It should
have been a moment of joy for Kabul Rishi. He had completed his
Airbus pilot training at the CAE school in Madrid, Spain. It was a
tough course, and he was glad that he had passed. But, in the midst
of his happiness, Kabul also felt empty. His heart was not in it.
Instead, it was palpitating for music. He returned to Delhi and felt
unsure about what to do.
Following
the concert, Kabul told his parents, Dr. Prakash Chandra Rishi, a
cardiologist, and Meeta, a PR professional that he wanted to become
a full-time musician. And they agreed. “My father had a natural
gift as a singer, and had sung in college festivals during his
youth,” says Kabul. “So he has always encouraged me to become a
singer. In fact, I had received training when I was a child.”
So, Kabul
began his tutelage under Ustad Ghulam Sabir Khan Saheb, who belongs
to the Moradabad Gharana. While doing that, Kabul got close to Sabir
Khan’s son, Fateh Ali Khan, an accomplished sitar player, who has
performed with American singer Lady Gaga. Kabul and Fateh decided
that they would start a band. But they had a different idea.
Rock Veda
was formed in 2011. It is a mix of the East and the West. At the Jose
Thomas Performing Arts Centre, Kochi, the musicians looked different
from each other. While lead guitarist Shubhanshu Singh and keyboard
player Kamal Kharera wore torn jeans and T-shirts, and had goatee
beards, the clean-shaven sitarist, Fateh, and his brother, tabla
player Amaan Ali, were wearing white sherwanis, while Kabul had a
black waistcoat and pointed shoes. The other band members included
Vishal Mehta on the drums, Jayant Manchanda on the bass guitar, and
back-up vocalist Zohaib Hassan.
They began
with 'Gaiye
Ganpati Jagvandan' in Raag Hamsadhwani. It was, indeed, fusion music,
with the drums, sitar, tabla, and guitar all talking to each other.
“This is
called progressive fusion,” says Kabul. “We are experimenting
with different genres. So, we do fusion, Sufi songs, and Hindustani
classical.”
Some
of the ragas, which were given a new treatment, included the Yaman,
Mishra, Khamaj and the Sindhu Bhairavi.
The
Kochi audience took some time to respond to sounds that they were
hearing for the first time. But halfway into the programme, the
people started clapping, and there were cries of 'Wah, wah'. Kabul
impressed with his vocal range, while the chemistry between the band
members was plainly evident. And the excitement reached a crescendo
when Kabul launched into the popular Qawwali song, ‘Dama Dam Mast
Kalandar’.
Malayalam
film music composer PJ Berny was listening avidly. “I enjoyed the
mix of Sufi and Western music,” he says. “It was done very well.
This fusion will enable the band to reach out to a global audience.
All of them are talented, and accomplished. Most importantly, today
is the age of experimentation. So, they are on the right path.”
Rock Veda
has played in some good places including the Jaipur Literature
Festival in January, 2013, where they performed in front of
celebrities like Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, and Prasoon Joshi. “They
told me later that they had enjoyed our show,” says Kabul. Rock
Veda also did a concert at the World Sufi Spirit Festival in Jodhpur,
as well as the Amarrass Desert Music Festival and the Spring Fever
Festival, both at Delhi. And everywhere, the response has been
positive. “By God's grace, people like our music,” says Kabul.
Indeed,
Rock Veda's future looks promising.
(Sunday Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi)
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