The Dewarists

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Dewarists
Genre Reality, Documentary
Format Live music performance and recording session
Directed by Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy with Fred & Nick (Season 1)
Srinivas Sunderrajan (Season 3)
Starring Musicians, Artists
Country of origin India
Original language(s) English, Regional
No. of seasons 3
No. of episodes 22
Production
Producer(s) Babble Fish Productions
Only Much Louder
Dewar
Location(s) Various Cities across India
Running time 20-22 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel MTV India
Picture format 720p 16:9 HDTV
(Seasons 1)
Audio format Dolby Surround 2.0
Original run October 16, 2011 (2011-10-16) – November 17, 2013 (2013-11-17)
External links
The Dewarists

The Dewarists is a musical television series on MTV India The series is part music documentary and part travelogue.[1] The show casts musicians from various parts of the world, collaborating to create original music while travelling across India. The first season featured total ten episodes. It featured musicians Imogen Heap, Vishal-Shekhar,[2] Zeb and Haniya, Shantanu Moitra, Swanand Kirkire, Indian Ocean, Mohit Chauhan, Parikrama, Agnee, Shilpa Rao, Shri, Monica Dogra, Rajasthan Roots, Papon, Rabbi Shergill, Shubha Mudgal, Swarathma, Midival Punditz,Humble the Poet, Karsh Kale, Baiju Dharmajan, Njeralathu Harigovindan, Raghu Dixit and Rewben Mashangva.[3]

The first season was directed by Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy, ad-filmmaker and frontman of Mumbai Hardcore band, Scribe. The first five episodes also involved UK filmmakers Fred and Nick.[4][5] The show is hosted by actor-singer Monica Dogra.[4] The Theme music of The Dewarists was given by Raghu Dixit.[6]

In 2013, for the launch of a new season of The Dewarists, the creators of the program altered the format of the show from music inspired journeys and expanded it to include collaborations between musicians and visual artists from India and around the world. Directed by independent film-maker, Srinivas Sunderrajan,[7] the show was broadcast on MTV India in its new format that merges the visual arts with sound to create a multi-sensory experience. The show was also the first collaborative experience to be simulcast on television and on YouTube. Singer Monica Dogra returned as hostess, and also one of the collaborators on the season premiere of The Dewarists Season 3.

The philosophy

Dewarists believe in passion and things worth doing. Their motto is Some Things Are Worth Doing.[1] They cast musicians from different genres from different places.[8] By the end of the journey they record a song that will reflect each of their genres and also it reflects the sounds and culture of the place they belong and travel.[6][9] It is a movement to identify Dewarists in the realm of music, who follow their passion. The show aims to inspire audiences to follow their dreams and do what they believe in. The music program started in India with a digital series with international artists Dub FX and Susheela Raman in November 2010. They collaborated with other artists and performed in different cities. Then the idea developed for this program.[1]

Season Three of the show widened its scope in including artists from beyond the genre of music. The addition of visual art into the music-centered dynamic of the show offered viewers a refreshing perspective on the link between music and art. Also, the brand philosophy, encapsulated as LIVE TRUE, was seen as the perfect platform to showcase the lives and works of inspiring artists. The result of their collaborations is seen in a striking music video at the end of each episode that encapsulates their creative journey together.

Music rights

As The Dewarists is a platform for independent artists to share their beats, rhymes and reasons, thereby inspiring others to live true to their passions. A decision was hence made where the rights for the musical collaboration would remain with the artists who worked on it, thus setting a precedent in the music industry.

Download

The parent company behind the show – Dewar’s decided to release the collaborative audio tracks from each episode as free for download to the audience as they were incredibly well received.

Season One (2011)

Episode 1 Minds Without Fear

This was filmed in Samode Palace and Jaipur in Rajasthan, where Imogen Heap and Vishal Dadlani recorded the song Minds Without Fear which is inspired by Rabindranath Tagore's poem "Where the Mind is without Fear".[10][11][12]

Episode 2 Kya Khayaal Hai

This was filmed at the legendary Capitol theatre in Mumbai, where Shantanu Moitra, Swanand Kirkire and the Pakistani duo Zeb and Haniya teamed up and recorded the song Kya Khayaal Hai.[13][14][15]

Episode 3 Maaya

In Delhi with Indian Ocean and Mohit Chauhan. The song Maaya was performed at venue called Garden of Five Senses in New Delhi.

