explore.

MusE MusE is largely a Linux based program. MusE takes the average recording and sampling to a more streamlined workflow. Graphical editing, importing several files, toggling along with several monos and streos and toying with the possibilities of realtime recordings. MusE is fully action packed but is pretty low profile at the surface. It digs in nicely plugins like the DSSI, LADSPA and VST.

ARDOUR The teenager crush on automation of sounds, jolts to another level with more apps like ARDOUR, which compete to the level of softwares like Nuendo, ProTools and this software clearly has the potential of beating analog and digital tape systems. It gives more room and power for blazing fast and error free Anywhere-toAnywhere signal routing. It has a fully functioning MIDI multi track recording and editing facilities, coupled with Transport Synchronization and Control Surfaces. With Full Sample Accurate Automation the software packs a punch like no other in the industry.

MuLAB This offers power packed performances that juices out enough of creativity in the simplest looking app environment. MuLAB boasts of high functioning superfat oscillators with 300 selected waveforms. It has a compelling multi core CPU support and unmatched and uncompromised sound engines.The best part of MuLAB is that it lets you easily automate and toy with any parameter in the modular tree structure. MuLab is indeed your little workstation functioning with equal repute in both Mac and Windows.

SUPER COLLIDOR As the name suggests, this is one amongst the ultra performer beasts of today's musical scene. It has been active since 1996. It is more of programming language and it focuses largely on the aspects of the algorithmic compositions rather than the simplified tweaking here and there. So to master this monumental feat one has to go up the ladder of a lot of researches and seminars and workshops which are actually conducted to facilitate more of creative pursuits this. software.

GARAGEBAND Oh, how can be GB missed out from this list. Garageband is again one of the most easy to use and popular music creation software which has been used in the television and digital video making industry all alike. One can create great compositions with proper uses of virtual Drummers, Flex times and multi take facilities. The best part about Garageband is that it is future proof, the gesture controls on this software gives one the opportunity to control and use the software from their remote devices like the iPad. The

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Bollywood songs to DIE for!

The New Year is an excellent time to look forward, start over and aspire to newer things. However, I've always felt that one can never have enough to remembering the good things. So, a great way to start the year would be to harken back to eight incredible pieces of music Bollywood has produced. There's plenty more where this came from, but consider this a nudge in the right direction :

Woh Kaun Thi? :

Not only does the movie glue you to the screen, but it gave us ‘Naina Barse Rhim Jhim and 'Lag Ja Gale'. No surprise when Lata Mangeshkar is doing the singing, but we also get Asha Bhosle laying forth the enchanting streams of Shokh Nazar Ki. The songs, as always, work better in the context of the film itself, but they hold their own with aplomb when they pop up on your mp3 player. Highest recommendations!

Mughal-e-Azam

: The most inevitable name on this list, classic Bollywood means very little without mention of the sounds that accompanied this spectacular historical epic. Naushadji lends to this soundtrack every possible shade of human emotion that could emerge in a battle of wits, loves, hostilities and deceits. This exposition of human drama in its massive exuberance flowers in the presence of pieces like "Prem Jogan Ban Ke", "Ae Mohabbat Zindabad", "Teri Mehfil Mein Kismat Azma kar" and obviously, "Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya".

Anarkali :

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A movie about a man subjected to a broken heart while he must continue to create laughter for others might not have worked when it released, but Mera Naam Joker is now considered a act of cinematic grace for many reasons. One of those is the music. You'll feel your soul ache with "Ae Bhai Zara Dekh Ke Chalo" "Sadke Heer Tukh Pe", "Daagh Na Laag Jaye" and "Jeena Yahan Marna Yahan". The idea of laughter emerging from pain and loss ( something the late Robin Williams often testified to ) was given artistic shape not simply the Raj Kapoor's flawless direction, but by realising a series of songs that remains, unsurpassably evocative of what it feels like to be the man behind the makeup. Naushadji.

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Pakeezah :

Raj Kapoor's films had a penchant for carrying the story along with music that tended to become iconic. This being the film that gave us "Pyaar Hua Iqraar Hua" and "Mera Joota Hain Japani", it surprises no one to know that the music made it big in the Soviet Union. The intricate entwining of quirk and melodrama made the soundscape absolutely perfect for Raj Kapoor's "little tramp" persona, to the extent that Chaplin ( who inspired it ) would probably have been proud.

