Rock takes a punjab detour

“Karmaasa is basically an amalgamation of two words: karma in Sanskrit means actions,while asa means hope,and is from Guru Granth Sahib’s holy scriptures,Asa Di Vaar (A Ballad of Hope). The reference is in the context of doing our karma and have the will and the passion to do it,no matter what,” says 28-year-old Manpal Singh,who is vocalist,guitarist and music director of the band.

Of the numerous videos floating around on Youtube and Punjabi channels like MH1 and PTC,one can get an earful of songs from their album,Qaafir,which they released in March this year. From the angst of the common man in Main vaasi haan to poet Shiv Kumar Batalvi’s signature lyrics in Main adhura geet and the aggression in the title song Qaafir (Smiran Music),the album with its eight tracks,is a sign of good things to come.

With Rituraj Singh on lead vocals,Rajat Kaushal on guitars,Tony on bass,Gagan Behl on the drums and Rohit Tabreja on the keyboard and flute,the band members have taken to music professionally. “We’ve stepped out of our homes,broken the norms and are chasing our dreams,like the qaafirs,the wanderlusts,who care less about rules and conventions,” they say.

Unlike the headbangers who dive head on into a mosh pit,Karmaasa stuck to the stage,fusing Punjabi folk with alternate rock,trying some sufi undertones.

Recollecting a journey that began in 2004,the year he decided to throw the bomb on his family,and drop out of a reputed engineering institute just to pursue music,Manpal says,“My parents threw a fit,and to convince them,I did my graduation in arts and taught music.”

A rocker at heart,it was not till he met Rituraj Singh that the real journey began. Manpal met Rituraj as a competitor at a youth fest in Sangrur. Rituraj was from Nabha and he won the western vocal section while Manpal was the first runners up. “The minute I was off the stage,he asked me if I had any plans to form a band,and things just started falling in place,” says Rituraj.

Inspired by Pakistan’s sufi rock band Junoon,the two Singhs have also roped in Manhar Dhiman,who is helping the band financially. Before they found a proper place to rehearse,the band used his factory for their jam sessions.

The band also had more members before,but a couple of members left,the group split twice,and the band was finally given a name in 2007 after work on their first album began. “We’d had enough gigs and performances and our network got us to Ludhiana. So we decided to record our album,” says Rituraj,as he,along with the band,resisted succumbing to English lyrics and western feel to the music,and instead,took their mother tongue Hindi and Punjabi and alternate rock sufi course. The band has lyricists like Ahmed Zafar on board and also performs works of poets like late Shiv Kumar Batalvi.