Mathures Paul

Kiran Ahluwalia’s ghazals have a lot of Western influence, including a harmonic structure based on jazz and Western classical music, writes Mathures Paul Born in India and brought up in Toronto, Kiran Ahluwalia is a musician who doesn’t resist Western music from influencing her vocal style. A trained exponent of the ghazal, she finds inspiration in the poetry of Indian and Pakistani poets living in Canada. After giving us albums like Kashish: Attraction and Wanderlust, she is once again in the studio recording her next effort. In an exclusive interview to The Statesman. As a student of Vithal Rao in what ways do you implement his lessons in your projects? I learned ghazal gaayaki from him ~ basically how to sing a ghazal. Vithal Rao is a maestro and so he doesn’t really have a method of teaching. He simply sings for you and it is up to you to ask and learn what you can. I also learned many things about composition but I am not able to articulate these in words ~ they are more intrinsic...

Innovating on the spot. That sums up what Helga’s Fun Band is all about. Formed in November 2004, this is a band to watch out for. The group’s four happy-go-luck chaps — Siddharth Coutto (also drummer of Zero), Meghashyam (ex-guitarist of Acquired Funk Syndrome and Zero guitarist), Gino Banks (son of Louiz Banks) and Johan Pais (ex-Vicious Circle) — are always game to come up with a song on the spur of the moment. It’s a mini “supergroup” with seasoned musicians. The “jam” band was formed by Coutto to fulfil his desires to become a singer and mainly because he was bored playing the drums all the time. “We are just a bunch of guys out to have fun. If there’s a gig and you want four fun-loving musicians, think of us,” says Coutto before a performance at Someplace Else. HFC started off as Helga’s Funk Castle but soon dropped the “k” from “funk”. “We were considered a funk band even though we performed all kinds of numbers. To spice up things, we became known as Helga’s Fun Castle. It’s a ...

When she rolled her fingers over the piano keys, every note danced in praise of Neda Navaee’s beauty. The weekend crowd at the Calcutta School of Music enjoyed an evening of classical pieces played on the piano by the Toranto-based pianist Navaee. Born in 1973 in Isfahan, Iran, her parents soon moved to Washington, where she received her first piano lessons at the age of five. “With father being a musician, I was unknowingly inclined towards the subject since childhood. We had a normal piano, which I loved playing. When I turned 15, I took up playing the piano more seriously,” said Navaee, who had earlier performed in Mumbai and Pune. “Before I reached India, I was aware of the fact that people don’t get the opportunity to listen to Western classical music on piano as often as Westerners. After the initial bout of anxiety, I was relieved to hear crowds applaud.” The programme, sponsored by the Canadian High Commission and ITC Ltd, featured compositions by Beethoven, Prokofiev and Mende...

Sukhwinder Singh always finds Kolkata to be a tough venue for concerts as listeners here appreciate good lyrics and melody over crass ‘hit’ numbers. Over to Mathures Paul Performing in Kolkata has always been a challenge for most singers as music lovers here look beyond the glitz and glamour, at elements that distinguish mediocre from the talented, melody from a clutter of notations, feels Sukhwinder Singh, who arrives in Kolkata on 2 November to perform at Rabindra Sarovar Stadium, after successful concerts in Bangalore, Ambala, Ajmer, Rourkela and Thane. An extremely selective singer, quite like most composers/musicians he works with, Singh is currently in the news for Fashion Ka Jalwa, the hit track from Madhur Bhandarkar’s Fashion. Speaking to The Statesman, he shares thoughts beyond films. His Kolkata performance would feature mostly his hit numbers, and the list is quite long ~ from films such as Dil Se to Tashan to Fashion, played with a twist in terms of orchestration. He share...

Pratima Naithani could easily have been a jazz pianist but her destiny was to be an artist, one who is inspired by Indian history, music and films, writes Mathures Paul Children dream of becoming artists, musicians, scientist or engineers. Pratima Naithani’s options were limited due to a problem ~ which went undiagnosed until she was 13 ~ with her eyesight. Nevertheless, she was equally adept in expressing herself through music. A passion for the piano led her to play by ear without learning to read music, a skill she developed quickly to become a classical and jazz pianist. A twist of fate made her, still a student at boarding school, discover the world of art. Shaping the young mind was the rich cultural heritage of her parents. Her mother is from El Salvador and her father from India, Naithani grew up in the suburban town of Princeton, New Jersey. Since her mother’s country was at war for most of her childhood, preventing frequent visits, she developed a deeper relationship with her...

Anthony LoGerfo has achieved at a young age what most drummers dream of during their lifetime. After working with Gwen Stefani, he is busy recording for Eliana Burki’s next album. Mathures Paul met him backstage Drummers can make concerts a roaring success or be responsible for poor reviews. At a very young age Anthony LoGerfo has set high standards, those demanded by rock stars; he has every element that goes into the making of another Ginger Baker, Brian Blade, Matt Brann or Matt Helders. Anyway, he’s almost there, courtesy Gwen Stefani on whose two albums ~ Love. Angel. Music. Baby. and The Sweet Escape ~ he has drummed like a man possessed by a passion. Not just Stefani, he is also the drummer for renowned Alpine horn player Eliana Burki and Elan Attias of The Wailers. Being part of a group, one tends to get lost while touring and the vocalist steals the limelight. LoGerfo thrilled critics, promising that better music is on the way. His association with Gwen Stefani was purely acci...