Mera Naam Joker:

Bees Saal Baad :

Lata Mangeshkar's voice spinning magic in " Kahe Deep Jale Kahin " is reason enough to love this film's music, but throw in the ambient pieces that accompany this black and white (loose) redoing of The Hound of the Baskervilles, and you have plenty to do on a Sunday ( or any day). Hemant Kumar left plenty to remember him by when he composed 'Beqarar Karke', ‘Zara Nazron Ke’ and ‘Sapne Suhane’. Hence, put it on your playlist, and play it on loop.

Aa Jaan-E-Wafa, Aaja Ab To Aaja, Dua Kar Gham-E-Dil, Yeh Zindagi Usiki Hai...I could go on. But I think you should just dive into Youtube. There isn't much that I can say that would match the inexplicably delicate soundcrafting by Shailendra except that its quality allows no intention of being removed from this country's musical memory.

Shree 420:

Shreya Bose

It is impossible to forget the immortal strains of longing etched in the heart in " Inhi Logon Ne". "Chalte Chalte" and "Thade Rahiyo" are piece that capture, with astonishing rapture, the resigned agonies of an eternally unfortunate woman. Meena Kumari's stunning visualisation as a woman subjected to repeated devastation would probably not have reached a similarly frenzied pitch if not for the notes and chords arranged by Ghulam Mohammed and Naushadji.

Aandhi :

R.D. Burman fills in phonetic colour to lyrics by Gulzar, and the result is " Is Mod Se Jate Hain", "Tere Bina Zindagi Se" and "Salam Kijiye". The music is integral to the various issues that film examine ( the price of an ambitious woman's emotional happiness, the opportunism of political candidates ), and are just as gripping as standalone track as when they are filling into a greater narrative.

There is far more where this came from, and it does us well to return to the archives of Bollywood's golden years, for in this age of autotune and awkward, unrelated rapping in the middle of practically every song, it reminds us that we have always have the shelter of glory if we are willing to travel back in time.

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Portable tone partner The GT-1 was designed for musicians on the move. It’s surprisingly lightweight and compact, yet still delivers the rugged durability that BOSS is famous for. AC or battery power provides flexibility for any performing situation, and up to seven hours of battery life is available for street performing and other mobile gigs.

Easy Patch Selection and Sound Creation The Easy Select function allows you to choose patches by genre, distortion, or effect type, while Easy Edit lets you tweak drive, modulation, and echo tones to perfection with little effort. Dedicated panel buttons provide quick on/

off switches for effect groups, and also unlock deep-dive parameters for microscopic fine-tuning.

BOSS Tone Central and BOSS Tone Studio At BOSS Tone Central, you’ll find tons of free patch collections for playing all types of music with the GT-1. Created by pro guitarists, these patches are dialed-in and ready to use, and make great starting points for advanced players who like to create their own custom sounds. The free BOSS Tone Studio software provides a full-featured editor/ librarian for the GT-1, as well as integrated access to all the patch collections at BOSS Tone Central.

Maximum Control in a Small Space The GT-1’s three footswitches are smartly designed to provide patch selection, tuner access, looper control, and more in a minimal footprint. The dedicated CTL1 switch is freely assignable to functions like tap tempo, effects on/off, and numerous others, while the expression pedal and toe switch are assignable to volume, wah, and various effects parameters. If you crave more control, there’s even a jack for connecting up to two external footswitches or an expression pedal. And in addition to providing access to BOSS Tone Central and BOSS Tone Studio, the GT-1’s USB jack lets you record and re-amp tones with your favorite DAW.

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Journey to the centre of Silence!

Previously in our interview with leading sound-man Brijith Madhavan, he explained to us about the basics of sound and acoustics in general. He went on to explain a few basic concepts in acoustics and also gave a few tips for the beginners. But in this edition, he gets a little deeper about the technicalities of sound and acoustics thereby helping you understand the nuances better.

What is easiest DIY procedure to soundproof your space?

There is no DIY procedure to sound proof a room. The best you could do is to close an unwanted opening, all unused windows and doors. Further replace the existing door with a sound proof one. This helps you achieve the best possible proofing within the existing structure and parameters. But this will not be enough for a professional studio. I prefer two layers of soundproofing on a recommended support system.

How to remove natural reverb of a room?

Adding porous sound absorption materials to the wall and ceiling should help you control the natural reverb. Professional studio’s needs to be done with high precision since each frequency band needs manipulation and to be bought under intended parameters. To attain this acousticians usually use a combination of porous and panel absorbers, diffusers, sound re-directors etc

How to evaluate a bare room?

