Swarathma

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Swarathma

Background information
Origin Mysore and Bangalore, India.
Genre(s) Indian Folk/Fusion
Years active 2004 - present
Website http://www.swarathma.com
Members
Vasu Dixit
Pavan Kumar KJ
Sanjeev Nayak
Montry Manuel
Jishnu Dasgupta
Varun
Former members
Abhinanth Kumar, Arjun, Dheeraj Joseph


Swarathma is a Bangalore (India) based Indian Folk/fusion band. The current line up includes Vasu Dixit (vocals and rhythm guitar), Pavan Kumar KJ (percussions and backing vocals), Montry Manuel (drums), Varun (lead guitar), Sanjeev Nayak (violin) and Jishnu Dasgupta (bass guitar and backing vocals).

They were formed in 2004 in Mysore when vocalist and songwriter Vasu Dixit met Abhinanth Kumar on guitars with the objective of creating original music. Joined by Pavan Kumar KJ on percussions, Arjun on the violin and Montry Manuel on drums, they were the original line-up.

Contents

[edit] Early days

The first break for Swarathma came when they won Radio City Live 2006, an SMS based contest for Bangalore's best band, conducted by the FM radio station Radio City on September 31, 2006. [1] The fresh original sound of the band won them the contest coupled with the fact that they played a song "Ee Bhoomi" (This Earth) in Kannada, the local language of Bangalore. The show ended with a jam session with leading Indian rock band Parikrama. Swarathma continued to play shows in and around Bangalore, gaining popularity and building a fan-base, while searching for a record label who would release the band's music.

[edit] The New Avatar

Owing to other professional commitments, Abhinanth and Arjun could not continue full-time with the band. Over the year 2007, they were joined by Sanjeev Nayak on the Violin, Varun on lead guitar and Jishnu Dasgupta [2]on bass guitar who earlier played with the band bodhiTree, from XLRI Jamshedpur[3]. The varying musical backgrounds of the members caused the music to evolve.

The new line-up played at various venues including the prestigious Mysore Yuva Dasara Habba[4], the celebrations of the Indian festival Dusshera in November 2007. Sharing the stage with other noted artistes like Usha Uthup, and Sunidhi Chauhan[5]the band was lauded for the strength of the compositions and on-stage energy. Various artistes joined the band as guests in performances, notably saxophonist David Moskowicz of Lyons, France and Tavil player Raja of Bull Temple Road, Bangalore. Such varied instruments gave the band a sound unlike any other, while bringing together musicians from backgrounds so diverse that they could not converse with each other, not having a common language[6].

Sanjeev Nayak and Vasu Dixit at Fireflies Festival 2008
Sanjeev Nayak and Vasu Dixit at Fireflies Festival 2008

The band was nominated in three of the eight categories of the Jack Daniels Indian Rock Awards[7] 2008, including Best Vocalist, Best Song and Best Album/EP[8].

This was the first time that a song in Kannada was nominated for such an award.

Swarathma also played at the Fireflies Festival of Sacred Music held off Kanakapura Road in Bangalore every year on February 23, 2008. They featured alongside artistes such as Oikotyaan in the night long festival.[9]

[edit] Breaking into the National Scene

Vasu, his steed and Jishnu
Vasu, his steed and Jishnu

In early 2008, Radio City re-launched Radio City Live[10], a nation-wide hunt for India's best Hindi band. [11]. Selecting from over 100 entries from bands across India, Swarathma made it to the national finals with a winning performance. [12][13]


The band flew to New Delhi for its first show outside Karnataka at the Garden of Five Senses. Pitted against six other top bands from across the country, Swarathma delivered a powerful performance that won them the Radio City Live title[14]. In press interviews the band said that it was a combination of theatric showmanship and musical effort that brought them this honour.[15], coupled with the fact that the onstage energy came from close relationships that band-members shared amongst themselves[16]. Palash Sen of Euphoria, one of the judges of the event said, "This is the moment we've all been eagerly been waiting for - Swarathma being declared India's best Hindi Band!"[17]. This was one of the band's biggest moments. [18]

[edit] Plans for the Future

Swarathma after RC Live New Delhi
Swarathma after RC Live New Delhi

As winners of RC Live, Swarathma won a recording contract with EMI Music India [19]and are in the process of recording their debut album which is expected to be out before the end of 2008. They are also looking to play for audiences across India and the world.

In March 2008, Swarathma were chosen as one of the four Indian acts to be part of the India Soundlab Sessions, a project bringing together emerging artistes from India and UK's top producer John Leckie to collaborate and record together in a series of special studio sessions set to take place in India later this year.






[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ City Quakes to Rock Waves. Deccan Herald (2006-03-20). Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
  2. ^ Mehrotra, Palash (March 2008). "Underground Pleasure". Rolling Stone, India 1: 26. 
  3. ^ bodhiTree. Jam Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
  4. ^ Talent from Mysore to rock Yuva Dasara on Monday. The Hindu (2007-10-12). Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
  5. ^ Mysore ready to host Dasara festivities. The Hindu (2007-10-04). Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
  6. ^ Musicians Sans Frontiers. Citizenmatters.in (2008-01-24). Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
  7. ^ Indian Rock: Coming of Age?. Rediff News (2007-03-06). Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
  8. ^ Indian Rock Awards, 2008. Music Ballroom (2008-02-13). Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
  9. ^ Fireflies Festival of Music February 23rd, A Dusk to Dawn Music Festival. World Music Central (2008-02-19). Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
  10. ^ RC Live. Radio City. Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
  11. ^ Radio City launches RC Live to search for India's best Hindi band. Indiantelevision.com (2008-01-30). Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
  12. ^ Swarathma and Ek are RC Live's Bangalore Regional Finalists. Indiantelevision.com (2008-02-24). Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
  13. ^ Swarathma and Ek are RC Live's Bangalore Regional Finalists. AgencyFAQs (2008-02-24). Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
  14. ^ Crowned best Hindi band, Swarathma focussing on first album. Yahoo India News (2008-03-07). Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
  15. ^ Uncertain, with Reason. The Hindu (2008-03-14). Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
  16. ^ Interview with Swarathma's Jishnu Dasgupta. Radio And Music (2008-03-31). Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  17. ^ Radio City 91.1 FM declares Swarathma winner of RC Live. AgencyFAQs (2008-02-29). Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
  18. ^ Crowned best Hindi band, Swarathma focussing on first album. India eNews (2008-03-07). Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
  19. ^ Swarathma crowned best Hindi band. newindpress (2008-03-09). Retrieved on 2008-03-20.

[edit] External Links