All That Jazz
Ishani Bose@kattiphoo
They made their first on-screen appearance in the musical television series The Dewarists, where they collaborated with Bangalore-based rock band Thermal And A Quarter and classical musician Ashwin Shrinivasan to compose a beautiful rendition -Make Love. The song’s bluesy rhythms made it an instant favourite, and soon, everyone talked about a particular Delhi-based jazz/funk/ blues duo, Adil (Manuel) and Vasundhara (Vidalur). Having performed at several music festivals since then, the duo has come up with its debut album, Ampersand, a heady assortment of ten songs written and produced by the band featuring a series of collaborations.
Drawing inspiration from city life, attitudes, joys, trials, and tribulations, the songs in the album are autobiographical and include the artists’ comments on the workings and philosophies of a typical Indian city. They also narrate the experiences of an independent artist living in a Bollywood-crazed society. “Through this album, we want to convey to our audience that we need to embrace the fact that we are hybrid people and, hence, hybrid musicians. Our Indianness lies in what we do, what we eat, what we feel, our spiritual beliefs, how our families function, and the like. The hybridity of our lives is reflected in our music. And in doing so, we are being as honest about our ‘roots’ as possible,” says Vasundhara.
The album, which operates primarily under the umbrella of jazz and blues, features some of India’s finest musicians, ranging from Louis Banks, Ranjit Barot, Loy Mendonza, Sanjay Divecha, Zubin Balaporia from Indus Creed, and Anindo Bose from Advaita. Despite so many artists collaborating on the album, it’s surprising that there were no creative differences at the studio while recording. “These are people we have always looked up to and idolised for various reasons. Uncle Louis for being so supportive and jovial, Ranjit for his booming voice, charm, and viewpoint, and Loy for always being so fatherly. So there was no question of any kind of differences,” says Adil.
The album also has some interesting songs like Pinocchio Times, which talks about that point in one’s life when one chooses to quit the cushy 9-5 job, packs his bags, and hits the road to pursue the art his heart yearns for. Commenting on the song, Adil says with a smirk, “It is a song which is perfect for the time when you’re in the throes of a mid-life crisis or the act of rebellion when you are young and don’t want to pursue an MBA but play the guitar instead.”
With the audience opening up to embrace jazz, blues, and improvised music, the duo takes this as a positive change and hopes that Ampersand will be well-received. “People flock to venues these days to hear original music instead of covers of hit songs. It is an immense change, and because of this change in consumer behavior, venues are finding it viable to have independent musicians perform and showcase their original sound. If we all keep at it, this trend will only grow, and things will get good for performing artists.,” says Vasundhara while signing off.
Through this album, we want to convey to our audience that we need to embrace the fact that we are hybrid people and, hence, hybrid musicians.