The Magicians
A few phone calls, a delayed flight and after searching around the D.Y.Patil college grounds in Nerul, I finally spotted Amit Kilam (Drums) on stage. The Band had just arrived from Delhi for the performance, the sound check had been delayed, the scene was typical of any college fest – organized chaos. Looking slightly knackered and a bit bored after the long Delhi – Mumbai flight and a further hour or more by road, he walks over and says ‘Hello..’ seemingly quite relieved at my arrival. Rahul Ram (Bass guitar) and Susmit (Guitar) are nowhere in sight, when asked he says “Oh it would be difficult for all three of us to do an interview together during a show, sorry.” Apologies accepted.
Indian Ocean just finished their seventh tour of the US, spread over 45 days and 11 venues including the Jesuit High in New Orleans, a stage where Elvis Presley and Pink Floyd have performed! “Ours was the first show on that stage after hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, it was submerged under water but thankfully they managed to restore it back to how it used to be” he tells me. They also played at the famous Ashkenaz, a world and folk music venue in Berkeley, California.
Having often visited the US over the years, they have plenty of friends there who helped them organize shows and make merry off stage! “It’s almost like our second home, Rahul has studied there for three years, me and Susmit have got a few friends too, so now we have two bases – New Delhi and New York!” Amit quips coolly. The tour was a success, something they must probably be used to by now, seventh tour of the US, remember? Although, Amit feels this one was the best “Because in terms of performances I thought we were better than on previous occasions, the venues were good and the tour on the whole was a breeze!”
Asheem Chakravarty: Percussions & Vocals
However, the breeze turned into a dark storm for the men from Delhi and all their loyalists around the world. Band Percussionist, the man whose sonorous voice sounded like it emanated from the center of planet earth and darling of Indian Ocean, Asheem Chakravarty suffered a heart attack in Doha while the band were on their way back from the tour. He was hospitalized in a comatose state. The prayers, wherever they came from surely were heard when he managed to come out of coma, but, the joy was short lived. Nearly two months after the attack, it was Black Friday indeed. On the 25th of December 2009, Asheem Chakravarty passed away. Christmas will never be the same again for the band and its legion of fans.
Amit Kilam: Drums
Asheem was multitalented in every sense of the word, so much so that the band may ultimately need two members to fill in for him. His ability to play the Tabla and sing along made him one of a kind, which makes it tougher for them to find a like for like replacement. “We are now officially on the lookout for a new member or maybe two” Amit informs. It looks like the band wants to focus on its future now; perhaps Asheem may have wanted that too. After all, it was him and Susmit Sen who founded Indian Ocean and ensured they stuck around until they hit upon the right line up, which upto the 25th of December 2009 was – Amit Kilam, Rahul Ram, Susmit Sen and Asheem Chakravarty. It shall remain that way for generations to come, their work together has been immortalized by the numerous songs they’ve composed and the cornucopia of emotions they managed to evoke throughout the journey. Rest in peace, Asheem da. You will be missed.
“Everything happens for a reason, probably something else might evolve out of this disaster” Amit adds optimistically. They now have percussionist Gyan Singh filling in on the Tabla and singer Sudhir on vocals. This arrangement however is likely to be temporary, Indian Ocean hope to find a permanent member. They are prepared to wait for the right person to come along though. “If we find a suitable replacement now, its obviously good, otherwise probably in the next six months” he says.
Rahul Ram: Bass Guitar
Songs for their long awaited album have been ready for a while and they hope to release the album by March 2010. “What will be appearing on the album are songs that we have been playing over the last couple of years or so, a few of the songs had been leased out to films but we retain their rights.” Indian Ocean songs have been part of many a film that haven’t managed to see the light of the day “That’s the way it works in Bollywood I guess, Aaj hain toh kal nahin hain” says Amit. Not that he’s rueful about it “Its lucky in a way, this means they are first heard on our album rather than in a movie and also thanks to these movies, a lot of work has happened in the last two or three years”. As we discuss about the album, he reminds me of another important fact “Asheem is very much a part of it! Most of his work in the recent past might feature on this album.”
