BANGALORE: Indian folk music has always enlightened souls across the nation. The familiar tunes of Tabla, Mrudangam, Violin, Matka and many other instruments soothe our senses in a rhythmical manner. One such contemporary Indian band, Swarathma, performed in the city after touring Lucknow, Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad. The concert was part of the ‘Restless Tour’ to promote their second album, Topiwalleh, that is quickly mustering fans across the country. The face of the band, Vasu Dixit, was bursting with energy and enthusiasm. He interacted with the audience cheerfully and brought life on to the stage with his colourful nuances. A brass band comprising of four members inaugurated the opening act for the show. During the concert, the album was released by a bunch of kids from the audience, just like the band wanted. Indeed, they were ‘restless’, with exhilaration, while interacting with the local crowd. Even those who were not exactly ‘fans’ connected with their songs as they were local problems reverberated on a national scale. Jishnu and Sanjeev expressed, “It is the voice of an irrelevant generation, injected with humour.”A band that is socially sensitive and active, Swarathma, echoes the voice of millions of Indian who are infuriated with the system of governance and want to break the monotony of stereotypes in the society. Topiwalleh is a rhythmical satire on the political arena of the country. The title track is a graphic mockery of the ‘Netajis’, who are usually seen with a white ‘Topi’. By adding colour and pattern to the ‘symbol of the era of Netas’, they voice their opinion. Aaj ki taaza fikar is another ironical tale of the 24X7 breaking news channels that usually begin with Aaj ki taaza khabar. In addition, Duur Kinara highlights the legal issues regarding water problems over the river Cauvery. This was composed for the show The Dewarists on Star World, in collaboration with carnatic music sensation — Shubha Mudgal. Loy Mendonsa, the producer of the album says, “They are a great live band with a lot of colour and a nice Indian touch to the performance. I have always liked the kind of songs they have written and the social messages their lyrics carry.” Like the variegated backgrounds that the band members come from, so are their tastes in music. With a panorama of genres, styles and musical arrhythmia, they bring together their individuality in one conglomeration. Sanjeev Nayak, violinist, grew up listening to western classical, orchestral and carnatic music. At the same time, Jishnu Dasgupta (bassist) indulged in blues and jazz and Vasu (rhythm guitarist and lead vocals) delved into iconic legends like Jimi Hendrix, Queen and Freddy Mercury. Even so, their music is a confluence of such far reaching influences which is evident from songs like Koorane, that is interspersed with Caribbean beats. The songs elaborates on the atrocities of consumerism and inflation. Other band members — Pavan Kumar KJ (percussion), Montry Manuel (drummer) and Varun (lead guitarist) — have equally different music interests. According to Jishnu, this is what brings them together to create something magical.The folk-fusion-rock band has evolved from it’s first self titled album, three years ago. The amalgamation of traditional instruments like Matka and Violin with hardcore modern equipment like bass, guitar and drums weaved a melody of beats that complimented the energetic vocals by Vasu. The Kannada, Hindi and English songs appealed to people of all ages and communities, as was clear from the ‘Restless Tour’. After the sound check track, ‘Ellogli’, the audience expected an action charged performance, which they delivered. Yeshu Allah aur Krishna, Khul ja re and Pyaar ke rang were among the other tracks played. “We are obliged by the fabulous response from fans across India, and the word spread by them about our music”, says Vasu Dixit.
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