Rhythm and rock

While teeny boppers from the 90s are swooning over the news that Backstreet Boys are performing at music festival Rock’n India 2010 on February 20,even those with more eclectic tastes in music have reason to cheer. Welsh drummer Jayce Lewis,who stormed the charts with his grungy sound,kick started with his music video Icon is coming to India again,to perform at the 3-year-old festival that usually happens in Bangalore,but this year is also being held in Delhi.

“As a solo artist,I started my concert tour with India last year. When I first came here,I was surprised to find people knew my work. I am excited about seeing some familiar faces and performing in a land of such diverse music. My Delhi concert might throw a few surprises at you,” says the 26-year-old via telephone from London. Lewis was selected by MTV & VH1 Asia as the Artist of the Month last year and was ranked alongside Coldplay,Prodigy and Depeche Mode on EMI’s Smash Hits 2009 compilations.

Multi-percussionist Lewis who started playing the guitar when he was six was the drummer for a UK-based band called Losing Sun but left to pursue a career as a solo artist. “I somehow felt that drumming was not the only thing that I wanted to do. And Icon was the first song I wrote and sang. I am glad it sold millions of copies,” he said.

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Lewis will also demonstrate his skills on the guitar as he plans to switch between vocals,keyboards,drums,acoustic and electric guitars while performing a series of songs from his upcoming album Chapter that releases in June this year. “I sing in this ambient tone while playing bizarre rhythms with odd and difficult structures. And a lot of it is inspired by the king of drums — the tabla,” says Lewis,who is planning to explore Bollywood music while here.

The concert is on February 20,at NSIC Grounds,Okhla,followed by Bangalore on February 22 at Palace Grounds.
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