The Score Magazine January 2014

ISSN 0974 – 9128

Vol 07 Issue 01 - January 2014

thescoremag

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India's National Pan-Genre Music MagazinE

10 TOP

indian indie albums of 2013

Yamaha Powers BAND OF THE MONTH

Gods Robots Miles apart but miles ahead

Farhan cover story

Akhtar The habitual RockStar

Also Inside: margazhi makes TechniColor and Shiv Kumar Sharma goes Pandit-Pandit

the edit PAD I Strategy and Planning Ajay Prabhakar Director, Business Development Pragash VM Editor-in-Chief Nikila Srinivasan Associate Editor Supriya Talupuru Head, Marketing & Operations Sneha Ramesh Creative Director George Vedamanickam Lead Designer Nipun Garodia Social Media Coordinator Vishakh Iyer WebMaster Daanish Millwalla Content Support Sai Adithya Kanika Mishra Advisor Ashok Subramaniam

OurWWW

t’s the beginning of the new year. That almost means new resolutions, horizons and hopes.

Our resolution exactly a year back was to bring to you 12 back to back issues and we’ve have done just that. This year our resolution is to break new barriers with our zeal to change the Pan-Indian music media. Our target this year is to become the most widely read, location sensitive, genre based music portal.

Our new website launches on the 1st of January, albeit without much fan-fare.

In typical bootstrap style, you’ll see us add features, businesses and writers all too quickly. We give our competitors a fair warning and our readers a warm embrace to the new format. The movement has already begun.

We hope to see you there. Our coordinates are www.skore.in.

Note it down, get to a terminal and punch in.

Happy 2014!

ajay prabhakar Strategy and Planning

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cover story farhan akhtar

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Film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, playback singer, lyricist.

One man, 6 thinking hats.

Band of the Month POWERED BY YAMAHA

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One of the fastest growing acts in the niche genre of mad Pop/Electronica/World: Put your hands together for Gods Robots

Quirks & Queries

STAR OF THE MONTH DJ Aqeel

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Neha Kakkar is our been-there-done-that woman of the moment.

Check out the interview for why we say that.

Classical Calling

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We were part of a fabulous interview taken of Pandit Shivkumar Sharmaji

by Juhi Chawla. Here are excerpts from the conversation.

Carnatic Segment

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We talked to five performing Carnatic musicians about the latest trends they see emerging during the Marghzi masam.

Reviving Retro

The pioneer of the Indian remix era: DJ Aqeel gives us a grand conversation.

IN INDIA Jessica Wolff 40

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Let’s rewind back to those good ol days with some amazing B’wood retro covers!

The Year That Was

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The highs and lows in the Musical industry across the globe for 2013.

Because the country needs to know.

Her contagious energy makes her a one-of-a-kind performer.

We’re talking about Jessica Wolff on her recent Indian tour.

“

Independent music scene in India is very vibrant and fantastic. There are so many music festivals these days and every one is so busy in cutting albums and doing gigs.

Farhan

Akhtar a bold genius on his own path, left college to follow his passions. Here is his take on the musical journey traversed and his upcoming projects. Among other thing, of course.

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Farhan, son of veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar has creativity in his genes. From starting as an apprentice at 17 in Yash Raj Film’s Lamhe, assisting his father on scripting a song in Lagaan, directing movies and starting production company Excel Entertainment Pvt Ltd with his long time buddy Ritesh Sidhwani, to his spectacular performance in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Farhan has come a long way and is widely regarded as one of the finest actors, directors and producers in Bollywood.

Cover Image: Abheet Gidwani Photo credit: Abheet Gidwani Hair stylist: Walter Dorairaj (Bblunt) Make up artist: Swapnil Pathare The

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You are a script writer, director, producer and actor.

What inspired you to get into music?

How is Siddharth Mahadevan, son of Shanker Mahadevan, as a performer?

I enjoyed singing my favorite songs. It was sometime, when I was 16 or 17 years of age, I thought of singing with an accompaniment.

That’s how it all started off with the guitar. It was something new.

I kept on playing it continuously and tried to be adventurous by exploring various albums. There were times when my fingers got sore. I am self taught but don’t get me wrong: that doesn’t mean I can go out there and play at Royal Albert Hall in London. I am at a busker level.

Siddharth is young and extremely talented. He is undoubtedly a gifted singer and an amazing composer as well. He’s currently travelling with us on our Farhan Live gigs.

How did you get to singing?

Sustainability of the bands in the musical world has always been an issue.

How do you foresee Farhan Live?

Music is one of the many passions I have. Dil Chahta Hai and Lakshya came my way one after the other and I seldom got time for music. There were all kinds of phases. But when Rock On came to me, it was a chance to revive my passion for music. The movie is about a band and somehow someone else singing takes away the honesty of the project. We also decided that it would definitely sound better if we have the voice of the actor. During the time of the promotion of the movie, I relived every moment of my earlier singing and jamming days. It just reintroduced me to the love that I had for music. That is how it all once again started.

After the movie, I rediscovered why I liked doing music so much.

Given a choice, which one would you like better Singing or Acting?

I enjoy both, actually!

Your first live performance as a singer was during the promos of Rock On with Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. What was the experience?

I have learnt a lot from Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. It’s always an experience when you’re with them and I am still evolving as a singer.

Was Rock On an influential factor of starting Farhan Live, the band?

Although I revived my musical sensibilities during Rock On!!, Farhan Live was not completely influenced by the movie. Farhan Live evolved out of the Mard Initiative. We wanted to bring about a change in the mind set of people about gender equality.

The best way to balance social scales is to spread awareness among the youth. Instead of going to colleges and giving boring lectures, where even I have been a victim of, we thought music is the best way to reach out to the youth. We primarily decided to perform at colleges and establish the artist-fan connect. I wrote a poem against gender violence to read it out in every show.

What has been the response from the audience at all your concerts ?

Well, so far it’s only been positive. In colleges, we get an immediate connect with the audience.

We really feel bad for the bands that we have grown up listening to and have called it a day at one point of time.

But if the music is good, then it will sustain. Right now, we are doing performing songs from my movies which are popular. We are doing good for now.

If at any time, you plan to create an original score with your band, which genre would it be?

Haven’t thought of it yet, but it would be something we would experiment this year.

What do you think of the Rock culture and independent music scenario in India?

It is very vibrant and fantastic. There are so many music festivals these days and every one is so busy in cutting albums and doing gigs. I really feel there cannot be a scenario with just film music. There has to be a parallel existence of Indie Music as well. It’s great for young people who are not interested in films and they have a platform to throw their voice and showcase Direction their creative sensibilities.

He directed a music video for

the song “Breathless” for the debut album of Shankar Mahadevan in 98.

He debuted as director in Bollywood with DCH. Then he went on to direct Lakshya in 2004, a short film—Positive on AIDS awareness, Don :The Chase Begins Again, a remake of the original DON that was made in 1978 starring Amitabh Bachchan and Don 2.

How did your band come together and who are your band members?

Farhan Live was the brainchild of Anurag Rao of Canvas Talent. When he presented Farhan Live to me, it was very different from what I had in mind as a performer and somewhere that clicked. Most of our band members are studio musicians and play with different bands. Anurag, who manages the band, actually got everyone together. The band comprises of Anurag Rao who also plays guitar in the band, Sarosh Izedyar on guitars, Dibyajoti Nath on Bass, Umang Doshi on the keys, Anupam Deghatak with percussions, Darshan Doshi on drums, Shanon Donald with backing vocals and Ashish Saxena, our sound engineer with, not to forget, the talented Siddharth Mahadevan.

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Writing spree DCH, Don :The Chase Begins Again, Don 2, Talaash, Rock On, ZNDB, written lyrics for Bride and Prejudice.

Photo credit: Tamagna Ghosh (http://www.getyourhami.com)

Deepa Venkatraman Coke Studio is doing a lot in the Indie Music Space.

Do you plan to do anything with them?

They are doing good work. Yes, there is a distinct possibility to coordinate with them.

Who are your favorite musicians and bands?

Pink Floyd, Cold play, U2, Deep purple, Beatles, RD Burman and Kishore Kumar.

How do you manage to juggle between all your roles as a director, writer, musician?

I am fortunate that I have got a lot of people who manage my schedule. I tell them what I want to do and they plan it accordingly. Further, I really don’t think too much as over analyzing is not good. I go by the flow. I believe in doing my best while I’m at it.

If I have to create new music, albums, then I will have to take a break from what I am doing. At the moment, I will get busy with promoting my movie Shaadi ke side effects, slated for release in February. I’ll start shooting for Dev Benegal’s movie that is tentatively titled Bombay Samurai with Kareena Kapoor.

I also have a movie with my sister Zoya; yet another signed on an untitled project starring Amitabh Bachchan with Bejoy Nambiar.

You have produced, directed, written and sung in Rock On!! as well as Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. All that’s remaining is the role of a composer. Would we see you getting into composing for any of your movies?

Never thought of it!

What do you enjoy better: live performances or being at the studio?

Live shows any day are a big yes to me. Like the recent show in Chennai: the audience was electrifying. I would love to go back to the city anytime. The longest time I spent in that city, I remember, was a couple of weeks when we did the entire sound mixing of Dil Chahta Hai with Media Artiste (Real Image).We worked very closely with late H Sridhar.

How much time do you devote to your singing / guitar ?

I always have my guitar handy so whenever I want to ease out I pick up my guitar and play.

What’s your message to aspiring musicians?

Reveal yourself through your songs.

Farhan’s day out

Acting stint He began his acting and singing journey in Bollywood with Rock On, and he won Best Debut award in the 54th Film Fare Awards. In 2011, he acted in his sister Zoya’s maiden directorial venture--ZNDB and he won the best supporting actor in International Indian Film Academy awards (IIFA) and in Zee cine Awards. He has won critical acclaim for his performance as Milkha Singh in box office hit Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

Musical

It was evident that the multifaceted Milkha of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag has thousands of fans following him in Chennai. Farhan Akhtar came. He jammed and stole the hearts of thousands of his fans at the recently held Farhan Live concert organized by Pooja Malhotra, The Hindu and Aba Lighting. The crowd was euphoric shouting aloud “Farhan, we love you” as he arrived on the stage sporting a Freddie Mercury mustache and a shirt with 377 crossed out. He started with “Sinbad the Sailor” from Rock On where he debuted as a singer. There was pin drop silence as he read out his poem against gender violence which he penned for his Mard initiative.