Numbers will make a difference for Indian Ocean, they hope to generate more hits on their website through active marketing and of course by using their live shows as a platform to attract a sponsor who can fund the production cost of this album. “It won’t matter too much if we don’t manage that, we’ll still release the album anyway. However, it helps when we get support from the fans, media, etc. and perhaps it might interest someone.” Each month, one song from the upcoming album will be made available for free download through their website, a truly unique marketing strategy designed to suit their needs. “Seven months, seven songs by the end of which we’ll release a special CD with a few extra songs or maybe different versions and videos too.” says Amit. They will only be making 10,000 copies of this premium CD which will also be signed by the band members. That number is miniscule when you consider the 5 lakh copies their previous album Kandisa sold. “Ultimately most of the people will hear these songs for free which for us is not a problem at all, whomever wants to buy the albums and support us can do that too!” he adds.
Susmit Sen: Guitar
Indian Ocean has also provided music for an Aamir Khan produced movie called ‘Peepli Live’ and no, this movie won’t be shelved. It is ready and is a satirical take on rural life in India. “The song ‘Darte ho’ from this movie was the final song recorded by the original line up” says Amit, with a hint of nostalgia in his voice. They were one of the first bands to be approached by Bollywood way back in 2003 when Anurag Kashyap wanted songs for his movie Black Friday and now Amit feels that Bollywood is certainly more receptive to new music “There is no monopoly now, new composers have come in and more bands are doing music too! All of which means there certainly is a change.” So maybe a KJO movie in future then? “Why not?! We’re open to anything too!”
They plan to tour the US twice next year. “In the US we will be playing at the world famous Carnegie Hall this time, so fingers crossed. We’re hoping for a good tour!” There have been a few complaints from their Indian fan base though, as people feel Indian Ocean play more abroad than in India. That accusation is brushed off “It might seem that way but we do play a lot more in India, in fact we plan to do a tour within India after the album is launched. We’ll probably play in 8 to 10 cities around the country.”
The band and Amit have simultaneously managed to finish the sound check during the course of our conversation. They’re a jolly bunch back stage, interacting enthusiastically with a few old friends, while also clicking pictures and signing autographs with their fans. As the sun sets, lights go on, the crowd
I got Lucky. I caught them LIVE !
On the 20th of January, DY Patil College Nerul played host to renowned fusion band Indian Ocean who in prime form headlined the final day of the three day annual fest, playing to a relatively large crowd, their fourth time around at this prestigious university. Heavily publicized, this was also notably the first show since the passing of percussionist, vocalist and all around remarkable performer, the beloved Asheem Chakravarty. Nonetheless after the demise of the iconic singer, questions were visibly raised whether the band would be able to continue. All these questions were undoubtedly laid to rest as soon as the band stepped on stage to the deafening applause of students and fans that had waited eagerly for hours to witness this prolific band at work.
Indian Ocean - live in action
Clearly an emotional performance for the band, the crowd reveled in their poignancy as they dealt with the grief with what they do best, performing a string of songs which may be safely described as classics. The mood was however anything but somber as the band decided to forgo the clichéd mourning instead celebrating the life of its founding member, playing one exemplary song after another.
“They managed to move the audience in completely different ways, some to their feet; while others more affectingly to tears.”
Those lucky to be in attendance were able to witness first hand two unreleased songs ‘Baundhu’ dedicated to Asheem Da and ‘Zindagi se darte ho’ soon to be featured in an Aamir Khan production. By the time ‘Bandeh’ came up, even the most cynical of observers were swept up by the natural charisma of the group.
The original three members appeared in great form filled with passion and fervor playing Ma Rewa, Jhini, Hille Re giving the attitude of a jam session, the band feeding of each other’s energy, demonstrating the technical prowess they have come to be known for. Jugalbandi saw the utilization of eclectic instrumentation especially in the form of a ‘gabgubi’ by drummer Amit Kilam.
Ending the show on a high note with the ever popular ‘Kandisa’, the band although restricted to a short span of time, managed to move the audience in completely different ways, some to their feet while others more affectingly to tears.
