Unchained Melody: IndianOcean
 |
|
SPOTLIGHT
|
 |
|
Unchained Melody: IndianOcean
*Bhumika Raina |
|
|
 |
|
“Indian Ocean” rose to eminence with their notable song “Kandisa”, an Aramaic prayer from their third album “Kandisa”, released on March 2000, which transformed them into India’s most distinguished and creative band. The album has compilation of eclectic music in Hindi, Kashmiri, Bengali, Aramaic and Bhilali. The Kashmiri Lyrics in a song “Kaun” is written by Indira Killam, mother of drummer Amit Kilam and has other traditional hit numbers like “Ma Rewa”, “Hille re”,” Khajuraho” etc. They have also released albums like Indian Ocean in 1993,Desert Rain in 1997 and Jhini in 2004, which was composed as soundtrack for the movie Swaraj- The Little Republic.
Susmit Sen on guitar and Asheem Chakravarthy on tabla/tarang/drums formed the band in 1990 but the seeds of formation were sown during various jamming sessions and concerts since 1984. The name “Indian Ocean” for the band was suggested by Sushmit Sen’s Dad. Rahul Ram, a schoolmate of Susmit Sen joined the duo in 1991 as filler for Bass guitar / vocals and Amit Kilum joined the trio latter as the band’s drummer, Percussionist & Vocalist. Susmit and Asheem are band’s vocalists too. Unlike the popular belief of an Indo-fusion band, Indian Ocean prefers calling their genre as “Indian Ocean Music”. Their music has a very contemporary yet mystical, soulful, revolutionary and traditional touch to it. Indian Ocean has also created soundtracks for bollywood movies Swaraj, Black Friday, Hulla and Bhoomi. The song "Bandeh" from movie “Black Friday” was positioned #2 on the film charts. Rahul Ram and Ahseem Chakravarthy sang the song “Yaara Maula” from Anurag’s Kashyap’s movie on politics ‘Gulaal’ released in 2009.“Leaving Home” and “Beware Dogs” are two documentaries made on life and music of Indian Ocean. |
“Shehjar” spoke with Indian Ocean on the past, present and future of their music. 1. How would you best describe Indian Ocean and its music?Indian Ocean: THIS HAS BEEN A QUESTION WHICH HAS BEEN ASKED EVER SINCE WE STARTED MAKING MUSIC AND PLAYING TOGETHER SOME 19 YEARS AGO BUT YET IT REMAINS A QUESTION FOR WHICH WE HAVE NO ANSWER. WE DON’T KNOW WHICH CATEGORY OF MUSIC WE FIT IN SO WE SIMPLY CALL IT "INDIAN OCEAN MUSIC ". 2. How did you all meet and who came up with the band name “Indian Ocean” ?Indian Ocean: THE BAND STARTED OFF AS A DUO BY SUSMIT SEN AND ASHIM CHAKRAVORTY AND GREW FROM THERE. RAHUL JOINED SOMETIME LATER, THE LAST AND THE YOUNGEST MEMBER TO JOIN WAS AMIT KILAM, INTERESTINGLY SUSMIT AND RAHUL ARE FROM THE SAME SCHOOL AND KNEW EACH OTHER THEN AS WELL BUT NEVER KNEW EACH OTHER’S INTEREST IN MUSIC AND NEVER PLAYED WITH EACH OTHER THEN. WE WERE ALL SITTING AT SUSMIT’S HOUSE THINKING OF NAMES FOR THE BAND AND SUSMIT’S FATHER SUGGESTED INDIAN OCEAN AND WE ALL JUMPED AT IT ,LOVED IT INSTANTLY SINCE THEN WE HAVE NEVER HAD SUCH A UNANIMOUS DESICION ON ANYTHING ELSE. 3. Is it easy / hard for you all to resolve your disagreements if any and arrive at a conclusion for a song or tune? Indian Ocean: WHEN THERE ARE 4 VERY FERTILE MINDS WORKING TOGETHER AND ALSO FOUR STARKLY DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES GETTING TOGETHER THERE IS BOUND TO BE SOME FRICTION BUT HAVING SAID THAT WE ARE A VERY DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATION AS WELL UNLESS ALL FOUR AGREE THE SONG NEVER SEE'S THE LIGHT OF DAY 4. Challenges Indian Ocean has encountered since its inception?Indian Ocean: THE BIGGEST HAS BEEN GETTING THE RIGHT AUDIENCE AS THERE WAS NO ONE WHO WAS DOING MUSIC LIKE OURS . THE TIME WHEN WE STARTED PEOPLE WERE PLAYING COVERS ORIGINAL MUSIC , AS SUCH WE DID NOT HAVE A READY AUDIENCE