The music section of Alliance Francaise’s cultural Indo-French extravaganza, Pondy Partages – 2015 got off to an electrifying start on Saturday with performances by Azarak and Krishna’s Temple Rock.
Azarak is an Indo-French duo, with Alexandre Jurain on the esraj (a string instrument) accompanied by Sukanta Bose’s soothing vocals. At a time when fusion music has come to mean many things, Krishna Kumar, band leader of Krishna’s Temple Rock, is quite clear about what their music entails.
“Our compositions draw from Carnatic music. Some are from legends like Saint Thygaraja, and others are our own. The accompanying music include Western instruments such as the saxophone, keyboard and guitar, played in their original style. We have harmonised these styles,” says Mr. Kumar, who lends the vocals.
Mr. Kumar says he hopes to attract the Indian youth to the sounds of Carnatic music served in a contemporary style that has strains of rock and jazz music. Mishko M'ba, bass guitarist, puts it in simple terms, “It is not fusion music, it is symbiotic.”
This quality of syncretising contrasting elements is what sets this Puducherry band’s music apart and endeared them to the audience at their performance. The vibrant sound was also made possible through innovations such as band member J. Sowri Rajan’s contraption: the tavil drum (which is played in temples) alongside the ghatam and regular drums.
Aman Mahajan on keyboard, Vijii Cheyur on the electric guitar and Mathew Littlewood on saxophone proved the perfect foil, as the band belted out their popular numbers like the mantra Tryambakam, Vathapi Ganapathim and Mr. Kumar’s own composition PaPaPa.
Pondy Partages will continue with a line-up of interesting events including a puppet show Pacotille by Ci Crea on February 4, and a seminar on India and the Great War on February 7.