He entertained his fans for two hours with his bollywood numbers, and still had the energy to do a series of pushups on the stage. He was later joined by veteran singer Shankar Mahadevan’s son Siddharth who enthralled with Zinda and Maston ka Jhund from Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

The grand finale was the ever popular sounds number ROCK ON!

He debuted as a singer in Bollywood with Rock On and also sang his portion of the songSenorita along with Hrithik Roshan and Abhay Deol in ZNDB.

deepa@highonscore.com http://deepa.contently.com

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Jag Changa (Raghu Dixit) One of my favorite acts in the Indian music scene, guaranteed. Just take a look at how beautifully they’ve crafted the whole package.

An album that is completely flawless and arranged with pure melodies. This eight-track album features some incredible collaborations and charts. The sound is still very much folk-ish. There is a lot of layering and all the songs are very enjoyable. I am guessing this album is hugely influenced by his (Raghu’s) travels, meeting new people and experiencing new cultures over the years. In my opinion, a touching album indeed.

Ghost (Anup Sastry)

top 10

Indian Indie Albums

of 2013

You don’t need any introduction to this man.

The day I heard he is working on an album, I was excited. ‘Ghost’ is an album written, recorded and produced by Anup himself. The best part about this album is that every song is so damn groovy that you would want to move, jump, shake your head for every minute of it. Purely prog metal inspired album, for sure. The guitars, bass are programmed by himself and that’s why you might feel that something’s not real. But hey, that’s completely okay. You start the first song and you are in the zone till the end of the track.

Ampersand (Adil & Vasundhara) Delhi jazz duo Adil & Vasundhara released their debut full length album, Ampersand.

Stories and music go so well and it becomes far more interesting listening to such albums.

Ampersand narrates ten stories from urban India. The concept rings true through the album, but one has to listen closely to really absorb different themes. Ampersand, the name itself tells you that there is a lot more to the album than what you’d imagine.

Doppelganger (Dualist Inquiry) In this world of newer technology, you hear bands using lot of electro sounds in their songs. This album is one of its kind. The album is so deeply layered; it’s impossible to process all that’s happening in one go. Whatever you do, don’t listen to this album over laptop or phone speakers, please!!!

The album has some precious symphonies of electro music and the best dance music albums of this year. The production on Doppleganger is so refined that it will blow your head off when you listen to it with your headphones on. The more you listen to it, you start hearing newer details in the album.

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Chasing Rain (Siddharth Basrur) One of my favorite singers from the Indian music scene. The ambiance in all of the songs has to be mentioned for sure. Basrur has done a great job in the album. You can expect the right blend of feeling in his songs from the album Chasing Rain - Chapter 1. Every song has its own beauty and is pretty different in its own way. It doesn’t matter what kind of music you are into, I am sure you’d put them in your mobile phones and hear them everyday while you are on your way.

Shrikant Sreenivasan

Living in India, few years back, you never expected any bands “releasing” an album or planning a tour. Luckily, times have changed. Now, we see bands talking about recording an EP/album by themselves, using their own money and achieving the best quality possible.

New artists, new albums, new music.

This is what we like to keep looking out for instead of watching some new item songs.

I don’t know about you folks but I really feel happy to see so many bands coming up and showing what they are capable of doing through their own music. It is not always about the technique, fast playing, showing off just because you can but more about your own identity, how true you are to yourself and to your music. So, here I am, sharing ten of my favorite albums that have been released in 2013.

The Dawn of Consummation and Emergence (Reptilian Death) Reptilian Death is one of the side projects of Sahil “Demonstealer” Makhija. Reptilian Death, back in the days of Razz, was not really happening.

But as musicians, we all grow gradually. RD also grew as time went by. Now, they have a new line-up which is massive. Reptilian Death’s album has a pretty old school death metal feel. You can expect something really brutal and dark levels to be touched when Mr. Vinay Venkatesh is on vocals. The most guttural instincts, in terms of vocal range and lyrics. The guitar sections are pretty heavy and mature. It clearly shows the amount of improvement Sahil Makhija has gained over the years.

2 (Sifar) Alternative-rock band Sifar is one of those few bands singing in Hindi, having a sound of their own that defines them.

They take inspiration from bands like Nirvana and Nine Inch Nails. I really loved their first album and the second album also impressed me. The best part about this band is that their songs make you feel as if they are about their own personal emotions.

Attention Please (Spud in the Box) Spud In The Box came, conquered and destroyed. When I saw them live for the first time, I was blown away with their immense talent. What with them being such young musicians and with an amazing sound to accompany. I really don’t know if I should call them pop or alternative. Their EP (Attention Please) is surely my favorite. The songwriting is pretty unique and each musician in the band has their own space without over-powering any other musician. I could surely hear some Dave Matthews and John Mayer influence in their songs.

Indulge.Divulge Nico (Drift) Drift is a contemporary jazz guitar trio from New Delhi, India. The band has performed both, as a trio as well as vocalists, saxophonists and other instrumentalists from all around the world.

This album is an eclectic mix of modern music styles with the vision and styles of some incredible jazz artists.

You shouldn’t be missing their album. One of my favorite chilled out jazz trio for sure.

(Fuzz Culture) A Delhi based electronica band, Fuzz Culture is a side project of Arsh Sharma from one of my favorite band, The Circus and Srijan Mahajan from Parikrama. I love bands that experiment and create sounds that blend so well.

The EP has such organic samples: like the drum sounds have organic elements. Sometimes experimenting goes wrong but with Fuzz Culture it always gets better. They know what comes naturally to them and they bring it out. Their music surely transports you to a different place. They make you want to discover more about electronica for sure.

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Star of the month

The name DJ Aqeel rings a bell to most Indians who grew up in the late 90’s and the early 00’s. This man changed the face of Indian music. He is the pioneer of the Indian remix era. Aqeel is kind of a magician when it comes to whipping out remixes.

His choice of songs, his videos and his sounds are always right.

So much so that his sounds have made people like Kofi Annan and Bill Clinton tap their feet to his music.

You have performed at the World Economic forum in Davos not once but twice. How was that experience?

It was fantastic. There were 3 parties planned simultaneously. It all started pretty sober with very few people there.

Then people started calling and texting each other and here I was performing in front of a huge crowd.

What are the other kinds of music you like?

For me, there is no specific genre which I stick to. I listen to all kinds of music.

Pop, rock, EDM or sometimes even pure sound.

What did DJ Aqeel do for New years?

My hands are full with a few parties and the opening of two of my newest night clubs in Goa and Delhi.

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Sai Adithya The obvious question first, how did you become a DJ? In the early 2000’s, I was attending a few parties and I really liked the sounds there. That’s it. I decided to be a DJ and then practiced and that’s that! I initially wanted to be a pilot but then I saw the books and said to myself “NO! I’m not doing this”. Also, I was lucky to travel a lot earlier and attend some of the best parties and festivals there.

What is the life of a DJ like?

For me, it’s like any other day. I’m at my office as usual (Aqeel is more than a DJ. He has a lot of business interests and is also a producer). Then, I meditate half an hour before a party to get myself in the zone and go out to play. It’s not too difficult for me as I don’t overload my calendar with gigs every day of the month.

What does one have to do if he has to be a DJ? It was slightly more difficult when I started off. We did not have institutes which taught us or at the very least high speed internet. Now, if someone wants to become a DJ. Youtube can be his best teacher! People these days have more access to great music and technology. A lot of good DJ’s are coming out of India. It’s a good sign!

Is it a good time to be an Indian DJ now?

OH YES! I think this is probably one of the best phases for jocks in India. There is a surge of EDM and trance music in India and people produce more original music instead which is encouraged by clubs. Unlike this phase where the DJ was expected to just play Bollywood numbers and go. There is a lot of foreign talent coming to India to perform and vice-versa. So it’s a fantastic time to be a DJ.

Talking about Bollywood. You were the pioneer of what can be called the biggest game changers in Indian music - The remix era.

How did that occur? Was it a chance thing?

Well, it was something I wanted to do out of choice more than chance. Indian cinema probably has some real gold. I wanted the younger generations to cherish that and hence brought about this concept of remixing Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi and Lata Ji. I felt like I was passing on some treasure to the younger What songs are on top crowd to rediscover.

of your playlist now?

There might have been some kind of resentment from the public?

A little bit. But like I said all I wanted to do was pass on the baton of

“Tamanchey pe disco” from Bullet Raja. I really love RDB. This song is fantastic. Then there is “Gandi Baat” from R...Rajkumar which is another proper dance song.

Then, there is Calvin Harris’ new song as well.

some great music to the younger lot. A lot of people have rolled back the clock and discovered some great music because of that and I’m happy.

Your videos are always catchy, aren’t they?

Yes. I make it a point to keep my videos attractive. I even sit and storyboard all of them. My relationship with my record labels be it Universal or HMV or Sare Ga Ma has also always been great. They have also been supportive of new concepts always. The Main Hoon Doon video was one of my favourites. I couldn’t get Amitabh Bachcha to do it although Bachchan saab is a family friend. I did not ask him. One day Jaggu da (Jackie Shroff) and I were having a conversation and then this idea came up and hence we shot it.

What are your upcoming projects?

I released an album called “Forever 3” on the 18th of December, 2013. This is a continuation of the Forever 2 album and will have six remixes and one mash up. I’m also opening two new night clubs. One at Baga Beach, Goa and one in Delhi. Plus this is season time. So, a good number of parties will prop up.

Good fun phase, this.

Why don’t you release albums more often? There is always so much of a gap between albums.

I feel that people get bored if they keep seeing the same guy over and over again. There have been artists who have faded away because of this.

What is the reason for your longevity in the music scene?

It might be because I don’t burn myself out doing too many parties or albums. Also, I have a business which needs my time equally.

What is your dream project?

I have this album in mind where I come out with only originals.

Collaborate with singers and other artists and bring out an all out original album. This might happen soon.

Who inspired you when you started off as a DJ? I think we were one of the first few DJ’s in India. So we didn’t really have Indian DJ’s to look up to. From the west, I’ve always liked Paul Van Dyk , Aarmin Van Buuren and David Guetta.

Coming from a family of actors has no one offered you a role to act? (He is Zayed Khan’s brother in law, Sanjay Khan’s son in law, Hritik is also a brother in law & is related to Fardeen Khan too. A lot of people, isn’t it? ) *laughs* Well, I don’t know if doing stunts and romancing women on screen will ever be my cup of tea. I have acted a wee bit in my music videos and I don’t think I can go beyond that much of acting.

