Bankable star

When you have been “fooling around” with drums since the age of eight,accompanying your very successful musician father to concerts since you were nine,and taken to drums at 15,versatility would become an obvious expectation from you. But Gino Banks will still confess,“I am still searching for my own style. I am just trying to do the best I can where ever I am.” As the son of Jazz pianist Louiz Banks,Gino’s affinity to music started early. “It is a part of my subconscious,I don’t have to really think about it,” he says. In his childhood days,Ranjit Barot and Taufiq Qureshi were the names of his father’s friends,who came home to lunch or met at parties. “But now it’s big deal to be playing with them. It’s an absolute honour to be here.” Gino will play today at Mahalxmi Lawns in Karvenagar as part of the on-going Dumru Festival.He will be one of the trio that is the Pulse Conversations project,the other two being Jai Row Kavi of Indus Creed,and Vinayak Pol.

Pulse Conversations have been playing drum compositions for the past two years and have had major showcasing at The Blue Frog in Mumbai. “But we haven’t played very extensively,” Gino clarifies. He has been coming to Pune for the past eight years,though this is the first time that the trio will perform to an audience here.

When Gino speaks about the drum festival,he sounds just as excited as a fan sitting in the audience. “People love these performers. To see them all in a span of three days is an absolute delight,” he gushes. For him,the best part of performing is combining the visual aspect of drumming with varied musical styles. “Like today,we will incorporate Carnatic styles into the drumming. I have done many workshops and solo drum concerts,and they are all most fun when everyone is enjoying. Music has to be fun. Even when you are playing something complicated,it is good to do it with a smile on your face and have a good time. That energy will then reflect on the audience too.”

Pulse Conversations will begin their performance at 10:15 am at Dumru festival,Mahalaxmi Lawns,Karvenagar