The lead vocalist and base guitarist of one of Bengaluru’s most popular pop rock bands – Best Kept Secret — Behram Siganporia was in Hyderabad to perform at a private event. Heading a youthful and exuberant boy-band influenced by the eclectic genres of electro and funk, Behram is one of the most popular young musicians in south India and his band is a regular visitor to Hyderabad having performed at its favourite watering holes (Fat Pigeon and Olive amongst others), flea markets as well as music and college festivals.
The 29-year-old who trained to be a professional pilot shares the story which brought his band together. “One of our common friends was getting married and knew that I played the guitar. He wanted me to play with his other musician friends (Hemanth and Abhilash) the night before his wedding. The chemistry between us was great and we started to jam together. One thing led to another and the band happened before we knew it,” he recalls.
Exciting year The members are looking forward to their US trip
The young singer was always interested in singing and was a part of school and college bands as well as a part of his school choir, he rattles off his childhood playing list which is big on the music of the 80s – Queen, Bon Jovi and Michael Jackson. These influences stayed with him and the band’s initial performances included a lot of music of Behram’s teenage idols. He reminiscences about his initial playing days and muses, “Initially, apart from these names, we were into a lot of Coldplay and Maroon 5 as we loved their playlists. Then we decided to take it to the next level and started producing original music.” The band has come up with three original songs ( Moving On , Can’t let you go and You and I ) and is bringing out their first album later this year.
Behram says that playing their own numbers and performing on covers of other singers, both come with their own set of challenges. He confesses, “Each person has his/her tastes and preferences, so it’s not possible to please everyone. Some like our original content while others like our rendition of covers. However, the biggest challenge in India, is for an English band to succeed as it’s still a niche area and when you say music, only two things come to mind: Bollywood or regional numbers.”
Best Kept Secret does about 100 gigs a year and has performed in over 35 countries across the world including Asia and Europe. Kicked up about their forthcoming debut tour to the US later this year, Behram feels that his inspiration comes from the fact that no two crowds are similar. “Each performance brings with it something new, there is always something to learn. The fact that a capacity crowd has come to listen to us, out of their own interest and expect something from us keep us going. The fans keep the adrenalin levels high and keep us on our toes while performing,” he shares. Claiming that his journey has just begun, Behram adds, “We’ve just got going and our careers are only taking off still but looking back it’s been an amazing ride. We started off as a small band in a local pub and now are able to sell ₹2000 tickets. We are looking forward to reaching greater heights.”