DJ Sanj doesn’t fail to pump up the volume on his latest album, Bollywood Punk, writes Mathures Paul The British R&B act Rouge, comprising, Laura Ismail (Egypt), Legha Joseph (Iran) and Amrita Hunjan (India), in the last few years has made rapid progress towards the top of European music charts, giving us the hit Don’t Be Shy, and is now working on their second album with Timbaland. Though the J-Nas mix of the track is enjoying considerable success, few know that he is also known as DJ Sanj, one of the more popular names among Indian artistes living abroad. As DJ Sanj, he likes to stick to funky Bollywood numbers and J-Nas is the more glamorous side. The DJ/producer, a trendsetter in the ‘desi’ music scene, is not always satisfied spinning remixes of popular Hindi film numbers, making him look for something more. Always on the move, especially across North America, Sanj is currently based in Mumbai providing thumping R&B and club beats for Indian discotheques, besides promoting...

Music is all about life, of the paths we travel every day. Before a splash, Lou Majaw speaks to Mathures Paul about the music scene in North-east India It was beauty of the rains that inspired The Great Society to compose April Showers. The melody lingers on long after a meeting with Lou Majaw, one of Bob Dylan's most ardent fans. “April Showers transcends time and can be played throughout monsoon. The Great Society composed it on my birthday. The song is an ode to monsoon," says Majaw, whose visits to Kolkata has dwindled over the years. An Ace of Spades concert (featuring Lou, Arjun Sen and Nondan Bagchi) at Someplace Else at The Park brought him to Kolkata, the city where he first heard Dylan, the city where he began his career. Born into a poor family, Majaw and Shillong are synonymous. Every aspiring musician in Shillong knows him, has spoken to him sometime or the other on a street like Upland Road. The beauty of Shillong, the ageless Jacob's Ladder or the Laban hill...

The Other Side Of Dawn inspired a new generation of Indian singers. After having won a million hearts with original songs, Gary Lawyer is set to release a compilation. Is this a new chapter in the singer’s career, asks Mathures Paul The past is untouchable, out of reach. Yet every time he puts on that old jacket, wiggles into a pair blue jeans and hums those lines, somehow you lose sense of time to relive the best years of your life. Here's one singer who could have lived in America to make pots of money. He decided against it. On the hindsight, a wise decision, for without Lawyer a chapter in Western music in India would have been missing. A home loving man, Lawyer is not the kind of person who shows off the rock star hidden inside. He is content to be himself. Posters were up in Kolkata that Gary Lawyer was flying down to play at Park Hotel's Someplace Else, the home of quality English music. After dialling a few numbers, an appointment is made and we meet at the hotel's ...

Raghu Dixit has proved that folk-rock numbers have a market outside Bollywood and can be sung in a pub, like he did in Kolkata. Over to Mathures Paul The arrangement for any Raghu Dixit composition is quite tight, making it impossible for any instrument to be left out, especially the violin that lends his songs an element of pathos. You are taken away from bustling city scenes to paddy fields caressed by a gentle breeze or sand dunes on which a group of folk musicians play. The arrival of Dixit (combined with Avial) marks another (after AR Rahman) beginning to an era of south Indian musicians setting new standards, only this time it’s not in the sphere of Bollywood. The eastern region with Rupam Islam, Skinny Alley and Neel Dutt is also stealing the spotlight from musicians settled in Mumbai or Delhi. Raghu Dixit Project has been around for years but Kolkata hasn’t heard them, primarily because labels have refused to market folk-rock and Dixit was never interested in “filmy” music. It ...

Language may not be a barrier when it comes to appreciating music but a mountain-high obstacle while interacting with musicians. Before calling on Shamur, Unplugged took the sentence “They just know English and Italian” (mentioned on the invitation) at its face value. Once the group’s members were on the other side of a phone, it was crying time! But the thought of listening to their album, Shardana, kept us going. Usually we speak highly of musicians living in Paris, for they get the opportunity to interact with artistes from across the globe. Italy is not way down the list. Music here is vibrant and highly influenced by American artistes and for DJs this is the place to be. Shamur boasts of a great combination ~ Italian producers Alessandro “Kortezman” Murru and Emanuele Marascia, and vocals provided by Teresa Solinas “Terry”. Shamur presents Shardana on DSE Records, (Universal Music in India). In 2005 the group came up with a song that was a hit on every radio station (and it was a ...