What would you like to tell our readers?

I’d like to wish them a happy new year and a great 2014. What I’d also request them to do is buy my new album “Forever 3” and keep supporting me.

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String THEORY

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Being the founder & first violinist of the Madras String Quartet and the son of the late Mr Srinivasa Iyengar, a renowned Gottuvadyam player, definitely entails some great stories. Score talks to V.S Narasimhan about composing music and his latest album “Raga Fantasy�.

Age 14 Accompanies his father to recitals.

Age 4-6 Learns the violin from his father Mr Srinivasa Iyengar, a Gottuvadyam Specialist.

1959 1960-1988 Encouraged by a number of famous artists to play Western Classical including Zakir Hussain and Zubin Mehta.

Introduced to western Classical Music; Lead the Madras Chamber Orchestra.

Madras Chamber Orchestra disbands due to a professional crisis.

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2008

1993 1988

18

1958 Joins the Madras Chamber Orchestra that produced songs for movies.

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Founds the Madras String Quartet along with 4 other musicians from the former Madras Chamber Orchestra.

Raga Saga comes out.

2001 1993-2001 Transitioned from Western Classical from Germany to Indian Music.

Release of Resonance

2007 Portrait of a Raga released.

Supriya Talupuru How did your father Srinivasan Iyengar help you becoming a violinist and how did you get enchanted

by Western Classical music?

My father’s main instrument was Gottuvadhyam. Apart for that, he was also well versed with the Violin, Veena and Harmonium.

He introduced me to the world of music at a very young age.

My father used to teach a lot of students and took me along for his recitals. Later on, I happened to enter into the film field for playing movie orchestra in the year 1958-59. From there on, I was introduced to various genres of music.

In Western Classical music, we have the component of Harmony. That was the main thing which attracted me in western music. I had the opportunity of meeting Adrian L’Armand from Australia who was in Chennai at that time to learn Carnatic Music. I had the fortune to learn written transcription, which gave me a solid foundation in western violin.

As I was doing the film work, I joined the group of musicians who were transitioning to western classical music which later became the Madras Chamber of Orchestra. I happened to lead the orchestra and we had the master classes of musicians who had come from abroad.

After some years, I happened to form my string quartet which was called Madras String Quartet in 1993. From then onwards, we’ve been doing western repertoire of German music. I’ve also been working on my own percussion (composition).

Was it difficult to translate Carnatic to Western music? Tell us about your experience and ideals with which your latest album was made.

Yes. When we add harmony to our classical music, it sounds completely different. It’s almost a new genre by itself. We cut our first disk Resonance which was not marketed very well but at the same time is said to have fuelled a few notable and outstanding global musicians like Maxim Vengerov from Russia and then the Cellist Yo-Yo MA and our Indian counterparts Zubin Mehta and our tabla player Zakir Hussian. They were all very encouraging.

I went on in this path so after that I did an album which was called Raga Saga which was basically Indian classical written for String Quartet.

Now, with the current album, I wanted to emphasize the greatness of the importance of lyrics in our music. Our great composers like Thiyagaraja, Shama Sastri and Muthuswamy Diskhithar have all contributed so much. In our own music, the lyrics have a very important role.

Lyrics have the main ingredient and with that the emotion is connected to the Raga system.

To emphasize this, there are tracks sung by academy award winner Bombay Jayashree and Sriram Parthasarathy.

2011 Portrait of a Raga and Seamless Strings on shelves.

Other tracks are mostly classical. Some are my own compositions. One is inspired by Dave Brubeck’s Take 5. We have rightly called it Raga Fantasy.

How did you form the Madras String Quartet?

As I told you, I lead the Madras Chamber of Orchestra for about 14-15 years. Due to problem of working in the film industry, musicians had to go to different places to work.

The reason was, at one point in time, the regional languages films works went to their respective capitals. In the early days, all the 4 south Indian language films were done in Madras (Chennai).

Then, as time advanced, the Kannada films went to Bangalore, Telugu films to Hyderabad, Malayalam went to Trivandrum. So, the musicians kept travelling and their interest that was needed in practicing on Sunday for the Chamber was cut short. Finally the orchestra was disbanded. I was not going to travel to places and I was so very disappointed.

Mokshamu After sometime, I decided to gather Portrait of a Raga likeminded people to form the Madras String Quartet from those who played Raghuvamsa at the Madras Chamber Orchestra.

Seamless Strings

Top 5 songs

We started playing western classical just Mozart, Chopin/ Heissen, Bach. Later, we shifted to South Indian classical music.

What are some of the difficulties you’ve faced?

Blue Fantasy Seamless Strings

Krishna Nee Begane Baro Portrait of a Raga

Thillana

Raga Saga Seamless Strings

Naturally, it’s a struggle when you start doing something. Difficulties are always there because when you compose, it’s from scratch. You have to lean on. For example, when I am composing a song for a film, the director explains to me a situation and I lean on that situation. When creating Carnatic music, part of it is already there so I don’t compose anything. I leave the traditional composition to arrange for the string quartet . But the tune and the words are always there so I go into the music. I am able to see how it should be developed through sound.

Most people these days like music that’s loud. What’s your take on this?

Maybe they like to have that kind of energy in music. When I was younger, I used to think the same. As you mature with life and experience, you would like to have a different kind of music; everybody goes through the same thing.

How do you see the younger generation’s influence in Carnatic Music?

I see the younger generation is very talented and at this time we have a lot of tools to educate them. Technology has improved.

Not only in the music field but also any other field - we have lot of tools you can learn from. Like Youtube. It has a lot of potential for anyone interested. Young people can outshine their previous generation. It’s very good thing, I think. The art is very well in the hands of the younger generation if they go in the right path.

Narasimhan wants to harmonize South Indian classical music by just using the strength of the human voice similar to a capella. He also sees great promise in the younger generation and believes they can outshine the previous generation. He concludes:’’The Art is very well in the hands of the younger generation if they go in the right path”. We sure hope so.

2013 Release of Raga Fantasy.

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“

You have to be confident you’re good enough and you have to be very passionate about it. Being positive is the key.

I am someone who likes to do many things in life so maybe.

Who knows? I may even start writing lyrics soon. I think if I get a good role that’s worth it, I would love to act too. Till then, I’m happy with my singing assignments.

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with

a h e N I am a fun loving person. For me, reality shows are the best. I was paired with Kapil Sharma and Ali Asgar: both of them are just fabulous. I was lucky to be in their team.

My best show is hard to define. College shows that I’ve performed at are usually the best times. Their energy is so high. If people ask me what kind of shows I like to do, it’s college events.

a K

r a k k

I love the camera. I’m more comfortable when I’m being shot. For me, camera is like an eye.

I’m not camera shy like most people think artists are.

I tour all the time and perform everywhere.

Whether it’s Delhi, Indore or Amsterdam. That’s something I do other than recording. Live shows are always exciting.

Anand Jayaram

From Indian Idol to Comedy Circus. From Sukhwinder Singh to Yo Yo Honey Singh. Neha Kakkar is our been-there-done-that woman of the moment. Get ready to be surprised:

Music is an inspiration. I keep listening to new genres every day.

Whether it’s Bollywood or Hollywood music or whatever. I love to listen to music and yes, music inspires me. I listen to a lot of songs. There’s a song called Yeh Jo Halka Halk Saroor Hai by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan which I’m really fond of.

I started with bhajans and sang various sorts dedicated to maata rani (Goddess) till I was 16. When I turned 16, I participated in Indian Idol.

From that time, I started getting recognized and doing more Bollywood shows. After that, as you know, my playback singing journey took off. Like most others, we have to struggle to get to a position. I also did but maata rani was always there with me. I didn’t have to struggle that much.

Indian Idol was my first reality show which I can never ever forget. I was 16 at that time! I was the youngest contestant in Indian Idol in my batch.

I also did Jodi Davai Superstar for Star Plus where all these famous reality shows singers were there. That was also amazing. I also hosted one show for DD1; it was a musical reality show. That was also a different experience. So yes, all in all, super duper fun.

Indian Idol definitely gives people a great platform but it depends on your talent and luck too. For me, I couldn’t win the show but I reached the top 8.

The people who won the show, they aren’t getting playback assignments.

Me, who couldn’t win the show, by the grace of God, I’m doing that. You have to be very passionate towards your goal. If I wasn’t singing in films, I would be really shattered. I had to become a playback singer, I had to do good in Bollywood so maybe my passion brought me here and of course god is always there.

Working with Yo Yo Honey Singh was just beautiful. I don’t know about others but I LOVE him and I love his music, I love his rap. He’s great composer. He knows what audience love. He heard me in Second Hand Jawaani and he apparently loved my voice.

Recently, Tony Kakkar (my brother) who is a music composer and wrote some lyrics which he wanted me to try. That’s how Hanju came in to being. He asked me if could have Meiyang Chang in it too. I was like bang on, let’s do it. I think Chang sounds really good. This is his first Punjabi song. People say our on screen chemistry is really good which is nice.

I’ve done a couple of songs for a movie which is going to be out in 2014.

Also, I’ll be doing a single next year. Plus, I sung a couple of songs for Pritam da. I’ve also sung two more songs for Yo Yo. Next year starting, you’ll see me in a reality show too.

Some people think I’m a dancer. I haven’t learnt dancing ever but it is in me. I call “singing” my husband and “dancing” is my boyfriend.

I am still growing. Even I need to learn a lot and here’s my advice. I think upcoming singers should be very passionate about what they do. Should I become a dancer? Should I become a singer? Should I become an actor?

These little doubts shouldn’t be there. Your focus should be intact. If you want to be a singer, then concentrate on your one skill. Whatever you’re doing, be good at it. People say for the sake of saying “you’re very good singer/musician” but then you have to be good at it. If you’re not good at it and you still want to pursuing music then no use of doing that. You, yourself have to be confident you’re good enough and you have to be very passionate about it and be positive. Being positive is the key.

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Indinate with

Dhirren Haridas Achary

In our daily lives, we all in our own ways aim towards greatness. But yet, we’re not totally ready to commit to it. Here’s a little artist who’s happily treading the other path: Over to Dhirren Haridas Achary, who is currently pursuing Western Classical Piano, the Russian style at KMMC, Chennai. P.S: He’s seven.

What are your first memories of music?

