Ragas that Rock & Roll

A new band named Raagleela is blending Indian classical music with western genres and making it sound like a new concept

Mixing different music genres together is quite like conducting an experiment in a chemistry lab the result could be a splutter and fizz or you could blow away the roof. In the case of Raagleela,a new band of fresh-faced Delhi graduates,the latter is more often true. In Raagleelas musical test tubes,Indian classical music is shaken in with genres such as rock,blues,jazz and funk,with impressive results as their recent auditions for Coke Studio @ MTV proved.

At the Delhi leg of the audition,called Leap Frog to Coke Studio,the year-old Raagleela presented a blend of Hindustani classical and jazz,lounge and rock,concocted in such a way that it was difficult to put the music into a genre. The music was rustic yet groovy and,in some parts,dark and haunting with moments of being meditative. Like a typical indie group,Raagleela was born in the middle of an urban metropolis CR Park in south Delhi. We all come from different influences. It was an experiment to create something organic, says Sagar Chawla,the bands keyboardist,adding that they began jamming in a rooftop barsati.

Apart from Chawla,the group comprises Hindustani classical vocalist Prateek Narsimha,percussionist Sarthak Pahwa,Niloy Ghosh Dastidar on bass and backing vocals,Sarthak Joshi on lead guitar and Vaibhav Ahuja on drums. Members say that they aim to take Indian classical music to the world via world fusion through freedom within the discipline of classical music. Our music begins from scratch. We do not take only a raga as the base. Sometimes there is an interesting riff or rhythm that can translate into a beautiful track, says Joshi.

At present,Raagleela is working on its debut album and looking for a record label. Times have changed and it is really easy to put out ones music in the market today. But we are looking at the quality of sound here. We want it to sound great for the audiences who will pay to listen to us, says Joshi,adding that they are trying to polish the edges. The band that counts Prem Joshua,Anoushka Shankar and Pink Floyd as their influences is planning to have almost 10 tracks in its album. The music,say the band members will be a blend of a bevy of genres. While Scared Track,a song based on the profound raag Darbari is a mellow track suited for a Buddha Bar,Delirium,based on raag Jog,builds up the three stages of happiness as understood by the band members. Raagleela has also created Ire,an angry track based on Madhukauns and presents the idea of tangled wires through a haunting riff.

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Ragas that Rock & Roll

A new band named Raagleela is blending Indian classical music with western genres  and making it sound like a new concept

A new band named Raagleela is blending Indian classical music with western genres and making it sound like a new concept