DID u KNOW
- Shaleen Sharma on drums and Indrajit Dutta & Anirban Roy on bass, were a part of Indian Ocean before the band arrived at its final line up
- Kandisa, released in March 2000, went on to acquire cult status, becoming one of the most important, best-loved albums of contemporary Indian music
- Jhini, won the AVMax Award for the best produced album of 2003
- Desert Rain was a landmark album for its time and today, almost a decade later, still continues to sell. In 2006, it was no. 2 on the iTunes UK world music charts.
- Jaideep Varma of Cartwheel Features has directed a movie called ‘Leaving Home’ which is based on the life and music of Indian Ocean. The film is expected to be released in mid 2010
Article by Vignesh Iyer & Shikher Chaudhary
Images Courtesy: Indian Ocean
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Triple Juno award recipient and prolific singer/songwriter Montreal native Sam Roberts is often described as the definitive voice in a collection of American and Canadian bands centered on 70’s classic rock nostalgia. But in reality, this former hockey player has so much more going for him. Through three albums of passionate and infectious folk-rock and power-pop tunes, many of them built around a percussively strummed acoustic guitar, Roberts has breathed new life into a very dry, dull Canadian music scene. By means of odd references to Canada in many of his songs (even singing in French for a few verses of ’No Sleep’) he maintains a staunch national identity but that certainly doesn’t limit his appeal to a strictly Canadian audience.
With tune crafting skills which have the ability to stand up well next to early Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney material, Sam Roberts’ first full length LP ‘We Were Born in a Flame’ presents a lush and enjoyable listening experience. Along with compelling and inquiring lyrics, Sam Roberts is also an interesting musician who decides to play all the instruments except for percussion on this album. A risky move no doubt, he manages to pull it off with conviction with the record ending up sounding grander and richer than it ought to be.
The album is rich in instantly memorable hooks which will find you tapping your feet within the first 30 seconds of ‘Hard Road’ – the opening track. Along with the uber-catchy clap along ‘Brother Down’ and the gorgeous and seductive orchestral pop of Beatle-esque ‘Taj Mahal’ which makes the most of Roberts’ talents as a violinist, ‘Hard Road’ is a stand-out track and contains some gripping and intelligent lyrics, something of a rarity in today’s formulaic music world. Roberts writes with eloquence about the universal human effort of finding the easy life and avoiding the bumps of the real world. When he opines, “There’s no road that ain’t a hard road to travel on”, he is able to chronicle the troubles of life in this fallen world without offering therapeutic platitudes like “believe in yourself” or something similar. On this record, Roberts chooses to narrate the problems of humanity and creation rather than offer solutions and in doing so manages to escape falling into a moralistic outlook blatantly prevalent in popular media and music. ‘Paranoia’ finishes off this pervasive album, starting out as an acoustic piece before ending as an upbeat, driving instrumental. Overall, an impeccable combination of guitar, percussion, and piano makes this CD worth multiple listens.
Released in 2006, Roberts’ second release ‘Chemical City’, with its share of rockers, ballads, and artistic experimentations is a very well rounded album. Backed by a group that would continue onto the next album, Dave Nugent (guitar), Eric Fares (keyboards), James Hall (bass) and Josh Trager (drums) helped craft this album with its folky-1960’s rebellious feel whilst throwing all notions of a sophomore slump out the window. Starting off with the psychedelic rocker ‘The Gate’, the album’s mood soon shifts towards an alternative mode with tracks like ‘Mind Flood’ and ‘Mystified Heavy’. ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ with its sing along melody is an instant classic, while ‘The Bootleg Saint’ and ‘The Resistance’ call to mind mid era Rolling Stones. Chemical City also sports two folkier tunes, the lovely acoustic ‘Uprising Down Under’ along with the emotive keyboards, and the vocals-only heartbreak song ‘A Stone Would Cry Out’. A much more rough-around-the-edges album, Roberts balances the strong melodies and anthemic choruses with some affecting subtle pieces. There is a strong sense of cohesion among these extremely well crafted songs with lyrics that see him wise beyond his years.
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