My first memories of music were when my parents used to sing to me every day. My dad used to sing the Hindi song, Phoolon Kaa Taaron Kaa from Hare Rama Hare Krishna movie and my mom used to sing Edelweiss from Sound of Music. Also, every night, I used to sleep hearing Western Classical music, such as Mozart and Beethoven pieces. For my 4th year birthday, my ammuma (paternal grandma) presented me a simple kid’s keyboard. I was then studying in Singapore and I remember how I used to wake up early to play the keyboard before going to school. Once back, I will sit at it without removing my uniform, delaying my lunch and start playing some music on it. I never had any proper keyboard/ piano lessons at that point of time and was playing based on my hearing. I tried figuring out the notes on the keyboard and played them little by little. Over time, I was able to achieve playing a short portion of the piece, without any lessons.

What about the piano are you so mesmerized by and why is it your instrument of choice?

When I press a key on the piano and feel the energy it creates when it becomes a sound, I feel deeply attracted to it. Since young, I have been listening to Western Classical music. I guess when I had a piano, it was only natural for me to play the Western Classical music on it and therefore it became my primary instrument of choice.

Tell us your favorite pieces to play.

The first 2 pieces which highly inspired me to learn the notes on my own, figure them out by myself and play them on the piano were Turkish March and Fur Elise. I do like Flight of the Bumble Bee and hope to play them all one day. Currently, I am learning to play Turkish March but since my hands are still developing, I am unable to play the octaves which are required in the piece. I am now working on some finger and hand stretching exercises which will help me with the octaves and am looking forward to successfully playing it.

Have you heard to any Indian musical instruments yet? If so, what do you think of them?

Yes, I have listened to the flute, sitar, harmonium, tabla and mridangam. I think Indian musical instruments are beautiful, the way they make me feel. When I listen to the mridangam, I will sometimes feel very powerful. It’s the way I feel and I am hoping to learn at least one or 2 of the Indian musical instruments soon.

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Tell us about your experiences at KM College of Music and Technology.

KM is my little music world in Chennai. I learn my Western Classical piano in the Russian style here and had the opportunity to play twice for the school’s annual event. All my friends here are much bigger and are like my big brothers. They have been very helpful and had always been there for me. KM is the reason why I came to Chennai and I was able to grow in my passion for my music right here. This is where I commenced my first official piano lesson and learned everything from the basics. Since I am a child, I had teachers who connected with me to make me feel comfortable and ensured I learnt well at my own pace. The school has best facilities and I had always felt comfortable and at home when I am there. I am looking forward to further developing my music passion right here where I can learn how to play other musical instruments as well.

We know you play Chess too. Do you find any parallels when learning music and learning to play chess?

Music and Chess, they seem the same to me. They both need practice, commitment and attention. My mom used to say, focusing is very important. Even if it is only for a short while, do it with a clear mind. When I am practicing the chess movements or playing my piano, I focus and give it my best attention. If I am at it for 30 minutes, I give it my best 30 minutes before I take a short break. Since I love both music and chess, I am highly motivated to achieve my best. When I am doing musical theory, I am learning that there is a lot of logical thinking, highly similar to playing chess. It is like, 1 + 1 = 2, straightforward. Musical theory and Chess involves brainwork. It makes me feel relaxed and geared up. Both my passions, have endless growth.

What, according to you, is the ultimate goal with respect to music?

I have both short term and long term goals with respect to music.

My short term goal would be to take on my Grade 4 exam in Piano with ABRSM and try to compose a short music, something within my capability. I want to explore the various paths available in achieving the composition and I am sure I will be learning a lot more in order to do that. My long term goal would be to do a Doctorate/Ph.D in Music. Ultimately one day, I aspire to reach out and connect with people through my music.

“

As I press a key on the piano and feel the energy it creates as it becomes a sound, I feel deeply attracted to it.

If you could play your piano with one legend, who would it be?

What Dhirren’s doing right now He took his Trinity College of London Grade 3 Piano theory and practical exams in November 2013. He scored 90% for his practical and 84% for his theory. What’s amazing is that he skipped grade 1 and 2 while going straight for the kill at Grade 3.

He prepared for it within 3 months and his first examination to that. We couldn’t be more proud and happy for the young artist.

I hope one day, I am good enough to play the piano with the living legend I admire, Dr AR Rahman.

Who are the musicians you are currently influenced by?

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig Van Beethoven and definitely the Mozart of Madras, Dr AR Rahman.

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Band of the Month

One of the fastest growing acts in the niche genre of mad Pop/Electronica/World: people, put your hands together for

GODS

ROBOTS “

Music is everything. I can’t get away from it. I have tried it. Being a musician especially in this kind of period is a very serious undertaking. You have to struggle to get anywhere.

I can say it’s everything.

-Janaka

“

I think music made me more sensitive. It made me see people around.

It has made me strong. I used to tell my mom when I was a journalist that I would make a lot of money, get a big house and a car. Now my mom laughs at me for what I said.

-Shridevi

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Spurgeon Dannie Stephen How did you guys come together and what’s the story behind the band’s name?

S: We first met on MySpace after he heard some of my stuff in 2008. We did not actually meet but had mutual friends. After a week, he sent me a message asking me if I was interested in collaborating I was busy then but I responded that I would love to collaborate. Janaka’s a well known musician and he had been in that circuit for many years and was very well respected. I was very excited and took his offer in the end of 2009. A year later, he was making a song for BBC Radio for Radio One. He had written half the song and he sent me the beat with some vocals with another vocalist. I completed the other half of it with few aalaps. That got good reviews and we joined to write few more songs. I met him six months after we started making music online for a show.

J: We used to have a lot of conversations about music, artificial intelligence, finding God and spirituality on the internet. I was doing a PhD on the same. During our conversations we came across the name and we liked its sound of it. That’s how we came up with it.

What made you to blend the western and Indian Music?

J: We liked western kind of pop riffs and based on that foundation we structured our music pretty much like pop music. We used pop riffs and modeled structures around it.

The categorization of music became categories only because human beings like certain sonic. But music is music. We put different kinds of music together in different ways and made it sound pretty good. It’s not really that complicated.

Humor us and tell us the top 5 tips to “blend” such music.

S: I think the root of the music is same be it Indian or western.

Though I read write and speak English, it is not the same when it comes to understanding western music. Janaka worked with Hindustani musician in the past. It helped us understand Indian music and he works to blend the western classical music. We both sort of exchange notes on Indian and western music. We found a common ground to work out with.

Janaka helps me when it comes to understanding western music

How did people react to your music?

S: Our song ‘Stay’ was a blend of Reggae and Caranatic music.

It is a weird and unusual mix but that song was very well received. Presenter from BBC radio one program voted the song as one of the best they’ve heard. Though it’s hard for some people to understand, it was well received.

First memory of music Sridevi: I am from Kerala and it was natural to Bharatanatyam classes for three years and later into learning caranatic music. It was my background. Initially not very happy but later on it nourished my soul. I used be a journalist and I used to find solace in practicing music.

J: We definitely had a very positive reaction, in general. We take on pop sensibility. It’s more acceptable for record labels. We are definitely coming out of an underground music sensibility because I come from that.

You guys have worked with various languages for lyrics. How easy or difficult is that?

J: Shri primarily writes lyrics. She used to be a journalist and because of that I think she is good with words. I have written a couple of songs too. She is classically trained singer and we use that sensibility and those scales and adapt them to English lyrics. A lot of people might not notice that, but that kind of makes us unique. It does have a classical Indian sense to it even though it is in English.

In the Indian scene, most performers aren’t being taken seriously. Has that been your experience?

S: It used to in the beginning but now it does not affect us. There is sometimes a vibe between audience and the performers. It happens to every musician. I think it may change in a couple of years or an age. I think in India there are a lot of doggie people. In 2010, somebody booked us for a show in Ahmadabad on 31st December. We cancelled a show in US for this.

When Janaka came here, the promoter disappeared. When something goes terribly wrong, it stays as a scar. People here always say yes but later on they are not there.

J: I guess there are two sides for us. We did spend nine months figuring out how to set our music live. It’s definitely not a place to build confidence but it’s also a great place to build your confidence. Electronic music hasn’t been on air here in the recent times. In India and other parts of Asia, it’s going to take a little more time. We are at the edge of the curve into the live performances and its going to be difficult.

Gigs are hard to get here in India. Has the scene changed since ‘10?

J: India is not a huge market; we are beginning to realize stuff as time goes on. It was a really good start for us. Indian market is maturing slowly but it’s not yet ready to support what we are trying to do. We achieved some kind of success in Europe and America. It’s like: do well in a festival and you keep getting bookings. We spent last nine months releasing the recording in India and basically On their first B’wood getting our live shows. Record song in Jackpot sales are not the way to sustain Sridevi: This is our first song in Bola band; you got to have a great lywood and it literally took one day to live performance. complete it! It was really quick and fun.

Janaka: We didn’t necessarily give up by doing that. We are still into music that we make. In our sense, it wasn’t too difficult for us.

People to collaborate with Janaka: I am a huge fan of dub music and the power of that music. There are a whole bunch of people from 70s like Augustus Pablo that I would be very interested in collaborating. I just did three remixes for the Asian Dub Foundation. They are one of my top three favorite bands and am actually working with those guys which is fantastic.

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The traveling journal

of Haridas Headbanger

India is a land of diversity. In this segment, we look at now rare instruments from different places. First up is the Do Tara which took us to Kushuberia village, West Bengal.

Music has the unique stance of being universal and yet culturally relevant.

In this segment, we take you to the birth place, the make and the marvel of instruments that are uniquely Indian. The earliest music in Bengal was influenced by chants in Sanskrit. As the music evolved from religious poetry, it saw a mixture of mixed religious influences mostly patronized by the rulers and landlords of the time. But much of it remained as rustic devotional poetry.

The Instrument

The Make

The Do-tar or the Do-Tara as popularly called served as the prime accompanying instrument for percussion and melody. It’s a 4-5 string wooden instrument resembling a small mandolin.

Mainly a folk music instrument, it is played by different genres of folk musicians of east India.

Today, it is the single most important folk instrument used in genres like Jhumur, Bhawaiya, Kirtan and Baul.

Made with Neem wood, it’s made of elongated fretless stringed instrument with a roundish belly for a soundbox called bati or the bowl of the resonator. It’s elliptically shaped and has a diameter of around five inches. This bati tapers into the neck called the dhor which then extends to the end where the tuning knobs or kaans hold the strings to the bridge.

