JOIN USLead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ‘Swarathma’ music band Vasu Dixit said the new album ‘Topiwalleh’ produced by Loy Mendonsa would be launched on May 25 at Vanaranga of Rangayana at 6.45 pm followed by a live concert.
Addressing a press meet here on Thursday, he said the album would be released by Shama Rao, a tailor who has stitched topis for them for the particular album and also whose father stitched topis for freedom fighters during period of freedom struggle.
Entry would be free and there would be three short documentaries screened for audience about the music video and about the band. ‘Topiwalleh,’ the second independent album of Swarathma has 10 songs out of which one is of Kannada.
While the title song ‘Topiwalleh’ is a satire on current political scenario, Kannada song ‘Naane daari’ is about empowering youth. Another Hindi song ‘Koorane’ is inspired by tiger mask ‘hulivesha’ folk dance of coastal Karnataka.
‘Rishton ka Rasta’ examines relationships in current world. Song ‘Aaj ki taaza fikar’ is about media chasing breaking news. “News in present is sold and marketed like product. The song is how the bombarded news is received by people and their limits,” Vasu Dixit said.
Influence
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Vasu said, launch of the new album is organised in Mysore, the city where the roots of their band is. He said his inspiration in music is his mother and aunt who were classical singers and his brother Raghu Dixit.
He says, heritage city Mysore has culture and arts in house of every Mysorean which influenced him since childhood.
He recollects his younger days when his mother forcefully sent him to classical music classes, which he was least interested and his hesitation was becasue the class had majority of girls. “But my interest for music was built there.
After schooling I joined guitar classes which was what I was interested in.” His dreams of becoming an artiste were nurtured after joining Chamarajendra Academy of Visual Arts for bachelors specialising in applied arts with parallel interest in music.
Pavan Kumar also a student of Cava with specialisation in photography and photo journalism, says, Cava with an informal atmosphere to try out things, music environment at home, Vasu’s guitar performances during leisure in college and moreover his interest in music has made him to be a part of the band. He says westerners have no discrimination about music. All they receive is music and not language of it.
Montry Manneul (drums) of Kerala, Jishnu Das Gupta (base guitar), a Bengali settled in Kerala, Sanjeev Nayak of Karkala (violin), Varun (lead guitar) of Bangalore are part of the band presently.