A bare room can be evaluated by analysing the reflections produced during a loud conversation, a clap or playing any loud sound inside the room. You need to close windows, doors and any other openings before doing this.

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Could you please differentiate between absorption and diffusion and how each is important?

Absorption and diffusion are integral parts of Acoustic Designing. What absorption surfaces generally do is to absorb sound hitting them and is defined & measured by the term “absorption coefficient” which is frequency dependent. On a Porous Absorber, depending on the absorption coefficient, a part of the absorbed energy is transformed into heat and rest is transmitted through the absorbing body. The energy transformed into heat is said to have been 'lost'. “Panel absorbers” works on damping method. Porous absorbers are broad band absorbers whereas panel absorbers are limited to particular band of frequencies. Diffuser, on the other hand reflects sound hitting there surface back to the room in a controlled pattern depending on the type of diffusers used. According to the desired acoustic nature a room demands, we place them critically in the design to have an optimum output. However, one should not confuse diffusers with sound re-directors. They are meant to re-direct sound in a required angle as the design may demand it. Customised diffusers for different frequency bands can be made according to specific requirements.

Sriram Ravishankar

TECH

Absorption and diffusion plays a very important role; say in common terms, making the room dead or alive. Or achieving a balance between these two extreme acoustic environments.

and the desired results are very difficult to achieve, this is mainly because of the cost of the materials, time and the skilled labor required getting the job done.

More on soundproofing vs acoustic treatment?

Materials generally used in addition to the mason wall are high density board, medium density boards, special acoustic panels etc. Advanced designs like a floating unit (a room within a room concept) is highly recommended for controlling structural vibrations and absolute isolation.

Sound proofing comes under acoustic treatment. People often get confused with soundproofing and acoustic treatment inside the room. Soundproofing help us control the level of sound that travels in and out of a room. Sound Transmission Class (or STC) is the rating of how well a partition attenuates airborne sound. A combination of mass law, damping, decoupling and absorption should help you achieve good results. On the other hand, acoustic treatment helps us manage the sound trapped inside the room by controlling their reflections. This helps us design how well the energy is distributed within the room by controlling the reverberation time, room modes, imaging etc. Panels used for sound proofing with backing layer also helps us control the extreme low frequencies inside the room as the entire surface behaves like a panel absorber.

Which are best materials to use while soundproofing on a shoestring budget? Sound proofing on a shoe string budget is technically not possible

How is acoustic treatment done differently for control rooms and live rooms? The ratio between sound absorption and diffusion plays an important role here. We plan and design a balance between usage of bass traps, panel and porous absorbers, quadratic residue diffusers, sound redirectorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; etc. to achieve this. The fundamental thing to remember is increasing the absorption area will help you make the room dead and adding more diffusion will make the room bright. A small room whether live or console, need to be made a little dead, for medium or bigger size rooms you can achieve the required RT60 by varying the ratio between absorption and diffusion. Movable acoustic panels are of great use in bigger live rooms, this helps you vary the reverberation time as required.

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The 90’s kids grew up to a smattering of good old Bollywood songs, Indi pop bands and the latest fad back then was the remixed versions of old songs with the advent of Deejays and the clubbing culture throughout the country. The 90’s was also a time for independent artists and bands away from the glamour of Bollywood, pulsing out great albums and singles to which the whole generation could be seen swinging to. Not to forget the epic music videos which came out on music channels which still played music at the time nonstop. Let us remember the amazing pop era of the 1990’s which had such an amazing pool of talent and to whose tunes we still sway to. Something which today’s kids have no clue even existed.