Episode 4 I Believe

In Pune with Parikrama, Agnee and Shilpa Rao. The song I Believe was recorded at Shisha Café.[16]

Episode 5 Changing World

In Jaisalmer with Shri, Monica Dogra and Rajasthan Roots. The song Changing World was recorded.[17][18]

Episode 6 Khule Da Rabb

In Kaziranga, Assam with Papon and Rabbi Shergill recorded song Khule Da Rabb.[19]

Episode 7 Duur Kinara

In Mysore, Shubha Mudgal with Swarathma recorded Duur Kinara.

Episode 8 No I.D. Required

In Goa, Monica Dogra again with Midival Punditz and Sikh-Canadian 'Humble the Poet' recorded No I.D. Required.

Episode 9 Sacred Science

In Angadipuram, Kerala with Karsh Kale, Baiju Dharmajan and Njeralathu Harigovindan recorded the song Sacred Science.[20]

Episode 10 Masti Ki Basti

In Shillong, Meghalaya with Raghu Dixit and Rewben Mashangva known as The King of Naga Folk Blues recorded Masti Ki Basti.[3]

Season Two (2012)

Episode 1 Let Go

The episode features the emotive acoustics of British singer-songwriter Fin Greenall and the soulful voice of Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan from Pakistan, as they experience Mumbai through the eyes of their hosts Salim-Sulaiman, the prolific Bollywood composer duo.

Episode 2 Tom, Dick & Harry

This episode is on a powerful droll satire penned by the outspoken English rapper, teacher, poet and journalist, Akala, and the equally versatile Piyush Mishra. This episode is shot in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Episode 3 Today

This episode features Shaa'ir + Func and La Pongal creating a high octane folktronica. This episode was shot in Chennai.

Episode 4 Make Love

This episode features Thermal and a Quarter, Adil & Vasundhara with their bluesy rhythms and Ashwin Srinivasan on flutes. This episode was shot at Bangalore.

Episode 5 Gypsy

This episode features Anoushka Shankar on sitar, Sanjeev Shankar on shehnai, and Pirashanna Thevarajah on percussion. This episode was filmed in New Delhi.

Episode 6 Altitude

This episode features the fusion band Advaita and Electronica artist Dualist Inquiry. This episode was shot in Shimla.

Episode 7 Qutub Minar

The song tells a (fictional) story of a man who decides to relocate the monument of Qutub Minar from Delhi to Imphal. It features singer and songwriter Akhu collaborating with the Asian Dub Foundation.

Episode 8 Bangla Bass

In this episode, American rapper Brooklyn Shanti and Indian actor-musician Mou Sultana create a track with DJ Nucleya about the city Kolkata.

Episode 9 Maati

In this episode, award-winning percussionist Trilok Gurtu teams up with electronic folk duo Hari + Sukhmani in their hometown of Chandigarh. 'Maati' is an ambient folk song that is set to the poetry of 18th century Sufi poet Bulleh Shah. The song has been given legs by a range of sounds thanks to the percussive genius of Trilok Gurtu.

Episode 10 The Minstrel's Tale

Papon and Karsh Kale from Season 1, come together with Carl Barat (from The Libertines and Dirty Pretty Things) for the season's finale. This is the first Dewarists episode shot outside India, in Aberfeldy, Scotland. It also features a trip to the Dewars distillery plant.

Season Three (2013)

Episode 1 Suspended

Featuring Monica Dogra of indie rock outfit, Shaair+Func, photographer and light specialist, Eric Pare, and Prashant Mistry of one of UK’s electro bass outfits, Engine-EarZ Experiment, the first episode of the new season of The Dewarists explored the theme of duality. Set in the snow-capped hills of Manali, the music video, Suspended was a stirring amalgamation of light painting and electronic music.

Episode 2 Khirama

The second episode of the new season enabled the coming together of indi-pop icon Lucky Ali and renowned installation artist, Shilpa Gupta. Toying with the idea of the loss of identity in a big city like Mumbai, helped Lucky Ali crack the tune he wanted to go with, while Shilpa Gupta worked with words as the medium. For the final music video, Khirama, Lucky and Shilpa used words as both lyric and art, ultimately giving a whole new meaning to the song produced.

