JOIN USMeet The Sylvester Trio
Bengaluru-based band The Sylvester Trio has been performing across the country since they came together in 2016. Members Sylvester Pradeep, Joel Rozario and Snehal Pinto are one album and countless gigs old. The latest project is the No.1 Yaari Jam Pads where music enthusiasts collaborate with like-minded people to create new songs and showcase their stories. The band talks to Metrolife about their music and what they hope to see in the city’s scene.
Your name makes it seem like you’re a family band, is the dynamics between you like that of a family?
Sylvester Pradeep: Yes! Being in a band is really like being part of a family. The music creates a bond. Like every family, it comes with its set of issues, but at the end of the day it’s all part of this fun journey and we wouldn’t trade it for anything! We are different people with different tastes, but that is our greatest strength.
Pooamma to Mid Day Thief, you have quite a range. How would you describe your music?
Joel Rozario: We surprise ourselves with how different our songs are. We have even questioned the fact that our songs don’t fit into one genre. That keeps it fresh and also a bit genre-agnostic. We put down what comes to our head and what we feel people can connect with when we compose. We are here to create something honest, relatable, funky and memorable.
If I had to categorise our music, we would definitely fall into Indian indie-funk alternative comedic with a pinch of experimental rock, aka funk rock.
Do you filter your performances depending on the venue?
Snehal Pinto: We have played on many stages to different audiences and it’s been a learning experience on its own for us. You may rehearse for hours, but on-stage, you need to know how to read your crowd and adapt. Our setlist is always open to changes based on the situation.
Bengaluru is often referred to as the mecca of the independent music scene in India. Being a band that knows the city’s music scene, do you think that’s true?
Joel Rozario: Well, Bengaluru has changed quite dramatically and this has had a huge impact on the current music scene. Political views, infrastructure, traffic and most other problems that Bengaluru now faces on a daily basis have definitely had an effect on the audience attending performances. Venues being shut and permits of public performances being scrutinised without proper information has made it very difficult for full time musicians to survive.
But the death of one usually creates something new and exciting. There are a few platforms that have been working towards making the scene better for everyone. Platforms like No1 Yaari Jam Pads by McDowell’s No1 Soda and Hungama Artist Aloud are doing their bit for independent musicians. They seem to create opportunities for new music and a platform to bond with other musicians.
Are there any changes you’d like to see?
Sylvester Pradeep: Yes, definitely. I think the government needs to actively promote all kinds of art like it used to once upon a time. It still does, but the ratio is definitely not the same as before. There are many forms of art which are getting lost, from folk to contemporary.
What we need is more live venues, more public performance venues. Parts of the city should have busking zones with licenses. We’ve never heard of a busker being a threat to anyone, really!
Snehal Pinto: Gigs have taken a huge hit due to Covid, what are you falling back on during this period of time?
In spite of being a cautious situation for the entire world, musicians could use the safety of their homes to practice and write music and come back with more songs. This is downtime and it’s also important for us to do the needful and stay safe.