It is four days before the performance and its members Amit Kilam, Himanshu Joshi, Rahul Ram, Tuheen Chakravorty and Nikhil Rao take time out to talk about their new album, changing music scene and the secret to sustain in the industry.
Excerpts from an interview:
Tell us about your new album ‘Tandanu’
Tandanu is our seventh album. It’s a collaboration with seven stalwarts Shankar Mahadevan, Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, V Selva Ganesh, Kumaresh Rajagopalan, Shubha Mudgal, Karsh Kale and Vishal Dadlani on seven songs.
This list has three vocalists and four instrum-entalists, from varied styles including classical and semi classical music, fusion / world music, Bollywood music, independent ‘Indie’ music. It was a terrific experience writing this album with these greats. This is also the first album we have worked on since Asheem passed away and Susmit left the band.
Do believe you have regained your midas touch with this album?
We have already been playing the new songs (sometimes with the collaborators and mostly on our own) to audiences already. The response we have got is great.
Did you expect this kind of recognition when you started out?
Recognition /Celebrity status is not something that Indian Ocean ever set out to achieve. The band was formed by a collection of people that wanted to play music that they liked. Even today all songs pass through a rigorous internal assessment.
We do not record and release songs unless all of us are satisfied with it. Popularity and recognition is a happy by-product of playing our ‘OWN’ music
How can a musician retain his/her signature style. In other words, what is the secret to sustain in this industry.
Every musician is unique in their ability, influences and where they want to take their music. Be true to that. Do music that interests you and makes you happy.
Do not aim to please a certain audience by playing a certain kind of music. Do what you love and soon enough others will appreciate and love it too.
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Facebook: >Friday Review November Fest 2014
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