Episode 3 Aaina

Intrigued by the story behind the creation of the urban jungle that is Mumbai, our collaborators – hand shadowgrapher, Amar Sen, and audio-visual collective, B.L.O.T., decided to showcase the creation of the island city from its colonial past to the city of today. Their collaboration, "Aaina", uses Amar Sen's work with shadows and B.L.O.T.'s light projections to tell the story visually; while Suryakant Sawhney from Peter Car Recording Co. provides vocals to compliment the visuals.

Episode 4 Hadimba

The fertile, grassy slopes of Manali play host to the fourth collaboration of Season 3 of The Dewarists. The collaborators are: Lagori, a highly energetic folk fusion band from Bengaluru, and Actor’s Cult, a theatre group from Mumbai. The outcome of their collaboration is the high octane song that in part inspires awe and in equal part, fervor.

Episode 5 Khwaamakhaah

Jayachandran Palazhy, founder of the Attakkalari Centre For Movement Arts and his dance troupe are joined by Delhi based hind-rock band Euphoria. Set by the tranquil shores of Pondicherry, the collaboration fuses contemporary movement arts with the effortless energy of Euphoria.

Episode 6 The Journey

The sixth episode on The Dewarists this year looked back upon the collaborations where music and art met to create a multi-sensory experience. Monica Dogra, accompanied viewers through the diverse locales where each artist worked to create art, that inspired those around it.

Episode 7 I

The one-hour long season finale featured a collaboration between India's folk rock collective, The Raghu Dixit Project; a contemporary dance troupe, Nritarutya; mask maker, Sridhar Murthy; and graffiti artist and animator, Harun Robert. Set in Bangalore, the music video produced was a blend of diverse art forms, genres, mediums and styles.

Accusations of copyright infringement

Musician Manish Kumar claimed that he originally came up with idea for The Dewarists in November 2009. He pitched the idea to Channel V, but they never responded. According to Kumar, their sister channel Star India World used his concept without his permission and without compensating him. At first the channel agreed to give Kumar a credit, but they later withdrew their offer, saying the series was not related to his idea.[21]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Doing the Dewarists". Retrieved 26 October 2011. 
  2. ↑ Vishal Dadlani appears on Star world
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Guru Rewben Mashangva and The Raghu Dixit Project - The Dewarists". India-north-east.com. Retrieved 09 Octoberber 2012. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "The Dewarists: Passion and 'things worth doing'". IBN Live. Retrieved 14 December 2011. 
  5. ↑ "The Dewarists - Because Some Things Are Simply Worth Doing". EF News International. Retrieved 11 December 2011. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "The travelling bards". MiD DAY. 29 September 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2011. 
  7. ↑ "The Dewarists combines Art and Music: Srinivas Sunderrajan". 
  8. ↑ "Celebrate Music". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 26 October 2011. 
  9. ↑ The dewarists on star world
  10. ↑ Review:The Dewarists Source:Mumbaiboss
  11. ↑ Music on the move Source:Deccan Chronicle Date:27-10-2011
  12. ↑ Vishal-Shekhar make music with Imogen Heap Source:Hindustan Times Date:06-11-2011
  13. ↑ Pictures of Episode 2
  14. ↑ Dewarists tweetup meet
  15. ↑ Zeb and Haniya appearance Source:The Express Tribune Date:26-10-2011
  16. ↑ Shisha Café
  17. ↑ "UK's multi-instrumentalist Shri and Rajasthan Roots on 'The Dewarists'". Radio and Music. 9 November 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2011. 
  18. ↑ "‘There’s no need to ape the West’". Asian Age. 8 November 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2011. 
  19. ↑ "Papon goes national on musical movement". The Daily Telegraph. 18 November 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2011. 
  20. ↑ "Listen to the Dewarists". Times of India. 22 November 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2011. 
  21. ↑ Unny, Divya (January 6, 2011). "'The Dewarists' in legal trouble". Mid Day. Retrieved February 21, 2012. 

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.