Fingerboards are faceplated with brass steel or even glass as the contemporary Do tara uses metal strings which when fingered constantly against a wooden fingerboard tends to ruin it easily. These are normally screwed onto the body with options of changing later.

Above this, lies the carved portion called the mogra which is mostly carved as a peacock or an animal head with the sound box covered by a tightly stretched goat skin. Hand carved into shape from a single piece of wood the Do tara is played with a goat horn made striker. The kaans were originally made from bamboo considering its strength per weight ratio which is greater than steel. The skin is of use here with careful carvings strong tuning pegs are created which enables correct positioning of the wire through its knob and shaft.

The Origin With its origin around the sixteenth century, very little has been documented. Except for a few old images of men on elephant or buffalo backs playing it. This was near the foothills of the eastern Himalayas and near the Dooars region. Then, the Bauls and Fakirs from the plains of Bengal (now Bangladesh) adapted it. It slowly evolved from a heavy percussionist rhythm to a more melodic background to the vocals.

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Anupam Chanda

The Play Primarily a four to five string instrument, it works both ways - as an octave for a complete set of notes in a scale and as well as the bass/treble of the percussion. It’s mainly played in an open note combination accompanying the rhythm structure of other folk percussion instruments. Which means the strings, tension and pitch will reflect but a single key. Most of the stringing and tuning are aligned with the fact that the Do tara will be accompanying the voice.

Unlike Western music, folk singers generally do not change the key from song to song and stick with it for all of their performances. Once this key is established, then everything else about the tuning falls into place. The versatility of the instrument lies in the fact that every tune can be played with two strings however the other three can also be used to bring in variation in the music.

r 1h

Kanai’s place Get in touch with him on 09732795021. Be nice. Also, the intense bhajan session was at the village mandir called the Rathtalla mandir.

(20 m

Dottophulia

s) min

s) ur

ho

Calcutta s) ur

(

(40 mins)

Bolpur

Basudev Baul’s village

What awaits you Small villages surrounded by mustard and paddy fields. Large ponds, ducks, taal trees, no electricity , a group of Bauls singing and dancing. Our word: Stay overnight with the bauls in their mud homes. Listen to their philosophy of Life, sleep on the straw/ soft rug on the mud floor, learn to strum their instruments, eat puffed rice, gur and thick grained boiled rice. Bliss be yours to claim.

The Door

(Nadia,West Bengal)

o 3h

m

Dotara maker

Kushuberia Village

(3

20

ins

(

(40

When struck in an open manner without the use of the fingerboard, it produces the characteristic sound that is so typical of Baul (group of mystics from Bengal) sangeet. The second mode is where it’s played in a melodic fashion. This involves the first two strings with well trained fingerwork pressing at correct points on the fretless fingerboard. In this mode, all the notes of the scale may be produced as required by the musician producing the correct melody.

For night stay

)

ins)

The tuning structure is quite interesting. The outer most string is known as the jin and the next one in is known as the sur. Of these two strings, the sur is tuned to the tonic (Sa, Shadaj or Khadaj) and the jin will be tuned a fourth up from this tonic (Ma or Maddyam). Most play on these two strings.

Any other strings and their tuning is generally only a reflection of the individual artist’s taste.

Shantipur

Bolpur: For the Bauls playing the Dotara If you’re willing to pay for a show, Basudev and his brigade of 8-10 musicians can perform at the resort lawn. They charge from anything between 4-7 thousand for a 2 hour show. If you’re really lucky, they will take you to their village and perform in their village mud courtyard.

Not many makers of the instrument are found though in these times. Most renowned folk artists would refer to people like Kanai Bagchi of Kushuberia village in Nadia district of West Bengal for their custom made instruments. This humble man, a migrant from Bangladesh, manages to sell around four to six instruments every month priced anywhere between 1200 to 3500 rupees. Business is low as orders are not as it used to be a decade back. Not many new musicians are adapting to the instrument and nor is the local government opening up avenues like trade and handicraft fairs enabling direct trade for the craftsmen. Satyaki Bannerjee, a regular player at international events and one of Kanai’s clients, has bought two Do taras from him. Even hip urban joints like Blue Frog believes his well made instrument is an everlasting one and craftsmen like Kanai are rare.

Kabi gaan artists and Bauls play this as well while singing along. Over time and cultural influences Bauls have adapted to new forms of arrangements taking the sound to larger audiences across the urban world.

Overnight stay arrangements are possible at Baul Mon or Chuti Resort. If you’re in a group, it’s better you stay at Shantiniketan.

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Aural Merchandise 101 So many goodies to explore this time. To all piano enthusiasts out there, here’s some good news wrapped up in tunes.

Roland RP-301R SuperNATURAL Piano Satin Black, Simulated Rosewood and White 60 built-in rhythm accompaniments enrich your piano performance.

Newly developed full-keyboard chord recognition engine.

Three versatile playing modes: Pianist, Split Chord, and Split Tone.

Perfect sound through SuperNATURAL piano technology.

Authentic piano touch and feel with Ivory Feel-G keyboard.

Rhythm accompaniment can be expanded through USB memory.

Built-in LCD enhances the user-friendly operation.

Environment-conscious design with Auto Off function and low power consumption.

Three beautiful cabinet finishes: Satin Black, Simulated Rosewood and the newly added White.

RP-301R : Satin Black

Roland RP-301 SuperNATURAL Piano Satin Black and Simulated Rosewood SuperNATURAL Piano recreating authentic piano expressiveness.

Ivory Feel-G keyboard for true piano feel and touch.

Easy access to features for practice and performance with dedicated front-panel buttons.

Metronome, recorder, and Twin Piano features convenient for skill building.

RP-301 : Simulated Rosewood

Environment friendly; low power consumption and Auto Off function.

Two beautiful cabinet finishes: Satin Black and Simulated Rosewood.

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Roland RP-301R

Roland RP-301

Piano Sound

SuperNATURAL Piano Sound

SuperNATURAL Piano Sound

Sound Generator

Conforms to GM2/GS/XG Lite

--

Max. Polyphony

128 voices

128 voices

Tones

54 tones for manual performance, 1,131 tones (Including 45 Drum Sets) for SMF playback and external MIDI input performance

30 tones

Master Tuning

415.3 Hz to 466.2 Hz (adjustable in increments of 0.1 Hz)

415.3 Hz to 466.2 Hz (adjustable in increments of 0.1 Hz)

Transpose Key

Key Transpose: -6 to +5 (in semitones) Playback Transpose for SMF or internal songs: -6 to +5 (in semitones)

-6 to +5 (in semitones)

Effects Reverb

(Off, 1 to 10), Brilliance (-10 — 0 — +10)

(Off, 1 to 10), Brilliance (-10 — 0 — +10)

Only for Piano Tones

String Resonance (Always On) Damper Resonance (Always On) Key Off Resonance (Always On)

String Resonance (Always On) Damper Resonance (Always On) Key Off Resonance (Always On)

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“

I honestly feel I am just a median of the divine power and I am made the median to do this work. Before I go to the concert hall, I surrender to the divine power.

Shivkumar Classical Calling

Sharma

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Afreen Shakeel

We were part of a fabulous interview taken of Pandit Shivkumar Sharmaji by Juhi Chawla. What followed was nothing but a source of great delight. Shivji brought santoor to the Indian Classical music platform and how! Here’s a part of the conversation. For the full interview, log onto Skore.in Shivji, can you please enlighten us more about santoor?

I would like to tell my viewers that often people say santoor is a folk instrument. Let me clarify this again, it’s not a folk instrument. Instruments like flute, sarangi are folk instruments.

Santoor has been used since ancient days and still it is used in Sufi music. It’s correctly called Sufiana music. That means poetry of Sufi music is sung and santoor is played with that style of music, as an accompaniment. This santoor was used even before 14th century. It was used as an accompaniment in chanting of vedic scriptures. Santoor is also known as instrument of under strings.

This is its ancient history. It is still used in Kashmir.

Nobody had ever attempted classical music with a santoor until my father Pandit Uma Datt Sharmaji. He was a vocalist in Banaras. He started teaching me and local Banaras students.

Along with santoor, he taught tabla as well. Then he came up with this idea - why not introduce Classical music on santoor and make me the first ever musician to play Classical music with santoor?

This is how santoor came into Indian Classical music. That was in early 50s. I think I was 13 years old when I picked up santoor.

Who were the other influences in your musical journey which led you to create such incredible music?

First of all it was my guru, my father, Pandit Uma Datt Sharmaji.

He was a vocalist. I learned vocals and tabla from him. I played tabla professionally with musicians like Pandit Ravi Shankarji and many others when I was in college. Second influence would be my mother. She used to sing folk music, not professionally though, whenever she was free. Even when she was just sitting at home, she would sing some folk and this music then settled in her heart.

Besides that, I was influenced by the beauty of nature. That was my biggest inspiration. The sunrise, mountains, rivers, lakes and valleys. It was very beautiful in Jammu and Kashmir and I was exposed to that. That is how I got to master my instruments. I was actually interested in all types of music be it Kawaali or Gazal or Western Classical music or Indian Classical music or even Film music of 1950s. I was exposed to different type of music and that created my thinking.

As we understand, the mood is created and you play a different raag in that mood, when you’re playing. Is that what you love about this music?

Yes! That’s unplanned. It’s not fixed. That’s the beauty of our music and that’s why if you listen to the same musician in Indian Classical Music performing the same raag ten different times, it could be a different experience because music is not fixed. After I am done with my performance and you come to me and ask me to play the same music, I will not be able to exactly repeat that.

I’ll play something else. This surprises the foreign musicians and listeners. They often ask, “How is it possible?” Because their music’s thinking and planning is completely different. They have a note and they have to repeat that. They have to play the rehearsed music. But our music is absolutely different.

That is the beauty of Indian Classical Music. It’s total magic.

By god’s grace, I would like to add something here. What happens is, the language we speak and the language which is understood, we need to say, “I am doing it” or “I did that” but let me clarify this. I honestly feel I am just a median of the divine power and I am made the median to do this work. Before I go to the concert hall, I surrender to the divine power. I should not be in the wrong impression that I have done wonders and I have made santoor reach the top. No. I was a chosen one, I was lucky. But I have put my efforts, my hard work, I did my job. I have been performing for more than 50 years now and I have realized that it didn’t happen only because of my hard work or my practice or my efforts. I was made a median for which I am honestly grateful.

