Louiz Banks band,Naad Brahma becomes the first Indian group to perform at the Montreal Jazz Festival Louiz Banks,Indias best-known jazz performer,is celebrating yet another wish-fulfillment. His group Naad Brahma recently performed at the prestigious Festival International De Jazz De Montreal,better known as the Montreal Jazz Festival,the only Indian band in the festivals 30-year history. We had encores after encores with audience on their feet at the end of our shows. It was a response I will never forget, says Banks,who mixed jazz with Indian classical music. We call it jazz funk. Indian classical solos and jazz solos are interwoven to create a groovy feel, adds Banks,who was nominated for a Grammy for his album Miles for India in 2008. Naad Brahma comprises Banks son Gino on drums,a German saxophone player Tony Lakatos,Joe Alvares on the lead vocals,Shelden DSilva on bass,Bala Bhaskaran on Carnatic violin and Sameera Koppikar on Indian vocals. At Montreal,they performed new scores that Banks had especially composed for the festival,as well as many of his old compositions. The performance began with a song called Brhmashruti by Koppikar,followed by tracks like Culture Shock and Futile Dreams,a complex composition with constantly changing rhythms. But Banks remembers how it was Shiv Shakti that had audience going crazy. This is a very fast number that was based on two ragas. The audience was so well-informed that they immediately related to the music, he says,while Gino adds that legendary American pianist Herbie Hancock and multi-Grammy winning musician George Benson played at the same venue. But,our schedule was so packed that we we missed watching them, he sighs. But,this was our best festival as yet and I hope the doors have opened for other bands from India.
