There are artistes who make music for mere entertainment and there is Antarman who believe in making soul connections every time they have an audience. The Mumbai-based trio reinterprets folk songs from Eastern India with a contemporary style and endeavours to live up to their name, which means making a connection with the inner consciousness.
In Bengaluru recently to interact with musicians here, the group, comprising Rahul Mukherjee, Randeep Bhaskar and Pooja Shankar, talk about their journey and what makes their music soulful.
Pooja starts by saying they love Bengaluru. “It is an absolute joy being here. It is a magical city with amazing weather, people and food.” Rahul and Randeep chorus: “Specially the food!” Pooja goes on: “The entire city is musical and the whole purpose of our visit is to meet musical friends. We are planning something big, which is in the pipeline and we hope to get some focus during our interactions here. We will be able to announce it in a few months.”
Commenting on Bengaluru’s music scene, the trio agree that it’s one of the cities where there is a lot of independent music. Rahul points out: “The music playing on your radio stations is just one example of how this city perceives music and it is extraordinary. We are Bengalis and we have grown in a similar environment, but this city has always had a special place for music and artistes and we only see it growing stronger.”
Moving on to talk about their music, Pooja explains that their music is for everybody. “It connects you to your soul. You should feel that this is your song. That is what we try to achieve.” Rahul adds: “The name itself is the answer. That is what music is to us. We try to keep it honest and capture emotions to serve it as raw as possible. It is the product of the balance between our head and heart.”
While being rooted in folk and traditional tones, the group dabbles with rock, dance music and other contemporary styles that got them widespread recognition and awards with their eponymous debut album last year. The unbridled energy and rhythmic hooks in their songs make their compositions palatable to music lovers across languages.
Pooja elaborates: “If people can find even a bit of themselves in our songs, then we’ve achieved what we set out to do. We want them to see their reflection in our songs.” Rahul adds: “I want people to be unsatisfied when they listen to us and keep coming back for more.” Randeep chips in with, “If we have to talk we can talk. But when we want people to really listen to us, we’d rather sing.”
Formed in 2010, the trio discovered that they had similar tastes when they met at a concert in Delhi. While Pooja was actively involved in performance arts, it was her voice that caught Rahul and Randeep’s attention. Similarly, the two male singers, disciples of renowned classical vocalist Pandit Mani Prasad of Kirana Gharana, are trained Indian classical vocalists with numerous playback songs to their credit. Pooja says: “We are on a beautiful journey.” Rahul and Randeep add: “This gives us a sense of liberation. We want to do some good with it for our future generations.”
More a family than a band, Pooja says: “I’m the anchor, I hold them both together. Rahul bonds everyone with love and Randeep is the wise one.”
To those who aspire to be singers and musicians, the trio say: “We are coming out very soon with a big reveal. Antarman will support you. Anybody who feels like they can be a singer can contact us. Very soon, we will be catering something to help you all.”