Moving on from this to Rahul, your son. He plays fusion music. What do you think of his kind of music?

Rahul has done big collaboration which has not been done by any other Indian musicians. Like collaborating with Richard Clayderman, a world renowned pianist. Then he has done another album with Kenny G. Namaste India is its name. Another album’s named Confluence. Lately he has also done an album with Deep Forest, one of the well known musicians of world.

Rahul is doing both. He does absolutely Indian classical music also and he is busy doing that and he does this also. But main is classical. He is the only musician who is taking santoor forward and adding something of its own to it. But what he has done in fusion music is something new and he had widened the scope of fusion music. I had not done it. By God’s grace, he is doing fine and I am, as his guru, helping him in his classical music. There are no traces of fusion music in his classical music. He maintains the purity of the classical music which I am very particular about.

Any words you would like to tell young musicians?

Often 2 questions are being asked to me. One – Why have I stopped giving music in films? Two – Do people still listen to Classical music?

I would like to give both the answers together. There was a point when we had to choose Film music or Classical music. We chose classical music because that was our priority. The answer to the second question lies in that itself. We chose classical music because people listen to that music. Classical music is alive, it’s very much popular for more the half a century. The number of people who come to classical concert has increased. Ten to fifteen thousand people come to listen but media doesn’t cover that music. I’m sorry to say this. There was a film festival in Dhaka where many great musicians were present. Right now, the political situation of Bangladesh is very bad. There were 72 hours band in Dhaka. The day I played, there were twenty two thousand people in audience.

The day Hariji was playing, there were thirty thousand people.

This is Classical music happening. Majority people who listen to this music were young people.

There are music festivals happening in all the university and colleges. Comparing film music with classical music would be wrong. We should never compare a niche art form with a pop art form. Compare the 50 years ago classical music to the classical music which is now. That’s the only suggestion I have for young listeners.

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The Carnatic

Watch This auspicious month of Margazhi has brought out some amazing talents and incredible insights. We spoke with a range of musicians, from very senior performers to upcoming talents, to understand the trends emerging this season in the carnatic world. Here are excerpts of our conversation: Ravikiran Narasimhan (Vocalist) How joyful is it to sing in this auspicious month of Margazhi among other equally talented singers?

I’m excited no matter where I perform.

It doesn’t matter what month. Any concert, I make sure that I play quality music. That being said Chennai has the world’s largest festival during this month. More than 3000 participants come and attend this season so there is a wide variety of an audience that come and play. Performing in this month is nice as it exposes us to different types of music.

What are your tips or secrets for an audiencepulling performance?

A good artist will concentrate on quality. He will make sure that he concentrates on delivering quality. His priority will be quality quality quality. He has to have the common sense to improve constantly and how exactly he should play.

What’s the latest trend you see rising during this masam in particular?

I don’t see any latest trend or anything but clearly, for me, it the media coverage that has improved over time. The media has

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a wider audience. Whether it’s The Times or The Hindu, the mainstream media and private media. The media coverage has definitely improved!

What was the best advice given to you by your guru?

I have 2 gurus. One is Chitravina Narasimhan and the second is Thanjavur Brinda. Both of them gave one basic advice. That you need to do your best without compromising on values.

What do you think is the difference between a college based education and private tutoring in music?

College education those days can only take you up to a point.

College based education in those days can take up to class one.

So, class one, you already learn music in a particular way then you’re talking about 2 years of kindergarten education 6 years or 8 years of college. In accurate terms of communication, can you basically divide A to Z depending on how talented you are? In the usual time, then try to at least figure out how many years it will take to get one college degree in visual arts. In the same time, figure out how many years it will take to learn that privately.

That will be one solid college education you won’t get anywhere else.

Chidambaram M Balashankar (Mridungam) How joyful is it to sing in this auspicious month of Margazhi among other equally talented singers?

Very interesting and inspiring. This is the time we get to show our best to the audience. We do a lot of homework.

You lose your sleep over a period of 20-30 days. You try and avoid as much repetition as possible. Keep on improving your own core lines or your own way of playing new types of lessons. It gives you a good conducive situation for you to develop new things, present it to the audience and share the joy with them. Margazhi is always exciting. It may take a toll on your body but on the stage you enjoy putting on a good performance. People come as far as US, Europe , Sri Lanka just to listen to music during this season so that gives a greater band of audience. You get to know so many people. You develop good friend and relationships from there to develop. During this season, the more concerts you the more charged up you get to play for the next one year.

What are your tips or secrets for an audience-pulling performance?

Whatever you play, the audience should understand what you are doing. People will look forward to a lot of melody. Today technically, we may be doing so many things that the audience will understand what exactly you’re doing. Ultimately the common person understands only the sound which comes out of it. If it is within that pattern, if it is organized, they tend to enjoy. The chances of you getting a repeated audience is high. That’s what we really work for.

What’s the latest trend you see rising during this masam in particular?

More and more newcomers! The youngsters are doing extremely well. Be it vocal or instrumental. Also, there’s a lot of exposure and media coverage. That’s a very welcoming factor in this season of Margazhi where almost once in 2-3 days you get a review of your performance or somebody else’s performance.

What was the best advice given to you by your guru?

I learnt under the great vidhwan Kumbakonam Rajappa Iyer. I am one of his senior most disciples. My guru is that the methodology of teaching brings out the potential in each individual.

He doesn’t tell to play in any style. He gives minimum input and asks the person to develop on his own. None of the students will play alike. They will have an individualistic style of playing. That helps a lot. If I was a disciple of some senior performing artist here, I will not be able to think beyond my guru. Whatever he plays will be my ultimate for me. In this case, my guru has sacrificed his professional career only to teach people and to develop them.

What do you think is the difference between a college based education and private tutoring in music?

Everybody has some potential; it is the responsibility of the guru to bring out the best in him. Unless he gives an individual attention to a disciple, that’s difficult. All those who attend music today Carnatic are aged above 60. What will happen after 10 years? The youngsters are not coming to listen to our people. Any youngster seen in a crowd must be learning music under the performer or known to them.

Audience is very lean; I feel it’s only going to get worse from here.

So, teaching in institutions will create more awareness. This can create a better audience which is very vital. One on one with audience or a good rapport with the artist is slowly vanishing because of the lean audience. Hopefully, it should develop from here.

Professor Kovai Chandran (Violin) How joyful is it to sing in this auspicious month of Margazhi among other equally talented singers?

What’s the latest trend you see rising during this masam in particular?

Latest trend is so many youngsters are singing and playing.

However, what I see is they need more exposure, I believe.

Not only the Margazhi season. When I come to a concert, I concentrate on my technique, have a very tense mind and have to make sure I do very well.

These are the things on my own mind because the violinist must have more knowledge on who the main artist is. If the artist has 100% knowledge the violinist must have 1000% knowledge. I don’t know what he’s going to sing. I concentrate on my technique. I have to make sure the both his voice and my violin technique are in sync otherwise the audience will suspect something is wrong.

What was the best advice given to you by your guru?

What are your tips or secrets for an audience-pulling performance?

I learnt private tutoring under my grandfather but I’m also teaching at a private college right now. Not all students will get a teacher like my grandfather. They have no musical background in the family so they have to get lessons from outside. Here in Chennai, there are so many eminent violinists but they don’t have any time to take any class for these poor children. So they come to college and take a regular class.

Performers have to practice for more than 24 hours. They have to listen to old musical concerts by old singers. This is the basic to learn and they can improve their knowledge then. (Pointing to his head) what is inside here, you have to concentrate on that.

I am from a musical family. My grandfather Kanagadevarya Swamy used to regularly play for MS Subhalakshmi all the time.

First I learnt mridanga but then I shifted to violin after 10 years where I learnt under Myailattu Mani and PM Chandrashekaran.

The best advice was to practice. Not 1-2 hours but 8-10 hours every day.

What do you think is the difference between a college based education and private tutoring in music?

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Anand Jayaram /Spurgeon Dannie Stephen

Sri Ranjani Santhanagopalan (Vocalist) How joyful is it to sing in this auspicious month of Margazhi among other equally talented singers?

I’m pretty excited! What makes this more special is that everybody, all the music lovers congregate all the month long that is what makes it really special. You not only listen to your performances but a lot of yourself and lot of the standards within a month. This month is completely devoted to Carnatic music this what makes it really special.

What are your tips or secrets for an audiencepulling performance?

There are no tips as such but it’s important you keep your voice intact. Personally, what I do is I keep sipping lukewarm water. I do that all the time. You should be moist in the throat. It will be very dry when you perform after kutcheries when you’re under a lot of stress. It’s natural to get dried up so you have to take a lot of lukewarm water. I take a little tea; it relaxes and calms me down.

What’s the latest trend you see rising during this

masam in particular?

I feel the media and involvement increases this month alone.

More awareness is created every time. I’ve seen it gets bigger and bigger every year but this time I have seen media involvement this Margazhi month increase drastically. So far this is my 7th interview. A lot of interviews, a lot of coverage!

What was the best advice given to you by your guru?

My father is my guru Neyveli Santhagopalan and the best advice he’s given me is to work on my strengths.

What do you think is the difference between a college based education and private tutoring in music?

College based education supports theory as well as practical as opposed to learning from guru in a gurukulam. I think there is more emphasis on practical learning - on how to perform and learn how to present a kruti. In college, a lot of professors like to depict in ideals and there is also a lot of emphasis on theory but I think that’s what it is. Theory is more practical where there is emphasis on practical as well.

Ashwath Narayan (Vocalist) How joyful is it to sing in this auspicious month of Margazhi among other equally talented singers?

I get to perform and listen to a lot of people. I value that more than my performances. This is like an opportunity for any musician to showcase all their capabilities. We all prepare really good performances in this month so when this month comes, my practice sessions and my preparations will be aside. When I go to other concerts of other musicians when I am not performing I need a lot of things to learn so that way it’s a very educative one.

What are your tips or secrets for an audiencepulling performance?

I would say presentation is a very important factor. Lot of people think that I was pressing a song the way I want it to be. It’s up to the audience to pick it up. I have a different opinion on that.

The performance is only there for the audience. The performance is a hit only if they are able to appreciate it. It is the duty of the musician to ensure the audience is able to enjoy whatever the musician is able to perform. It’s a success for any musician to reach out to the audiences.

What’s the latest trend you see rising during this masam in particular?

