Desi Artist Spotlight: Indian Ocean

Of the many new weekly features we are planning, the one that we are most excited about is the Desi Artist Spotlight. Partly because it allows us to use our snazzy new IMEEM widget, but mostly because good music has a way of leading to street cred. Oh sweet, beautiful, nectarous street cred, how we long for you. Anyway, the first spotlight comes to us from our intern-even-though-he-prefers-to-be-called-contributor-because-he-has-a-job-and-is-doing-us-a favor, Akash Shah. We gave Akash the opportunity to write about any desi artist, expecting full well that he would do us right by going Paki-pop like Junoon or Atif Aslam or Hassan Jhangir, but being the patriot that he is, he decided to go with contemporary indo-rock fusion band Indian Ocean. Without further ado, we turn it over to Akash, do check out the tunes to your left....

As their motto says, "Expressing the very soul of their milieu, urban and rural. Aware of its history and alive to its future. Passionate, honest, unapologetic, untainted by the exotic. At home in the world."

Formed in 1990, the present line-up includes Sushmit Sen on acoustic guitars, Rahul Ram on bass and vocals, Asheem Chakravarty on tabla, percussions and vocals, and Amit Kilam on drums and flute. An impeccable and mature band that has been around for over 15 years with five albums under their belt and many more unreleased songs. What is unique is how the music stems from a rich cultural Indian background combining elements of classical Bharatiya sangeet, jazz improv, rock-laden rhythmic patterns, Sufism and a melodic soul that's immediately recognizable.

All the band members are self-taught and the music was born through the chemistry that they share when playing with one another. Asheem Chakravarty is the "man with the golden voice" and brings a rare talent of combining vocals while playing the tabla. Sushmit Sen forms the basis of the band's sound with his unique and distinctive acoustic style. Cornell PhD Rahul Ram is in the forefront with his bass and the group's other vocalist. Amit Kilam is the youngest member of the band. Surprisingly as the drummer, he is the quietest person on stage and beats the drums at unconventional measures.

The first three albums remained low key but the band made its presence on the independent music scene and gaining accolades at international festivals in the early 2000s. Their first album Desert Rain was released in 1997. The great thing about this album is that it's recorded live and that to by accident. Nonetheless the results were amazing, with lots of on stage improv and passion. The next album was Kandisa, recorded in a proper studio and with a producer. The 2000 release quickly gained popularity as a cult album and properly established the band. The album also introduced lyrics by some well known Indian poets and also was more commercially-oriented, a pop-ish and accessible sound. In 2003 the band released Jhini. Named after a poem written by 15th century Hindu poet Kabir, it went on to win an AVMax award for best produced album and featured English lyrics for the first time.

However, it was not until 2004 that the band was brought into limelight with their first bollywood composition, Black Friday. Their music stood out even as the film was laced with controversy. Bandeh is the song that made them famous overnight and Indian Ocean was finally "mainstream". The other great thing about this was that they broke away from their traditional style introduced in their previous 3 albums and introduced a variety of sounds by throwing in new instruments such as the sarangi and the saxaphone. Another film soundtrack, Shoonya, has been recorded but the film and music are both delayed for unknown reasons.

Despite the social meaning behind each of their songs, Indian Ocean refuses to be a political band. They hate to attach brands or genres to their distinctive sound. Certainly the sound that they create is a result of their daily living in an urban setting, and a tribute to modernity. Their music is a genuine reflection of their personalities as individuals and as a band as a whole. As their motto goes, "Expressing the very soul of their milieu, urban and rural. Aware of its history and alive to its future. Passionate, honest, unapologetic, untainted by the exotic. At home in the world."

By Akash Shah