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The 90’s

the golden era of music

Aditi Sarawagi

Let us begin with the playback singers who not only made it big in singing movie songs but also released stand alone albums of their personal music which was equally popular if not more. Shaan broke into the circuit with the super popular Tanha Dil and created a place in the hearts of millions of music lovers. Sonu Nigam, a name synonymous with several popular film songs, released brilliant albums like Deewana, Jaan, Yaad which had (and still has) a whole generation of girls swooning after him. One cannot possible forget the soulful music of Lucky Ali which took us to another zone altogether which melodies such as Gori teri Aankhein, O Sanam and Kabhi Aisa Lagta Hai. Not to forget his contribution to Hindi cinema with songs like Aa Bhi Jaa ( Sur ) and Ek Pal Ka Jeena(Kaho Na Pyaar Hai). Today, Mohit Chauhan is a well known name what with his amazing songs in Rockstar and Tamasha to name a few, but what today’s kids might not remember is his band Silk Route with the phenomenal song Dooba Dooba Rehta Hoon which is still a cult favourite for the 90’s kids. Who can forget longing for Palash Sen’s new video with his band Euphoria which gave us memorable songs like Dhoom Pichak Dhoom, Maaeri and Aana Meri Gali. The music videos were also a sight for sore eyes weaving a tale of its own. Then there were artists who gave us singles which will be part of the golden era of music forever. These include Saiyonee by Junoon, Pari Hoon Main by Suneeti Rao, Deewane toh Deewane Hai by Shweta Shetty, Kahin Karta Hoga by Anamika, and the super hit Made in India by Alisha Chinoy. Another cult classic artist was and has always been is Baba Sehgal. His crazy videos and crazier songs had a huge fan following. His song Aaja Meri Gaadi Mein Baith Jaa is still immensely popular today. Falguni Pathak was another pop queen whose music videos would be the talk of the town and whose songs still rule the hearts of many. These include Maine Payal Hai Chankai, O Piya, Saawan Mein, Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi, Pal Pal Teri Yaad and many more such hits. We were introduced to the classical pop genre by none other than Shubha Mudgal who brought Ab Ke Saawan Aise Barse to life. Everybody knows Asha Bhosle and her song Jaanam Samjha Karo ruled the airwaves for an entire generation. Daler Mehendi, the king of Punjbai pop sang dance numbers which still rule today like Tunak Tunak

Tun, Bolo Tara Ra amongst others. Sukhbir’s Ishq Tera Tadpave and Bally Sagoo’s Gore Naal Ishq is another immensely popular Punjabi track which all the 90s kids will remember dancing to. Neeraj Shridhar with Bombay Vikings was the find of an entire generation with Kya Soorat Hai and Woh Chali being the most played song on many playlists. A trip down memory lane is incomplete without remembering the Aryans who had a certain Shahid Kapoor in one of their immensely popular videos Aankhon Mein Tera Hi Chehra, one of the most popular hits of the 90’s. College goers will not forget the anthem Purani Jeans by Ali Haider which remains a cult classic even today talking about friends and college life with so much love it resonates even today. Babul Supriyo’s Sochta Hoon to KK’s Yaaron and Pal, there are hundreds of pop songs which today’s generation is missing. The soulful voices, the beautiful lyrics and the storyline of the music videos, waiting for the cassettes to release to borrowing them from friends-a far cry from digital downloads today which are so easily accessible. Yet these songs found a way in every 90’s teenager’s heart and till date have a very special place in the music industry. Tera Mera Pyaar by Kumar Sanu, a beautiful single by the very popular playback singer is much loved even today as is Piya Basanti by Ustad Sultan Khan and Chitra Anand. Colonial Cousins were the coolest with Sa Ni Dha Pa as was Stereo Nation with Nachange Saari Raat. Adnan Sami was and still is such a phenomenon belting out hit after hit with Lift Karade, Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein and Tera Chehra. His music videos were a huge hit with him roping in all the big stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Govinda and Rani Mukherjee star in them. Kunal Ganjawala, the bands Viva, Aasma, tracks by Strings, Breathless by Shankar Mahadevan, the list could go on and on. The 90’s were indeed a golden era for pop music in India and it is unfortunate that this trend has failed to continue with today’s generation missing out on the music created by these wonderful artists. Nevertheless the legacy which this decade has left behind in the form of memorable songs will always be cherished. There is no dearth of good music today with new musicians entering the scene everyday but every new song replaces the older one. These songs from the 90’s are such as they can never be forgotten and even today you will find yourself humming the songs and singing along with the lyrics evoking golden memories of the past, of the happy times and the memories made with these evergreen songs.

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Indian college festivals and their obsession with

'International bands'

Porcupine Tree at Mood Indigo '09

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The question again, is why? Why is it that so many colleges prefer to have a lesser known, if not completely unknown international band headline their fest than book a very good Indian band to headline their festival? Are Indian bands not up to the mark to headline these events? Or are the international bands somehow better, just because they're well, from overseas? Or is it xenophilia?

