Beat Junction

Verma formed the group six months back after he constantly felt that there was lack of creativity in the music around him. “We still have relics teaching us,people who stick to the seven notes. It is the same staid,rigid musical syllabus,refusing to experiment or venture out and let the children try out something new,” says Verma.

The something new resulted in a sound that is a mishmash of the beat of a tabla,tap of a dhol and the twang and tempo of folk instruments. But it wasn’t as simple as it sounded in his head. “First,and foremost,I had to get the right people — students of music who were serious and understood the kind of music I was talking about. I was clear – I will lead and they will follow,” says Verma. His second concern dealt with the type of music they would play. Amid a range of music available,he came out with a new style — the one which focused on traditional instruments and folk sounds derived from these instruments. Today,his sound system boasts of tabla,dhol,dholki,jambe,buchchu,duff,chimta,khanjari and the sitar. “We’ve deliberately kept the harmonium,the keyboards and drums out for now,” says Verma.

The group consists of Rajendra Goldy,who plays the tabla,Sukhbir Johnny on the dholak,Anil Sondhi on the jambe and tabla,Kaushalya Thakur on the duff,Gurpreet on buchchu,Aditi on dholki,Ruchika on chimta and Manisha who plays the khanjari,a south Indian instrument made from snake skin. “She also plays the violin,” says a proud Verma,who adds that there are very few who sing and play folk instruments in Chandigarh.

Talking about selling their music,Verma tells us how difficult it is to push his way in. “Whatever money we get is pumped back into paying the rent for the instruments or saved for buying new ones,” he says. He flips open his laptop to play his group’s music,the sound is a far cry from the usual music that one hears by other regular city-based bands.

“Unlike other bands where you get to play one instrument or sing,here we get to play a musical chairs of instruments. Sometimes,we play eight tablas at a time — a piece that we call Taal Taran. From there,one can switch to the dholak,pick the chimta and come back to the dhol,” says Johnny.

Goldy adds how they are all in it for the sheer passion of it. “Most of the time,people give their real love a miss. They do the usual engineering-medicine and huff and puff through life. But we don’t want to do that. We love our music and want to live life through it,” says Goldy,while the girls nod their heads in unison and vow never to leave music. “When we got on the stage at the Chandigarh carnival recently,we didn’t expect people to stop and listen to us. But they did,and it was an exhilarating moment,” says Ruchika.

To make his work sound different,Verma is busy practising on kitchen pots and pans. “Once I have mastered it,I will include this in the next concert,” he says.

The music continues to play,the beat of the tabla loud,clear and pulsating. The group is all set to perform at Sector 17 plaza for another performance and prepare for one at the Alliance Francaise. Money is scarce so is sponsorship,“but like the heart beat,our music will carry on,” says Verma.