Rastaffarian Blues

Quiet, almost painfully shy and soft-spoken, it's hard to believe that Roy Venkatraman has wandered the world over with Bob Marley's lege...

Quiet, almost painfully shy and soft-spoken, it8217;s hard to believe that Roy Venkatraman has wandered the world over with Bob Marley8217;s legendary band, The Wailers. Doing head-banging stuff that international bands were famous for in the 8217;60s, through the 8217;70s. quot;Yes. Oh yes. quot;Those were the days when we were wild people and did wild things, and never cared if we got caught.quot;

Hell! If the chase was worth it then Roy has never had a problem getting caught. For as long as he can remember, this Bandra boy has run after music. He threw up college to follow his dream. quot;There was never time for anything but music. I got as far as the first or second year in college, then I gave up.quot;

But not on music. Sick of playing with bands in and around Mumbai that did more cover versions than the jazz and reggae he so loved, Roy packed up his bags and headed for Phildelphia 8212; on a two-month visa. And then the government of USA gave chase 8212; for 24 months. quot;I managed to evade the authorities for two years, playing gigs allover the place, till they finally caught up with me. At that time, I had just signed a big deal, but I didn8217;t resist 8212; it was time to go back.quot;

And yet, home had not a lot to offer. quot;I did a lot of composing then. I also worked with Louis Banks on his jingles in order to survive.quot; Roy8217;s life has always been like the music he plays 8212; bluesy and soulful. Not too many choices, snatched chances and yet, the ones that did come knocking on his door were to die for. While touring India in 1992, Roy met with the Wailers at a press conference. And that was the start of a four-year affair.

quot;They knew I was playing at the Jazz Yatra, so they decided to hear me out. My love for and knowledge of reggae was what decided them. The next day, I played with them, and I was on.quot; And on the road getting an education. quot;Everything is based on your own ability to grasp and work hard. Nothing else counts. I learned that the bigger you got in life, the lesser you thought of yourself as god. I8217;ve worked with people like Kool andthe Gang, Andrew Tosh, Simple Red, Shabba Ranks, Big Mountain and Black Uhuru. All clean, sane people. That is the mindset I looked for in India, and haven8217;t found yet.quot;

And he has been looking since his foray with music began. Back for nearly four years after The Wailers disbanded, Roy is still fighting bitterness. The music company that was to release his album after he had just arrived, folded up, forcing him buy back his own work. The pill was even more bitter to swallow as Roy had turned down numerous offers across the globe 8212; to make it work in India. In order to survive, he has spent time doing jingles like Smoodles, Blue Stratos and Hawkins, to name a few.

And yet a part of him is honest enough to admit that making it work here 8212; even with an album on the shelves 8212; may not be his forte. quot;In India, there8217;s no place for you if you don8217;t have saleability. Look at the crap that passes for music. The sad part is that there really is solid talent around, but it8217;s all going to seed.quot;

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Which is why heis determined to nurture his talent. quot;I8217;ve seen it all with The Wailers. Money, fame, all that. What I always wanted to do is get my music across. I8217;ll do it now.quot; And the process has started. At a recently-held adda, Anuradha Tandon persuaded Roy to share some of his new work 8212; a first ever from an artist who prefers his privacy 8212; and the sounds that came from his keyboard and guitar truly belonged to the genre of world music.

And he heads out to take on the world: A trip to the United States and meetings with record companies. quot;I may move there. I need a professional setup.quot;