AND EVERYONE WHO WE KNEW USED TO SAY THAT WHAT WE ARE DOING WILL NEVER SUCCEED ETC ETC THAT BATTLE STILL RAGES ON. 5. Apart from making soulful music for private albums and bollywood movies you all are also involved in charitable events. Please tell us something about those concerts.Indian Ocean: WE DON’T THINK WE ARE IN ANY POSITION TO DO "CHARITY " AS SUCH WE JUST DO OUR BIT, TO TRY AND HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING FOR THE LARGER GOOD WE LOVE IT AS SOME OF THE BEST AUDIANCES WE HAVE BEEN AT THESE EVENTS 6. After "Kandisa" became one of the most loved albums of contemporary Indian music, How have your lives changed since then?Indian Ocean: WELL WE ALL HAVE MONEY TO LIVE COMFORTABLY HAHAHAHAHAH . BUT ON A SERIOUS NOTE IT HAS OPENED MANY DOORS FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL AND ALSO HAS LED TO MORE ALBUMS ETC, IN GENRAL IT PUT US ON THE MAP SO TO SPEAK . 7. How would you best describe your music in bollywood projects Shoonya and Black Friday? Do you enjoy live concerts or making movie soundtracks?Indian Ocean: THIS WILL SOUND CLICHED BUT WE LOVE THEM BOTH AS WITH OUT ONE THERE WON’T BE THE OTHER. THE PROJECTS WE HAVE WORKED ON SO FAR HAVE BEEN GREAT AS THE POEPLE WHO WERE MAKING THESE FILMS KNOW THE SORT OF MUSIC WE DO AND DID NOT ASK US TO COMPROMISE ,WHICH WE AREN’T WILLING TO DO SO THAT MADE THE PROJECT ALL THE MORE LOVELY. 8. Please let us know your Musical InfluencesIndian Ocean: FOUR DIFFERENT PEOPLE FOUR DIFFERENT INFLUENCES RAHUL LISTENS TO A LOT OF JAZZ, INDIAN CLASSICAL REGGAE. SUSMIT LIKES A LOT OF INDIAN CLASSICAL AND WESTERN CLASSICAL. AMIT IS A BIG FAN OF DEEP PURPLE AND BOLLYWOOD WITH A LOT OF CLASSIC ROCK, ASHIM IS A GREAT ADMIRER OF A LOT OF CLASSICAL MUSICIANS AND HIS MOM WHO WAS A SINGER HERSELF. 9. Future Concerts, Album and Bollywood ProjectsIndian Ocean: WE WILL BE IN THE US IN SEPTEMBER AND OCT . Indian Ocean website WWW.INDIANOCEANMUSIC.COM WILL HAVE ALL THE DETAILS . WE SHOULD HAVE NEW ALBUM BY NEXT YEAR AND WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON FEW BOLLYWOOD PROJECTS- LETS SEE WHEN THEY RELEASE. 10. Message for aspiring Musicians.Indian Ocean: JUST KEEP PLAYING AND HAVE FUN AT IT .MONEY AND FAME WILL COME IN DUE TIME. JUST ENJOY THE PROCESS… LOVE & PEACE |
  |
 |
 *Bhumika Raina is the Youth Editor of Shehjar Magazine. She was raised in Mumbai, India. She has graduated from New Jersey Institute of Technology in Computer Engineering and is presently working in the IT department at Mass Mutual, MA.Her passions and interests are Travelling, Spirituality, Reading, Music, History and Creative Writing. |
|
|
| Copyrights © 2007 Shehjar online and KashmirGroup.com. Any content, including but not limited to text, software, music, sound, photographs, video, graphics or other material contained may not be modified, copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, or distributed in any form or context without written permission. Terms & Conditions. The views expressed are solely the author's and not necessarily the views of Shehjar or its owners. Content and posts from such authors are provided "AS IS", with no warranties, and confer no rights. The material and information provided iare for general information only and should not, in any respect, be relied on as professional advice. Neither Shehjar.kashmirgroup.com nor kashmirgroup.com represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement, or other information displayed, uploaded, or distributed through the Service by any user, information provider or any other person or entity. You acknowledge that any reliance upon any such opinion, advice, statement, memorandum, or information shall be at your sole risk. |
|
|
