I recently went to a live concert called Rock n Raag that had Indian bands Arka and Indian Ocean playing fusion music. The bands may be more than a decade apart in their inception, but have some things in common – both perform with 5 band-members each, and both perform an experimental genre, a fusion of raaga, traditional Indian tunes, combined with western rock, guitars, drums, the works.
It was Guy who took me to this concert in Chennai. Guy – the handsome, the cultured – who wants to be credited duly – both for taking me there, and recording the below video of the finale!
The concert ended with a surprise where both bands, Arka and Indian Ocean, came together to play the hit and beloved number, Maa Rewa. It was improv for both bands, as Rahul Ram, Indian Ocean’s bass guitarist and vocalist said, “We don’t know what’s going to happen!” It was a great composition, brilliantly executed, featuring the track’s regular tunes, as well as impromptu solos by each band member.
Maa Rewa is originally a folk song played about River Narmada. The river is essentially is the physical boundary separating north and south India. Rewa is the old name for Narmada. It means “a new beginning” in Sanskrit, a very fitting name for this music genre, that is traditional at heart, but played in a modern, fusion way, the rock-way.
So enjoy the recording of this live number:
Shilpa Ahuja the editor-in-chief of ShilpaAhuja.com, which she founded with the goal of inspiring confidence in the modern working woman through fashion. Other than defining the direction of the magazine, she also writes about fashion & beauty trend forecasts, industry analysis, and opinions.
Shilpa’s work has been published in the University of Fashion blog and Jet Airways magazine. She is also an artist, illustrator and cartoonist. She is also the creator of Audrey O., a comic series that represents the lifestyle of millennial women. She enjoys creative writing and world travel. Her art has been exhibited at Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Aroma Hotel, Chandigarh and been published in Chandigarh Times.
Originally from Chandigarh, Shilpa also has a degree in architecture and has worked in interior project management. She is also the author of the book “Designing a Chinese Cultural Center in India”. Shilpa has a Masters in Design Studies degree from Harvard University.
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