Every city has an inherent musical flavour that represents its roots. Hyderabad’s soundscape, which many felt couldn’t go beyond films, is nurturing its own indie culture, albeit at a slow pace. City bands like Threeory, Capricio, Godless, E-Cube Musical, Akshar, and independent artistes like Roll Rida, Pranav Chaganty and Akram have caught the pulse of listeners, producing unique contemporary music across wide genres. Yet, their impact seems minimal in comparison to the audiences that visiting indie counterparts draw while in the city. Global musicians Agam, Thaikkudam Bridge or a Lagori warrant more attention from the organisers and crowds at music fests and concerts in Hyderabad.
Market-driven approach
City-based musician Meghraj Ravindra, popular for his Telugu raps, singles and musical collaborations says, “Indie culture is existent; we tend to produce more covers than originals. Even when we produce originals, it’s important to understand the packaging and demographics of a target audience; it’s a product at the end of the day.” He finds the organisers and audiences are overwhelmed to see people from other parts of the country coming to perform in the city.
The preference of non-local bands to Hyderabadi groups can be attributed to the organisers’ market-driven approach. The rising fascination for EDM has restricted the scope for live performances by local bands. “It’s the money that drives things here than the promotion of a particular art or a culture. We need to nurture an ecosystem, find affordable places/prices to create a trend to ensure more collaborations and musical exchanges,” Meghraj adds.
Musicians like Roll Rida and Rahul Sipligunj have expressed their love for native roots through their indie numbers. Many other bands have however, tried too hard to ape their western, or other city counterparts in the rock, jazz and metal arena. “Film industry is, in a way, is responsible for that. That’s also why Hyderabadi bands don’t find space in other cities. There’s enough local talent flourishing there. Many pubs give opportunities for youngsters to perform in Hyderabad in exchange for a couple of beers, easy money. That’s how serious they are about building a culture! With the popular venues, the scope for a performance by a local band doesn’t even arise,” adds Ernest Abraham of Hyderabad-based E-Cube Musical.
Can venue-specific contracts help local bands find their audience? Not many local musicians are in favour of that, as they feel it chokes a musician in terms of opportunities and reach.
Break the mould
It’s also important that local bands realise what works and what doesn’t for crowds. Enhancing the range of a band within/beyond the city also requires one to find the right contact base and go beyond regional languages. “It gives a richer experience to the audience. Hyderabad bands must be sportive to come together, jam, maybe form a huge project, create an album in multiple languages and perform in many cities,” adds Ernest Abraham.
Bands like Swarathma (Bengaluru), Thermal and a Quarter (Bengaluru), Girish and the Chronicles (Sikkim) have headlined many musical acts alongside Hyderabad-based bands, extending the latter’s reach. Mayur Jalan of The Moonshine Project avers that it’s unfair to say local bands aren’t getting their due, “Local talents get to a play a lot in the city. This has got to do with saturation too. Organisers move on to bands from other cities to break away from the mould.”
Non-local music talent has got better audiences for Mayur’s events, he has channelised their reach to help local bands with musical acts in such shows. More focus on albums and marketing is necessary for local bands to scale up the popularity charts. ‘ Inta gelichi, raccha gelavali ’ reads a popular Telugu adage; a strong foundation in a home base helps bands explore other cities with greater confidence.
