| Them
Clones (Delhi) - 20th
February, Friday |
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Them
Clones is a New Delhi-based pop-rock band. According
to the band members, the name is a humorous and ironic
interpretation of themselves. The band has successfully
played over 200 shows across India, performing in across
pubs, colleges and events across many cities. The first
track released by them was "Black, White and Grey,"
following the 9/11 disaster, followed by "Wait
for me," "Awaken" and "Zoopertrip,"
the last four, making it to an early EP released by
the band on their own resources. Them Clones cites influences
ranging from grunge, to metal, electronica, techno,
international pop, and to Punjabi pop icons.
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Agnee is a contemporary rock band, the reincarnated
version of the old band 'Agni', with a completely new
line-up (except for the guitarist) and new sound. Their
debut album titled Agnee was launched 2007, and it is
one of the first Indian rock bands to have seen a celebrated
main stream release. As the name Agnee suggests,
the trio are full of energy and life. It is a collective
of three individual styles of composing and performing:
Jazz-Rock influences, classic rock, pop and Indian influences
and Carnatic and Hindustani classical influences. This
gives the band a very wide experimental palette. The
band, unlike the old 'Agni', sings in Hindi. Agnee's
strength is in its performance skill and melodic content.Their
album has been described as the perfect blend of contemporary
musicians and traditional virtuosity. |
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| Miles
(Bangladesh) - 20th
February, Friday |
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One of
the oldest bands of Bangladesh, Miles started their
music career by releasing the first self titled album
in 1982. At that time Miles used to perform all the
numbers in English, drawing from the influences of Latin
Jazz, Blues, fusion and rock, and paying tribute to
Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Jimi Hendrix. But what
brought them reputation were their Bangla albums, which
responded to the local ambience of the Bangladeshi arena
and is now attempting to bring the vigour of contemporary
Bangla music into the musical mainstream. Miles released
their first Bangla album called "Protisruty"
[Promise] in 1991. Says Hamin Ahmed,the vocalist, “At
the end of the day, the album proved that rock can go
with any language, provided you know what you are doing.”
But the language they speak is that of love, and they
believe they have miles to go before they sleep.
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During
the Taliban regime, music was anathema to the ruling
elite and pop music a taboo. In the post-Taliban period,
forming music bands was an equally uphill task. Defying
all odds, there emerged the Aryan Band, the first musical
ensemble to venture out of post-Taliban Afghanistan
to audiences thirsty for just any kind of music after
an era where they could be punished if they were caught
listening to a tape in their cars! These ten youngsters
got together in the face of severe constraints —
lack of funds, of a place to practice, and time for
rehearsals. Drawing inspiration from Sufi singers and
their country’s folklore, the group specializes
in Persian and Pashto numbers. Their music possesses
an unmistakable folk air combined with an engagement
with world music, using the clarinet, guitars drums,
Latino percussions, bass, guitars and keyboards, and
the congo.
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Jasbir
Jassi is a popular Bhangra singer. His musical journey
started about 15 years ago, beginnning by recording
for Punjabi films. Jassi is most influenced by Shaukat
Ali Khan and Baba Kashmira Singh. Having played the
harmonium and being trained in classical music as a
child, Jassi believes that "Music is a Religion
of Togetherness!" Having done more than 500 shows
in over 70 countries across the world, Jassi is still
waiting to give his best performance. He has also composed
widely for films and has an extensive set of albums.
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Since
1996, when the choristers were part of the Holy Family
Convent, Bambalapitiya Senior Choir, Ms. Soundarie David
has directed Soul Sounds for several scintillating performances
at home and abroad. The premier, award-winning, all-female
choir from Sri Lanka hit the marquee with winning a
carol competition in 1996. They also sang for the 1997
Hollywood movie Mother Teresa-IN the Name of God’s
Poor. They shared the stage with stars like Cliff Richards,
Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones, Boy George, Chicago
and others. The group sings for various functions and
in its repertoire are classical and religious songs,
ethnic music, semi-classical and pop. Their music is
beautiful and well thought out, in embracing an audience
of wide ranging tastes. |
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might
sound like an unusual and distinct name, and it is.
Translated from patli galli, it draws on from a stray
desi phrase to lend to the band itself that quality
of originality of which it is so distinctive. Skinny
Alley is a band that is reputed for its diversity and
skill, having released Escape The Roar’ in 2003
and ‘Songs From The Moony Boom’ in 2007.
The only Indian band operating with a lead female vocalist-lyricist,
the band has played in diverse crowds ranging from college
campuses to football stadia. The musicians of Skinny
Alley are experienced, eclectic and versatile, spanning
many decades and genres, bringing a nuanced variety
and wealth of experience into the band’s music.