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I wouldn’t call it a trend but something which I noticed at my own performences and others too: I see a lot of youngsters breaking the notion that only older people come and attend Carnatic music concerts. I actually found that there a variety of people who attend any concert of the age group between 16-35.

What was the best advice given to you by your guru?

I learned from Mrs. Padma Narayan Swamy, wife of the great musician Paalgaad KV Narayanaswamy. The best advice she has given me till now was not to dilute or compromise musical standard for any reason.

What do you think is the difference between a college based education and private tutoring in music?

In any music college, there are a number of great musicians who teach music. It depends on what kind of music you’re learning.

One advantage I got when I learned privately is individual attention. As long as you get that in college, that is good. The advantage college students have is that they have a lot of peers around with whom they discuss with, they can jam. A lot of musical transference happens when listening to peers at that level so that is something that is very good. In a college, if you see a lot of students from different musical backgrounds come and get inspired. Different forms of music merge together a lot and knowledge is gained which can be really good.

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39

JESSICA

WOLff

in india live

It was a chilly winter evening in Bangalore and the crowd at Hard Rock Cafe were sipping from their beer glasses, with minutes to go for a band to come onstage. With a loud drum roll, the show began with a rock number and the lights dazzled. The quietly drinking crowd too could not help but get in the front owing to her contagious energy. We’re talking about Jessica Wolff who’s here on her Indian tour.

Give us a quote from your Kung Fu Master “You have to go down in order to get up”

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Do you own any sweet rides?

At the moment I’m riding a black/gold Honda CB 1000 R. It’s a bit big for me but it’s definitely a sweet one.

Quick acceleration, easy to ride in the city and a fast one!

Who do you draw your inspiration from?

I can find inspiration from pretty much anything that affects me. Life experiences, feelings, situations, emotions - pretty much anything. When it comes to other artists, Pink Floyd has inspired me a lot even thought the style is quite different. I love their work with the lyrics, the different dimensions in the sounds, atmospheres and the connection between the songs.

Are you enjoying your tour with HRC in India so far?

I’m having the time of my life and playing at the Hard Rock Cafe made it even better. The audience rocks!

How did you transition from musicals and ballads to Pop/Rock : walk us through on that.

What would you describe your music as?

After teaching me piano for a few years, my teacher started giving me Where do singing lessons as well after I turned you plan to 12. Since she was an opera singer it was natural that we started with tour after this?

Is this your first tour in India? What do you classical ballads. It wasn’t easy and look forward to here?

Finland, next I wasn’t allowed to sing anything spring Yes, it’s my first tour and first time I visit your country. else. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy Mostly the gigs but also learning more about to have roots in classical music. 3 your culture, see new places and years later she passed away in cancer connecting with the audience. So and for a while I lost my taste for singing far I’ve only had the chance to before finally finding a new teacher. By this time my Apart from take a 5 min walk from Hard interest for other styles of music had started picking music, what else Rock Cafe to the Hotel once, up and one day I randomly met a musician from a rock makes your blood but soon I’ll have a couple of band who offered to co-write. That’s when “You rush? free days which I will take full Should Get Over Me” was born and my path of advantage of and head out to music style took a big turn.

Many things, but here’s a few: explore!

Motor biking, kite surfing, Can you explain a bit more about your Kung-fu, skydiving, stunts, Do explain a bit more on roller coasters, and band and how you came together? your debut album and the climbing trees.

When I decide to focus full time on music, one of the message you think it sends. necessary tools was to find a band that could back me up.

The band members changed a bit on the way for various The songs are all connected to me in reasons but the lineup we have now is strong and solid. one way or another. Whether it’s an opinion The guys are like a family to me and I’m keeping them a thought, feeling or life experience. The album offers a close!! wide range of emotions and different subjects. The main message for the whole album is to stand up for yourself Is each video a physical and not to let others steer your life.

It’s guitar driven rock music balanced with pop, sound elements and strong lyrics.

You have pet Boa Constrictor, we hear. How did that come to be?

I love all animals except for rats and un-indentified flying objects (those huge weird bugs that come in all shapes and colors and sound like helicopters). When I moved from home I wanted to have a pet but a dog would be too much responsibility. I went to the pet shop, saw a baby boa and a week later he moved in. Now he is 8 years old, 15 kg and 2.5m long, but very friendly.

representation of what you feel when you writing that verse/song?

Yes, they’re definitely connected. I usually make the videos based on the lyrics and the energy in the music.

Review of her tour by Sujith Venkataramaiah on skore.in

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GEEK Station

This month we look at new products and related information.

We are pleased to announce the new Music Synthesizer MX49 and MX61. Here’s a little about the features one can find in these fresh-off-the-block synthesizers.

68,400/-

55,900/-

Product Overview The new MX series combines Motif sounds, USB Audio/MIDI connectivity and advanced DAW/VST controller features at a ground breaking level of affordability.

Over 1000 Sounds from the MOTIF Series The MX series contains more than 1000 Voices derived directly from the world famous Yamaha MOTIF series. From realistic acoustic sounds like piano, electric piano, strings, ethnic and drums to complex 8-element synth sounds, the MX has all of your favorite Motif Voices right at your fingertips. The newly designed category selection makes it easier than ever to find the Voice you need. You can even edit and store your own sounds right onboard.

16-Part Multi Timbral and 128-note Polyphony Each Performance contains not only the three sounds described above, but all the settings for a complete 16-Part Multi setting for play. You can switch between any of the 16 Parts without the sound cutting off.

With 128 notes of polyphony, there are plenty of notes to play even the densest sequences from your DAW. These features make the MX the perfect tone generator solution for live performance and live playback of DAW MIDI tracks.

Bi-directional USB Audio/MID Interfacing

VCM Effects MX synthesizers come equipped with VCM effects that simulate vintage effectors at the circuit level.

The sounds of the ’70s are brought back to life, through simulating the hard-to-find vintage sounds of equalizer, flanger, phaser and wah effects introduced by the keyboard legends of the era.

Easy Split / Layer Performance Mode for Instant Inspiration Performance Mode on the Motifs has always been the place to find instant inspiration and the MX is no different. You can easily combine two Voices to play on the keyboard using the dedicated Split and Layer buttons (each with their own intelligent arpeggiator), a dedicated Part for a drum track to create evocative Performances that feel like a whole band is playing. The 128 Performances on the MX are all user editable and come programmed with the latest club friendly grooves.

Who’s iT for: 42

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The First professional stage synth: Entry keyboardist who

wants to take Motif sound easily out in live performance.

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The MX doesn’t just control software DAWs and VSTs; it’s an audio interface as well. The audio converters on the MX are made for professional music applications so everything on your computer -- even games! -- will sound better when using the MX as the output.

The MX interface is bi-directional so you can record the internal sounds of the MX directly to your computer, without ever going to the analog domain, for the highest possible quality.

Complete Analog and Digital Connectivity In addition, the MX has a USB to Device port for storing MX data to external memory and even playing back wave files directly from a USB stick.

If you want to add a tablet or an MP3 player to your system, just connect to the AUX input using a mini stereo cable and you are ready to go.

For studio controller:

Non keyboardists such as producer who wants to have studio controller at home but also want to have compact synthesizer to play out in live

As a second keyboard:

Keyboardists who already bought Motif but wanting to have mobile solution to take out Motif sound to put up on the top of other keyboard.

EVENTS Galore

For more bleh, blah, boo on gigs and all things sound bound: knock on skore.in.

We’re watching you.

Here’s a glimpse of some of the events The Score Magazine has been organizing and attending.

Ember incognition/Trojan Horse Ember incognition is a 3 piece metalcore entity that combines technical and melodic riffing alongside solid percussion. Trojan Horse consists of Siva Sbk ,Hasnain Abbas,Siddhartha Ramanathan, Karun Ramani and Vishnu Reddy.

Rusty Moe This ScoreNight, we were all in for a Deep Purple tribute show surprise with Rusty Moe. Their love for Classic Rock is what brought the band together. Very much the aww.

Erik Truffaz We relived some great moments of wonder with Erik Truffaz’s quartet at CounterCulture, Bangalore. Here are the spoils. Special thanks to CC for such a good show!

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Jessica Wolff We caught up with Jessica Wolff at her show in Hard Rock Cafe Bengaluru.

Good time ensued.

Sound Awake Here’s a glimpse of what happened at Sound Awake. To say we’re blown away is to say very less.

Pentagram Pentagram. Opus. Bangalore. Three brilliant tools to make one’s night. And boy, what a night that was.

Usha Uthup Usha Uthup at OPUS for their 10th year anniversary celebrations. Nuff said.

Photo credits: Dannie S, Amyth Venkataramaiah,

Nikhil Kataria, Krishna, Nipun Garodia

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ISSN 0974 – 9128

January Vol 06 Issue 01 - January 2013

thescoremag

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` 50/-

India's NATIONAL Pan-Genre Music MagazinE

FEBRUARY

MS Gopalakrishnan, carnatic violinist, passes away.

ISSN 0974 – 9128

Vol 06 Issue 02 - February 2013

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Norah Jones tours India.

` 50/-

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My Bloody Valentine finally followed up 1991’s ‘Loveless’.

Anathema played at Saarang.

Feature

RUM&

COKE a confluence of influences

Muzik Lounge

VIJAY

YouTube

RATHINAM

GAANA WAALA

The AM studio Sound designer talks from the ground up

The song and the parody

Modi Digital

Cover Story

BAND OF THE MONTH

SONU NIGAM talks about how his karma caught up with him

AGAM The inner self awakens

Focus On

MARGAZHI A quick glimpse of this years action packed season

THE BOTTOM LINE: THE THIRD AND BEST LEG OF THE NH7 WEEKENDER CULMINATED BANGALORESTYLE

Blue Lotus Festival kicks off in Pushkar Rajasthan.

Muzik Lounge

RAJAKRISHNAN

Swedish House Mafia tour.

on breaking through with audiography.

FEST FOCUS

SUNBURN

We take a look at India’s most coveted EDM festival and somehow manage to penetrate the haze.

Adam Gontier, lead singer of the Canadian rock band ‘Three Days Grace’, resigns from the band, citing health concern.

Cover Story

Modi Digital

RAVI SHANKAR

BAND OF THE MONTH

BAREFACED LIAR

talks about how his karma caught up with him

The new young face of Indian Rock n Roll

SURAJ MANI

About tripping on Tattva and Rediscovery of the self.

A

Veteran singer Asha Bhosle debuts a lead actress role in ‘Mai’.

