Midival Punditz, who perform at Kyra this evening, want more support for different genres of music
Midival Punditz, who perform at Kyra this evening, want more support for different genres of music Two Much: Tapan Raj and Gaurav Raina have worked with Anoushka Shankar, Kailash Kher, Karsh Kale, Ustad Sultan Khan, Tabla Beat Science, and Vishal Vaid
Midival Punditz is an Indian fusion group consisting of two Delhi-based musicians, Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj.
Their style revolves mostly around bhangra, jungle, electronica, and North Indian classical music. Their songs commonly feature traditional Indian instruments, such as the dhol, tumbi, sarangi, sitar, and bansuri, but also feature more modern instruments such as the synthesizer and drum machine. They have worked with Anoushka Shankar, Kailash Kher, Karsh Kale, Ustad Sultan Khan, Tabla Beat Science, and Vishal Vaid.
How did you meet each other?
Gaurav: We met while we were studying in high school...more than 20 years ago. We were musically inclined and that was the common factor that cemented our friendship into a partnership.
How did the idea of the traditional and modern mix in the music come about?
Tapan: In the initial days, when we were still trying to figure out our sound, we experimented a lot with different styles of western electronic music like big beats, drum and bass, and trip hop. With all of these, we used some Indian classical elements since that is also a huge source of inspiration for us. That worked very well, and it was exciting for us to be able to present the best of both through our music.
How many instruments do you play between yourselves?
Tapan: We are both drummers from college days, but now, our main instrument is the keyboard.
What was the experience like when you launched your first album?
Gaurav: It was really exciting to get an album deal with an international label in 2001. Through this deal, we released our music worldwide. It was a great experience for us to go out, play gigs and present our sound in different parts of the world.
Something more about the new album, Hello Hello
Gaurav: Our new album, Hello Hello, is our most exciting work till date. We have collaborated with many fantastic artistes like Karsh Kale, Shankar Mahadevan, Papon, Vishal and Ajay Naidu. Karsh is a co-producer for this record. We have explored various styles of music in this album like rock, electronica and ghazals. Also, this is the first time where we have done songwriting.
What is your opinion about the music scene in India? Is there an audience for fusion music?
Tapan: The music scene in India is mainly focused on Bollywood, and there is very little scope for other genres. This needs to change, as there are many people who enjoy something new and different. Many of our fans have complained about the fact that radio doesn't play our music, or that they can't but our albums at record stores. The only real place where they enjoy our music is at our gigs. If record labels in our country encourage young talent and different genres of music, they will surprised to find the kind of talent there is and the number of people here who love listening to something new.u00a0
Who is your inspiration?
Gaurav: The entire 60's and 70's rock scene, Abida Parveen, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Pundit Ravi Shankar, Prodigy, Underworld, Chemical Brothers to name a few.
You have performed with many well-known musicians. Which was your most memorable show?
Tapan: The show that we performed with the super group, Tabla Beat Science (Zakir Hussain, Bill Laswell, Ustad Sultan Khan, Karsh Kale) in 2001 in front of 15,000 people in San Francisco is something we can never forget. It was a great feeling to be accepted, and many liked our music.
What's your take on Bollywood music? You've remixed Chak De. What was it working in Bollywood?
Gaurav: It was an awesome experience to worku00a0 with Salim and Sulaiman, who are our dear friends. They gave us the brief for the kind of remix they were looking for and they gave us complete creative freedom for experimentation, and we think we did a good job.
When it comes to classic rock, which bands do you like?
Tapan: We love Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd and The Who.
What was your experience at Glastonbury Music Festival?
Gaurav: It was an awesome experience to play in front of so many people who were there enjoying our music, and they really didn't care a damn about the weather or the rain. We got to see a lot of acts of musicians we adore like The Who, Rodrigo Y Gabriel and the Chemical Brothers.
What are your expectations from Bangalore?
Tapan: We have performed at Bangalore in the past and have always had a great time. The audience here is open minded and has great energy.
One musician you would like to work with?
Gaurav: We would love to work with Thom Yorke of Radiohead.
ADVERTISEMENT
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