Shaheen Sheik’s new album forces listeners to think and provokes discussion, writes Mathures Paul With her sultry vocals and soulful lyrics, it’s only a matter of time before Shaheen Sheik finds herself being compared to Natalie Imbruglia and the likes. The success of Rock Candy only fired her creativity to record rEvolution. Shaheen Sheik’s music is full of mystery. The state of mind you were in when work on rEvolution started… In terms of what I wanted to achieve on this album, my ultimate goal was to most honestly express who I am and the place I’ve come to through my life experiences. Some producers call it “finding your sound.” That is why I opted to work on my own for this album and to self-produce it. I wanted no creative filters between my brain, my ears and my talents and the recordings I came up with. Normally I have another producer with me and other musicians, but this time, everything was ‘me’, aside from the guest musicians who graciously added some creative icing. In ter...

Taking music from the north-east across India is Abiogenesis, which has created a new wind instrument ~ the bamhum; and a new genre ~ howey. Members speak to Mathures Paul about their next album The bamhum is an instrument that one hums into to produce tones that captivates listeners. It can be played solo or in an orchestra. And it was only on 2 May 2005 the instrument was unveiled in Shillong. Meet the Abiogenesis, which is developing a new genre called howey ~ a fusion of Naga folk tunes and rock. Their latest album ~ Aeon Spell, released by Saregama ~ is a reminder that the north-east is where some of the most talented musicians reside. The Abiogenesis comprises Arenla (vocals/bamhum), Moa Subong (guitar/bamhum/main composer), Longden (lead guitar), Imli (drums/percussions) and Kongdir (bass). Let's hear it from Moa Subong... What have you been working on since the release of Aeon Spell? We are still promoting the album (and the band) through concerts, radio and television inte...

Dhruv Ghanekar is at the helm of one of India’s most popular live music clubs, is renowned for his jingles and has recently turned music director. He speaks to Mathures Paul about his forthcoming solo album If a list of young achievers needs to be drawn, the little-known Dhruv Ghanekar will feature in the top ten. In music circuit he is known as the co-founder of Smoke Music Productions (with Ashuthosh Phatak) that has recently become Blue Frog, one of India’s most popular clubs for live bands and has given birth to a record label featuring some of India’s most talented musicians, and a few veterans from abroad. Ghanekar, perhaps, would be better defined as India’s foremost background music directors, an aspect most overlook. With Drona, he made his debut as music director. In 2009 we would find his next album. “There were no briefs as such from Goldie Behl. I was narrated the film and she spoke in details about the themes involved. Some songs were composed even before shooting had eve...

Matted hair braided neatly, black baggy trousers and a wink to follow every joke… Idan Raichel is a hit with the youth in Israel. His Monday night concert at Kala Mandir was nothing less than mind-blowing ~ a little bit of folk, R&B, reggae… a great mix. A touch of Ethiopian and Middle-eastern influence comes through in the group’s music. Raichel is a young keyboardist, producer and composer from Kfar Saba. “I grew up on folk music. Israel is a relatively new country. In the last 10-15 years the music scene has changed quite a bit. Since Raichel is not from a family of musicians, he is open to all forms of music. He started playing the accordion when he nine years old and from a young age became attracted towards folk music. Though he has studied jazz in high school, the music his ensemble presented did not touch upon this aspect. During his days in the military Raichel was part of the army’s rock band and toured military bases performing covers of Israeli and European hits. The di...

When Trini Lopez first heard The Beatles, he thought the group would not become a phenomenon. Popular for hits like Lemon Tree, La Bamba, Shame and Scandal and If I had a Hammer, the singer takes a break from working on his 63rd album to walk down memory lane with Mathures Paul No Western music request show on All India Radio is ever complete without a song from Trini Lopez. The poor boy from Dallas, Texas, sold lemonade to earn a living. After his father caught him “hanging around the wrong kind of kids”, a spanking followed. Trinidad Lopez Sr. was saddened by the incident and bought him a guitar with $12. The rest is history. Two generations grew up on songs like If I Had A Hammer, La Bamba and Perfidia. But why, since the 1980s, do we hear less from Trini Lopez? Like other artistes, not everyone can stay on top all the time. But the primary objectives are to be around and be heard once in a while. Even when a singer dies somebody would play the person’s records once in a while. Bein...

Tony Brent created a splash in the music scene of the 1950s; his songs ring true even today. But the singer’s journey through life is yet to find a chronicler, writes Mathures Paul The saddest part of a show is the overture. What begins must come to an end. And Tony Brent knew this well. For most, it is a forgotten, if not unheard name. He did the disappearing act from music charts many decades ago. But he recorded in a few years what most contemporary singers would record in a few lifetimes. Walkin’ to Missouri, The Game of Love, In My Little Room, Cindy, Oh Cindy, Forever My Darling, Don’t Save Your Love for a Rainy Day... Brent records are classics. After all these years we wonder where he is. What happened after the 1960s? Where did he begin? How did it all end? There are questions galore but answers, none. Not even the best music encyclopedias or Internet search engines will answer your queries. First, the sad news. Tony is no more. He died suddenly in 1993. Re-tracing his family ...