PUBLICATION

THE BOTTOM LINE: WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY. WE PRESENT TO YOU THE 5 WAYS TO SCREW UP YOUR GIG

Hammerfall goes on hiatus.

ISSN 0974 – 9128

MARCH

Vol 06 Issue 03 - March 2013

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MUZIK LOUNGE

AJITH ABRAHAM GEORGE Scores of experience in one neat package

COVER STORY

SUNIDHI CHAUHAN On why being magical needs only a large heart.

Armin tour.

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Women’s Day

SPECIAL

3 SUPERWOMEN ONE VICTORY revel in the girl power magic.

MODI DIGITAL

BAND OF THE MONTH

MODERN MAFIA

we caught them dressed down and unabashed

THE BOTTOM LINE: MOBS ARE GOOD ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY FILL YOUR COFFERS. CROWDFUNDING 101 ON PAGE 36

hitting the

Clive burr (Iron maiden drummer) dies.

16 year old Lorde’s massive hit Royals youngest solo artist to top billboard.

David Bowie releases ‘The Next Day’ after a 10 year hiatus.

My Chemical Romance announces breakup after 12 years being together.

Swedish Mafia announced final appearance at Ultra music Festival.

high notes & tempering the lows in the ISSN 0974 – 9128

Vol 06 Issue 07 - July 2013

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AMOK pulled off Spotify by Niged godrich starting the Spotify blowing up the Spotify vs musicians war.

July @highonscore

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AAT POWERS QUIRKS N QUERIES

VASUNDHARA DAS All charged up!

AUDIOPHILIC

Sudha Ragunathan received the title of Sangeetha Kalanidhi.

MUZIK LOUNGE

Chief Sound Engineer of Muzik Lounge Studios, Renjith Rajan gives us the bytes

STRINGS COVER STORY

BEATS THE SOLOMON GRUNDY OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY WITH THEIR AWESOMENESS

PARIKRAMA

Scores 22 a perfect tale of an incredible rock band.

Sony Music released Nikhil Chinapa’s debut compilation for Defected Records called ‘Defected in the House India 2013’.

september Vol 06 Issue 09 - September 2013

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August

Vol 06 Issue 08 - August 2013

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LOTS OF GROOVE, NO JUNK

COVER STORY

RAHMAN THE MAN WHO DRIVES THE INDIAN MUSIC ECO-SYSTEM + THE REFLECTIONS BOOK LAUNCH

FEST FOCUS: ZIRO FESTIVAL, THE PLACE TO BE THIS MONTH!

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BAND OF THE MONTH

Many people. One Band.

A Unique Identity.

PRIYANKA CHOPRA Takes the music charts by storm.

What makes her strategy tick?

STAR OF THE MONTH: BRODHA V, THE RAPPER/PRODUCER/COMPOSER/PROGRAMMER/SOUND ENGINEER.

Zubin Mehta got Tagore award for cultural harmony and had a concert in Kashmir.

Skyharbor became bigger & bigger. Went on UK tour.

Metallica releases its movie ‘Through The Never’ for a world Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

MTV VMAs and the whole Miley and Robin Thicke twerk shenanigans.

Eminent classical singer Raghunath Panigrahi dies

INDIAN OCEAN

YAMAHA POWERS: BAND OF THE MONTH

JUNKYARD GROOVE

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MEESHA SHAFI the tune of beauty

Sgt. Peppers went Platinum after 46 years.

AAT POWERS: QUIRKS N QUERIES

PRIYA PANCHAL

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AAT POWERS QUIRKS N QUERIES

Mumford and Sons go on Hiatus.

BEZUBAAN NO MORE!

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COVER STORY

Priyanka Chopra releases her single with PitBull ‘Exotic’.

BAND OF THE MONTH

STAR OF THE MONTH: BADTAMEEZ DIL KI SAHI AAWAZ: BENNY DAYAL 101!

ISSN 0974 – 9128

ISSN 0974 – 9128

Padmabhushan Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, his sons Murtuza, Qadir, Rabbani, Hasan and his 12-year-old grandson Faiz come together to create magic on Coke Studio@MTV with A.R.Rahman.

The first single from Lady Gaga’s ARTPOP titled ‘Applause’ released digitally globally.

‘YOU For Uttarakhand’: A crowdsourced music relief concert in aid of the Uttarakhand flood victims happened on the 8th of August at Blue Frog, Mumbai.

ISSN 0974 – 9128

April

Vol 06 Issue 04 - April 2013

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Deftones bassist Chi Cheng passes away.

ISSN 0974 – 9128

Daft Punk release ‘Get Lucky’.

CELEBRATE THE

60TH NATIONAL AWARD WITH

MUSIK LOUNGE and its winning sound teams!

Modi Digitalʼs

BAND OF THE MONTH

THERMAL & ABasking QUARTER in the

COVER STORY

NORAH JONES VASUDHA SHARMA

3 wheels of their 9 lives

AAT POWERS

QUIRKS N QUERIES

As she relives her experience at the wake of her crowd funded album

On the precious moments that made her whole as she tours India

CELEBRATE RECORD STORE DAY AND TAKE AN INFORMED STANCE FOR THE INDEPENDENT INDIAN MUSIC SCENE. UP FOR THE CHALLENGE?

Vol 06 Issue 06 - June 2013

Rush inducted into Rock and Roll hall of fame in Nokia Theater California.

Shailendra Singh - Joint Managing Director, Percept Limited and Sunburn – became the first Indian to be listed in the prestigious “50 Most Powerful people in EDM 2013”.

June

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Avicii releases first single ‘Wake me up’ from the Album ‘True’.

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June 21st is seen as World Music day.

Hauz Khas village in Delhi joined in the festive spirit with its own celebration of ethnic professional and amateur artists.

AUDIOPHILIC

MUZIK LOUNGE the first woman sound engineer M Gita Gurappa

AAT POWERS QUIRKS N QUERIES

SHRUTI PATHAK COVER STORY

SALIM SULAIMAN TAMING THE BOLLYWOOD SHREW

the muse of the melodic

BAND OF THE MONTH

Australian percussionist Ben Walsh returned with his show LOOP ZERO designed especially for India. What a homecoming that was.

WORKSHOP the band with no dearth of drama

FROM YOUTUBE WITH LOVE : MIKEY MCCLEARY  OLD COMPOSITION, NEW AVATARS

Baba Honey’s ‘Brown Legs’ video goes viral.

ISSN 0974 – 9128

Vol 06 Issue 05 - May 2013

May

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AUDIOPHILIC

MUZIK LOUNGE Siva Kumar of Panchathan studio shares his sound judgement

BAND OF THE MONTH

SOULMATE Blues, the

COVER STORY

BOMBAY

color of our Soulmate

JAYASHRI RAMNATH

AAT POWERS QUIRKS N QUERIES

AKRITI KAKKAR

the “Chick on

Fire”

THE INTERNATIONAL FACE OF CARNATIC MUSIC A CAPPELLA HAS A NEW ADDRESS ON YOUTUBE : THE WALKING TALKING SENSATION CALLED ALLA WARDI

Manson Guitar Works Auctions a Rare MB-1 Guitar signed by Muse with all profits going to charity.

Label company Universal signs on Yo Yo Honey Singh.

Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman passes away.

Rock legends BLACK SABBATH will release their brand new studio album titled 13.

The Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek dies.

Indian Ocean, the band, called upon their fans to say no to animal circuses, in a peta ad just in time for world music day.

Las Vegas rock quartet Imagine Dragons’ first album, ‘Night Visions’, debuts at No. 2 on Billboard 200, selling 83,000 copies in its initial week of release.

Musical Year ISSN 0974 – 9128

October

Vol 06 Issue 10 - October 2013

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HINDI ROCK GETS PROGRESSIVE

ISSN 0974 – 9128

QUIRKS N QUERIES

MILI NAIR THE UPCOMING SINGER ON BRINGING LIFE TO MUSIC

ANUSHKA

MANCHANDA THE INDIE-DESI-ALTERNATIVE HUMAN JUKEBOX

Vol 06 Issue 12 - December 2013

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Paul McCartney releases ‘New’.

Sinead O’connor - Miley cyrus open letters.

YAMAHA POWERS BAND OF THE MONTH

SIFAR

December

Lou Reed dies.

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of 2013 that was

TUNE IN WITH

HUMBLE THE POET FOR HIP HOP LIKE NEVER BEFORE

Something Relevant tried to become relevant again by changing their name to Baycity lights.

YAMAHA POWERS BAND OF THE MONTH

MONICA COVER STORY

LAGORI SOUL MEETS MODERN AND HOW

DOGRA

IN THE VEINS OF THE REAL WORLD STAR

Vishak Iyer

Mike Portnoy featuring Neal Morse Band performs at IIT Bombay on December 20th, the first day of the four-day cultural festival Mood Indigo.

Avicii India Tour takes place in Mumbai, Delhi and Banglore.

Famous playback singer Asha Bhosle celebrates 80th birthday by performing a concert in Dubai.

WITH STEVE AOKI, MONTY SHARMA & VIOLINIST GANESH KUMARESH. DITTY IN. SPACE OUT. ANU MALIK: THE BIG DADDY OF BOLLYWOOD MUSIC STRIKES AGAIN

Hoobastank performs at Oktober fest in Banglore.

Famous Actor-Director Farhan Akhtar comes back onto the Live music circuit with his band, ‘Farhan Live’ makes his debut in Chennai.

Nikhil Chinapa bust up with Sunburn.

Jonas brothers breakup.

November ISSN 0974 – 9128

Vol 06 Issue 11 - November 2013

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Q&A

NEERAJ SHRIDHAR THE LAST VIKING

KAILASH KHER COVER STORY

YAMAHA POWERS BAND OF THE MONTH

IN THE EPICENTER OF THE INDIAN MUSIC COMMUNITY

REPTILIAN DEATH TRIGGERS THE INDIAN METAL ONSLAUGHT

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH VIJAY IYER, DAN ESTRIN OF HOOBASTANK AND WILBUR SARGUNARAJ

RIP Cheb I sabah, club DJ who pushed the boundaries by mixing various styles of music dies of cancer.

Queen Bey. ‘nuff said.

Baiju Dharamajan released biography about his days with the influential Motherjane.

Nicky Romero (#7 from the top 50 DJ’s )performs in Mumbai as part of Sunburn festival and his India tour.

The Raghu Dixit Project are released their much-anticipated second album, ‘Jag Changa’.

The

Score Magazine

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