Sumeet Suvarna "We're looking for an international band to headline our fest.", Is something that a lot of Artist Managers/Booking agents from India hear all the time from students of several big and small educational institutions. There is no dearth of talent in India, not even when it comes to Western music. As an Artist Manager, I've worked with both; Homegrown and International talent. I've also worked with a lot of colleges for their festivals. And I've had a wonderful experience for most parts. When a college has a good budget for their fest and wants a pretty famous international headliner, it's understandable. They're clear about what they want and how they're gonna go about it. But what do you do when someone wants Coldplay but has 'budgetary constraints'? Well, you tell them that you can help them book some Indian bands in that budget. That's not good enough! The question again, is why? Why is it that so many colleges prefer to have a lesser known, if not completely unknown international band headline their fest than book a very good Indian band to headline their festival? Are Indian bands not up to the mark to headline these events? Or are the international bands somehow better, just because they're well, from overseas? Or is it xenophilia? Last year, I was approached by one of the colleges who I had worked with earlier. They wanted to have an international headliner. Given their budget and time constraints to get all the paperwork you need to sort out to come and perform in India, I couldn't suggest them any bands from overseas that I worked with. So I recommended some Indian bands that I was working with. Some that would bring tear down any stage they perform at. But I was told, 'ONLY INTERNATIONAL band or nothing', even if the international band had no credibility. I found that absurd, because, here we have an organizer of a fairly reputed college festival who is willing to compromise on the quality of performance as long as it's an 'international band' doing it. But the absurdity of it started to dissipate as more people approached me with similar ideas. You cannot pinpoint at one particular aspect and say, 'This is why it's happening' because there could be several varied reasons for it. Rock/Metal is not very relatable to an average listener in India: Indian Rock/Metal music is not native to us in India. It's still not a viable career option and it'd be foolish to expect most people to start following it. Despite all of that, these genres of music have made their way in India and we have tens of extraordinary artistes and bands that can get on any stage in any part of the world. And so many homegrown bands have proven that time and again. But at the same time, very few understand these genres of music here. It is also primarily a Western music form, so it's probably automatically assumed that a band from overseas would do a better job at headlining their concert than an Indian band.

Is it Xenophilia? Amarjeet Singha of Bohemian Live certainly thinks so. "Indians like anything white", he says without mincing words. "Anything International is the general mindset", claims Amarjeet. Without meaning to sound virtuous, it is true to a great extent. Roop Thomas Philip, bassist of Bombay based Alt-Rock band

Blakc doesn't hold back while sharing his views on this subject either. He says that the colleges are too caught up in a useless competition. And not necessarily the healthy one. "They try to promote it a lot with the term International band. As harsh as it may sound, it doesn't have a lot to do with art. It's got more to do with race."

Glamour: When college fests decide to get international bands that aren't very popular, are they thinking about the glamour quotient? Maybe having international artists onboard helps them notch up their glamour quotient. Amarjeet Certainly thinks so.

Something unique for students: "Even if not always the primary reason to have international bands over Indian bands, I must add that they can sometimes pull more crowd because people don't get to see them often.", Roop concludes. Most students may have never had a chance to watch bands from overseas perform live anywhere in India. So for them, getting to watch band(s) from halfway across the world at their own campus must be a special feeling, especially when you have never seen them before and likely never will again. Johan Lund (Guitarist, Mindshift from Sweden), who are all set to visit India for the second time since 2015 says, "I think they want to give their students something special and unique and to have a band flown in from Sweden or another country so far away, I'd say that's pretty special. Not only for the colleges, but also for the bands that they book. It's also really cool for them to go to a country like India and play, so it's a win-win situation." And the common goal of everyone putting together a show is to make sure your audience go home (Hostels in this case) happy! What does coming to India mean to upcoming bands from across the world? As per Johan, it's a big deal for them to be able to come to India and perform here. "It's a huge opportunity to break new grounds and get fans that maybe would never have heard our music otherwise. And from what we have come to learn, India is a hotbed for metal music with great local acts such as Godless, Albatross, Killkount to name a few and the fans for the music are crazy! The response that we have gotten so far has been great, far beyond our expectations. The rise of metal in India is also evident if you look at the bigger bands that are going there to play like Meshuggah, Megadeth, Behemoth, etc. The future for metal in India is looking bright." And looks like bands like Mindshift would like to be a part of the mix. I may sound like a hypocrite, for I've booked quite a few bands from outside of India for several college festivals across the nation. And I'd do it all over again if I could. Because I've learnt a lot working and touring with all the bands (Indian and International) over the years to reverse that experience. All said and done, the choice of who they want to book for their annual festivals rests solely upon the colleges. And all of it opens up tonnes of opportunities for cultural exchange and also tourism in a small way. While we do this, we need to try and ensure that we do not compromise on the quality of art that we subject our audiences to.

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