Bengaluru based band AGAM successfully blends Carnatic music with rock to create an evergreen melody
Fusion is here! AGAM – a popular Bengaluru based progressive Carnatic rock band, has proved it yet again with their recent performance at Dublin Square in Phoenix Market City, Mumbai. The band, whose name means ‘limitless’ in Sanskrit, kicked off their nationwide Onward and Upward tour with a unique show in Mumbai.
The band consists of Harish Sivaramakrishnan (vocals), T Praveen Kumar (lead guitar), Aditya Kashyap (bass guitar and backup vocals), Sivakumar Nagarajan (ethnic percussion), Jagadish Natarajan (rhythm guitar), Swami Seetharaman (keyboards and lyrics). , and accompanied by Yadunandan (drummer), the evening was graced with some delightful classical songs, including Muthuswami Dikshitar’s Rangpura Vihara.
Harish Sivaramakrishnan (Vocals) |
Lead singer Harish set the tone for the rest of the evening, with some scintillating numbers sung by the audience. The highlight of the evening was Malhar Jam from the film Guru (2007). Before an intense classical music evening, we caught up with the band members for a quick chat about their music and more.
Formed by an equally enthusiastic group of friends and colleagues, what binds the group together is their penchant for Carnatic classical music. The band released their debut album, Inner Self Awakens, in 2012, followed by A Dream to Remember in 2017. Coke evolved in stages from the studio until releasing their own music albums, notably A Dream to Remember, which featured bassist Aditya. The band claims to have introduced many youth and children to Carnatic music.
“Many young listeners would come to us and tell us that they started listening to Carnatic music because of AGAM, and parents would tell us that their kids are listening to the same songs as them. It also ignited the energy in many young listeners to learn Carnatic music,” says Aditya. The band is all set to enter their third phase with a new album, which they say will be released soon.
On the choice of blending Carnatic music with rock, lead guitarist, T Praveen Kumar says that making fusion music was a mutual and creative decision. “We learned Carnatic classical, and then we traveled the world for work and learned new things like jazz, rock, techno and many other types of music. Ultimately, it was a mutual and creative decision to move forward with progressive Carnatic rock music,” says the guitarist.
T Praveen Kumar (lead guitar), Aditya Kashyap (bass guitar & backup vocals) |
When it comes to fusion and striking the right chord with the audience, keyboardist Swaminathan Sitharaman believes that sticking to the roots of classical music has helped it stand the test of time. “In the creative field, there should never be any restriction on trying but the ethos of the original song should always be maintained. We believe in being true to our roots, and ultimately, the audience has a say,” he says, adding that the team went through a long process of creating multiple versions of the same song before releasing the final version. follows the creative process, “which takes time and hence the delay in releasing the album.”
Interestingly, while any art form demands close attention to craft, all of AGAM’s band members have lucrative jobs in addition to their musical aspirations. Only on weekends do the band members meet and make music. “We have made it clear at our workplace that weekends are for our passion – music, which is what motivates us to go through the weekdays. But, yes, our families play a major role here as they keep pace with it all and support us the most,” admits Aditya in conclusion.
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