JOIN USFor a group of young music enthusiasts, ‘Bengaluru Music Station’ is a dream come true. With an acoustic blend, the 6 young members are trying to give a twist to the world of music in their own unique way.
The band comprises John Niklas, a beatboxer; Carlsson Parker, a guitarist; Tejas Manjunath, a violinist and vocalists Mabel Furtado, Tanya Lewis and Lincy Navaratilova Patrick.
John says that the band wasn’t a pre-planned effort. “It just happened as I cultivated myself more into music and beatboxing and wanted to come out with varieties of the art. One day, I was jamming with my friend and it felt good. After this, the 3 ladies with their beautiful voices joined us, and Tejas, the violinist, was our latest addition,” he says.
Though John initiated the band, he says that it is a group effort. “There was something catchy about how we fused music — from Western to classical. And the mix of beatboxing, violin strains and guitar notes added to the diversity.”
John and his teammates want to showcase the beauty of transformed music, from the late 90s till the present. “We’ve combined old Hindi songs with the latest English albums, Carnatic music with hip-hop, selected bits and pieces of the songs and created a mashup.”
The band has explored music including party mix, mashups, violin beatboxing, house music, dubstep and trap music. “Each time we jam, we make sure that some new music is made by the end of the day,” says John. Though this band is fairly new, their video ‘The Medley Cover’, recently released on YouTube, has caught enough attention. All the members of the band were a part of other bands, and John, who has performed onstage, says that the experience is rewarding, when he discovers new music each day.
“While beatboxing is a unique art, watching it grow in a different structure is very exciting,” says John.
The vocalists have also thoroughly enjoyed their stay with the band. Lincy, who has been singing since the age of 4, says that this band is very dynamic.
“We evolve our own ideas and all of us have a a significant role in the group,” she says excitedly. She loves that she is able to switch from Western to classical notes easily and is able to explore herself here. “In most other bands, there is a regular set of music and there is a set track or genre which the band follows,” she says.
Carlsson Parker, a medical student, says that this band provides a musician the space to explore like none other. “I love that fact that there is a platform for experimentation. It’s interesting to see how one can delve into freestyle music here,” says Carlsson.
The violin’s strains are often understood to be relaxing and soothing, but Tejas, an engineering student, says that this needn’t be the formula always. “I feel the music I play is the backbone for all the voices and the other music that flows in,” says a proud Tejas.