Dreaming high in the world of music

Last week, the visitors to newly opened Laajee Coffee in Vijayanagar were treated to a rocking music event. Stone Age, the first professional music band from city made the visitors tap their foot sipping a hot coffee – with hits of Green Day and V2, the famous western music bands.

The budding band drew appreciation and a loud applause for their energy and themes of western and Indian pop and traditional and mix of both. Stone Age is aiming big in the music band industry, though their launch in the world of music has been a low-key with a concert at Rangayana.

The Stone Age members performed for the children at Chinnara Mela held during summer vacation. If there are many emerging bands that are rocking the college annual events in city, a group of like-minded youth with diverse backgrounds and careers have come together to start Stone Age.

The team

The team members – Bappi Blossom (lead vocalist), Badal Nanjundaswamy (vocalist), Varsha (vocalist and guitarist), Madhu (base guitarist) Selvam Panir (rhythm guitarist), Srikant Swamy (drummer and keyboard), Munna (lead guitarist) and Poorna Chandra Tejaswi (sound engineer) are creating a niche for themselves and their band in city, which is catching up with stylish events.

Of the team, Bappi and Varsha are trained vocalist while Srikant Swamy is tabla artist with Rangayana.

Badal Nanjundaswamy is a noted artist who is also associated with stage work for theatre.
Madhu and other associates of Stone Age are nurtured in acting and music in Rangayana.

Early days

It was Madhu and Srikant Swamy who floated the idea of starting a band during their stint at Rangayana as student artistes and while pursuing theatre course with Ranga Shikshana Samsthe. Soon, the scout for artistes and singers brought together all other teammates two years ago.

The hard work of more than a year on practice sessions has evolved the team as a full-fledged music band.

First show

“The first show or concert was at Chinnara Mela. Participants in the mela enjoyed our show. The first show happened after regular practice every evening. We composed our own lyrics for special songs to entertain children at Chinnara Mela,” team member Madhu tells City Herald.

Aspiration

According to Madhu, the band aspires to come out with own compositions and a production. Chinni Sir (music director Srinivasa Bhat) of Rangayana has been a great inspiration for us. While, Myaboo Bobby, a city-based base guitarist has also guided our band, he says.

Our compositions are based on themes like corruption, helping poor, equality and integration.

Though, the team members are working on Green Day and V2 themes currently, we are also simultaneously working on own productions.

Madhu himself has worked on lyrics along with Islauddin, a media professional who has worked on many theatre and advertisement and movie productions.