Unlike Bangla rock bands, Skinny Alley is also unique
in taking the English language route and using a rich
and diverse mixture of funk, jazz-rock, fusion, and
reggae, progressive and alternative rock. Skinny Alley
likes to think of themselves not just as a band, but
as a Sound; with their lyrics being an outpouring from
the experiences of everyday life in the city, as parents,
and as performers, they are accessible as much to the
teenager as the sixty year old. |
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| SHAA’IR
means poet, in Urdu. FUNC comes from the word function;
together they make, Shaa'ir and Func, the three year
old duo with two album releases, ‘New Day –
The Love Album’ 2007. 'Light Tribe' – 2008.
Their distinctive rhythms are India’s answer to
world, electronica and dance music. Combining an electrifying
stage presence with a profound, phenomenal sound, Shaa’ir
from the New York City Broadway Stage background combines
her vocals with great synergy with the rock guitarist
Func of Indian rock band Pentagram. Rated as one of
Vh1’s top ten emerging artists out of India, their
music speaks of peace and love, the breaking down of
religious and cultural divisions, a conviction laced
with bass-heavy rhythms, haunting synth melodies, a
music built across genres charged with vigour and hailed
as the music of the ‘New India’. |
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| a
name denoting the circle life, is a band that specializes
in blues-based rock with a huge fan base all over the
country. The band often fuses Indian classical music
instruments like mridangam, tabla and flute with conventional
instruments like guitar, drums and keyboards, while
singing in Hindi. Disinterested in commercial success,
their success is of a more radical nature. A wholly
accessible band, they do not have any policies against
their music being copied and distributed. Not many musicians
would display such scant regard for copyright, but that's
Delhi-based rock band Parikrama. Ranging from their
first concert at New Delhi’s concert on AIDS awareness
to concerts on college campuses to opening for Iron
Maiden, the band has performed traveled extensively
and left sensational waves in its wake with over a 1000
shows. Unbridled by the pressures of commercialism,
music remains their first love as they continue to sing
and play with zest and passion. |
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| Trio
believes in evolution. Evolution from a stagnant style
of music that has little bearing to the Maldivian way
of life to a more culturally inclusive fusion of true
Maldivian music. They also believe in delving into the
vernacular to find unique styles to identify Maldivian
music with. Often Maldivian music is taken for granted
and is considered as something that will develop on
its own if left alone. But Trio, like many of the modern
Maldivian bands, have taken on the task of defining
Maldivian music with what can best be called a unique
young Maldivian voice filled with island passion, vehement
desire and resilient creativity. To Trio music isn’t
just a journey, it’s an ongoing adventure where
learning new things is the order of the day and where
providing for the industry is their calling. |
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a
talented band of young musicians who share a love for
fusion and Indian music, was born in Mysore in 2002.
Winning Radio City Live 2008 and signing up with Virgin
Records was the first step up for these men from Mysore
who recently released an album. The recipe of the band’s
music is to blend the tastes of each band member to
produce a comprehensive mix of traditional as well as
contemporary music. The band says its songs sing of
subjects ranging from the power of youth, the local
river Kaveri, and the frenetic pace of urban development.
Bringing together the spirit of Indian rock, western
and Carnatic music, the band has had opportunities to
play with Parikrama, Usha Uthup and Sunidhi Chauhan.
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| Robin
& the New Revolution (Nepal) - 22nd
February, Sunday |
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Robin and the New Revolution was a project begun by
Robin of ‘Robin N Looza’ fame. With a desire
of playing different styles of music, and with a couple
of songs already under his belt, Robin recruited several
experienced members for Robin & The New Revolution.
The new members were definitely not new to the music
scene, and the debut album Kta/Kt proved to be an enormous
hit, blending down to earth words of elevating patriotism
with a steady groove of funk, blues, slow rock and folk
tunes, also grabbing some prestigious awards. Following
up Kta/Kt, the band produced another acclaimed album
– 13000, which was dedicated to the people who
lost their lives during the political insurgency in
the country. |
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| Vishal-Shekhar
are a music directing duo who have made an indelible
impact on the Bollywood musical landscape. Combining
techno music with Indian sounds, the two artists each
bring in their forte: Vishal as a rock artist in the
Indian rock band Pentagram, and Shekhar as a trained
classical singer with a sound base of Indian music.
They have had a number of successes in Bollywood, including
Jhankaar Beats, Om Shanti Om, Bluffmaster, Tashan,
Bachna Ae Haseeno and Dostana .The duo exploded
into the mainstream when they composed the score for
the film Jhankaar Beats, which included the
hit song tu aashiqui hai. Their efforts paid
off when they won the Filmfare RD Burman Award for New
Music Talent for Jhankaar Beats. Doubling up
as music directors and playback singers, they even bring
to their art their talent as lyricists. Even while the
duo admits to coming together commercially, it is fun
that brings them together to create the well-loved music
of the energetic hybrid genre that is Bollywood music.
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