The Malayalam indie music scene is definitely rocking with more bands entering the industry showcasing their brand of music. And Drutaah, a six-member women’s band is proving that they are more then just pretty faces. The band was formed by Parvathy Ravikumar and her friend Sam Shah, who now manages the group. “Both of us love music and wanted to set foot in the music industry. However, we soon realised that unless one had money or influence, it would be tough,” says Parvathy, a former operations manager at Increation Media.
Parvathy also noticed that many women who were passionate about music were often tied up in social constraints. “They often had to give up their musical dreams for either lack of support or to look after the needs of the family.”
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Realising she would have to carve her own path in the music industry and also wanting to encourage more women to pursue their music ambitions, Parvathy decided to start an all-women’s band. After several auditions and jamming sessions, a band was formed. The group chose the name Drutaah, which means swift.
From the original line-up of the band, only Parvathy, Malavika Sundar and Mirza Mohan remain. Right now, Drutaah comprises Parvathy, Mirza, Ajna Surumi, Athulya Martin and Ursula Mohan.
Ursula, the bass guitarist, the oldest of the group, is a nurse. She quit her job to focus on music and the troupe. “It was my husband, Lintu Joseph, who encouraged me to rekindle my love for music,”she says.
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Her sister, Mirza is the band’s drummer. Mirza started learning the drums when she was in class four. She admits it’s tough being in a male-dominated field. “The male drummers often look at me condescendingly. That changes once I start to play though,” grins the law student. While Malavika, the band’s violinist, is pursuing a Master’s degree in Geology from University of Calicut, Athulya, who plays the keyboard, is doing her Bachelor’s in Biotechnology in Thrissur.
Ajna, the lead guitarist, says it was her mother who suggested she learn to play the guitar as she felt it suited her personality. “Although I come from an orthodox Muslim family, I am thankful my parents have been supportive of my musical ambitions,” she says.
Drutaah’s music is a blend of folk, Carnatic and Western music. “Although our taste in music may differ, our innate passion for music binds us together. We experiment with music and come up with a mixed genre. We recently mixed the Sari padam in Kathakali with Western beats,” say the girls. Next up is a concert at the Irinjalakuda Fest on November 5. They admit that it is tough to battle prejudices. “Initially, we were not taken seriously because of the gender. It was only after a couple of performances that we began to get noticed. We work hard on our music; we give it our all,” says Mirza.
The band is working on an album, which comprises original tracks. Says Parvathy: “Through Drutaah we want to inspire women to make their musical dreams come true too.”