Indian rock

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Indian Rock: Topics
Rock Metal
Blues Fusion
Jazz Electronic
Timeline and Samples
Genres .
Awards Ruff AwardsIndian Rock Awards
Charts
Festivals Great Indian RockIndependence RockJune Rock OutFreedom Jam
Print Media Rock Street JournalRave
Online Media SplitEMusicPost
Bands from across India
Andaman and Nicobar Islands - Andhra PradeshArunachal PradeshAssamBiharChhattisgarhDelhiGoaGujaratHaryanaHimachal PradeshJammuJharkhandKarnatakaKashmirKeralaMadhya PradeshMaharashtraManipurMeghalayaMizoramNagalandOrissaPunjabRajasthanSikkimTamil NaduTripuraUttar PradeshUttaranchalWest Bengal

Indian rock is a genre of popular music in India that incorporates elements of Indian music and mainstream rock and is often topically India-centric. While India is known for its northern and southern classical music, the Indian rock scene has produced numerous bands and artists. There are various Non Resident Indians and People of Indian Origin who have formed bands rooted in Indian culture.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] 1950s, 1960s ,and 1970s

There has long been a rock movement in India, especially in cities like Calcutta, Bombay, New Delhi and later, Bangalore and Madras, where during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, rock music from western countries gained a following. Indian rock music followed a long tradition of westernized/western music being played at night clubs and dance clubs in India, from the early 20th century onwards, primarily for an Anglo-Indian, and British clientele. Lounge acts, including swing bands, were popular in the 1950s, the decade after the British left, with rock 'n roll being followed from the mid 1950s onward by a very anglicized and westernized urban young audience, comprising both high school and college students, as well as the then very anglicized officer class of the Indian Armed Forces.

There were other major outlets for rock 'n roll (and later rock) music in India in the period from the 1950s to the 1970s. Of note were All India Radio or AIR, the state-owned radio monopoly which had a number of weekly pop music programmes. Some were regionally broadcast, such as Friday's a Date with You in Delhi and Northern India, while others such as the 1 hour long Monday evening Forces Request show were aired nationwide. All cities also had daily western pop music programmes broadcast by AIR, typically during the lunch hour. Later, in the 1970s, the new youth channel of AIR, Yuva Vani aired western top 20 pop music daily in a morning show. Radio Ceylon too had a major following in India, as elsewhere globally, and was the main source for hearing new music acts as they broke into the scene[citation needed].

India, uniquely then amongst developing markets, had a record industry in the Gramophone Company of India (an RCA/HMV/EMI subsidiary), and LPs, EPs, and 45rpm records were freely available, including those of rock and roll acts from the USA and Britain, but also of contemporary pioneering Indian rock bands. The president of the firm, Bhaskar Menon (who later became the President of Capitol Records in the United States) was the leading promoter of western pop music in India. Later in 1970, Polydor, the German Label, began an India label distributing rock music.

Of these mid-1960s beat groups, as they were then termed, the most notable were the Mystiks from Bombay, the Beat-X from Madras and the Flintstone from Calcutta who composed and played both early British Invasion influenced songs, and post Sargeant Pepper hard rock. These bands had successful EP and LP releases and played regularly on the Indian university and college music circuits. Also notable from this period (1964–1970) was the female R&B singer, Usha Iyer, now Usha Uthup, who had successful covers of Jambalaya and The Kingston Trio song, Greenback Dollar.

The rock 'n roll scene was also closely followed by Junior Statesman (or simply JS), a magazine started in 1965 contemporaneously with Rolling Stone magazine in the USA and NME in the UK.

In terms of reverse influence, renowned acts such as Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, The Doors and the Byrds were notably influenced by Indian classical music as a way of reinforcing the psychedelia in their music. While Jazz musicians, notably John Coltrane had ventured into Indian music and spiritualism, the influence of Indian classical music on 1960s rock began in earnest with the Beatles' very public sojourn with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at his ashram in Rishikesh in 1966 followed by their release of the LP and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1968.

[edit] 1980s and 1990s

While the orientalist trend of the 60s and 70s was by the 80s and 90s largely over, India itself continued to produce bands in various styles of rock music, from soft rock and roll and rock pop, to hard rock and metal. With the arrival of MTV, tastes rapidly changed, encouraging bands to harden their style and focus more on underground styles such as death metal, alternative metal, progressive rock, etc. The 1990s saw the rise of a much larger following of various harder styles for this reason. Bands that had formed in the 80s, such as Rock Machine, (who would later be known as Indus Creed), altered their style with the influx of newer techniques and influences from the west. Others formed in the 90s with harder styles influenced by the growing split between popular rock, (such as Britpop), alternative styles, (such as punk), and metal styles, (such as thrash. The Indian sub-genre of fusion, which encourages a similar blend of ancient Indian musical traditions with rock music to raga rock, was also carried forward, and is perhaps the most unusual Indian style of rock.

[edit] 2000s and onwards

The current Indian rock scene has a larger following than ever, (although it is still marginalised compared to film music), and may soon become recognised in the international arena, as various South American and Japanese bands have become. Recent entries into the rock music scene are increasingly becoming comparable in their production quality to western bands, and have been compared favorably to other internationally recognised acts. Now digital technology is making it easier than ever for these bands to distribute and sell their music. Some British bands of South Asian origin, such as Swami have, like their hip-hop counterparts, tried to enter the Indian market in addition to maintaining the traditional fanbase of non-resident Indians in United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. Others, such as Rudra, have emerged from Indian communities in other Asian countries. Progress is certain for the Indian rock scene with the advent of entities that support this genre. Rock Street Journal and Rave are the two major publications that have been promoting Indian rock bands. DogmaTone Records, an Indian record label which began little over a year ago has been promoting rock bands and released a compilation album recently.

The scene has also been transformed by the online medium, spearheaded by the launch of Gigpad in 2001, and the subsequent rise of a number of online portals promoting Indian rock. Gigpad and RSJOnline in particular succeeded in building a large community of rockers online where fans and bands discuss music, gigs etc.

[edit] Rock and Roll

Hundred Octane unplugged- Hard Rock Cafe, Mumbai
Hundred Octane unplugged- Hard Rock Cafe, Mumbai

India has produced many rock bands, some of whom have made it into mainstream Indian music, and achieved some international recognition.

[edit] Indian fusion

Main article: Indian fusion

An Indian sub-genre of rock exists that focuses on blending traditional Indian styles of music with rock music. The term for non-Indian bands using Indian instrumentals and vocal in rock is raga rock, however, Indian fusion also encompasses attempts by Indian pop musicians and film composers to incorporate rock music into their work, starting in the 70s with film scores like those of the Amitabh Bachchan classics. The Brown Indian Band features accomplished Indian classical musicians in concert with jazz virtuosos.

Indian bands like Mrigya (Delhi), Thermal and a Quarter (Chennai), Indian Ocean (Delhi), KASP (Mumbai), Advaita (Bangalore), Guru(Germany) incorporate different styles like rock, jazz and folk with Indian classical and other forms of Indian music, to create an experimental style of fusion music.

[edit] Indian funk

Indian funk is a loose term describing the style of rock and roll which is sometimes blurred into the realms of pop and other genres. Whereas Indian fusion may only incorporate Indian style into rock, or rock into Indian music, Indian funk can be broadly defined as what rap-metal is to heavy metal - an infusion of elements from rap, reggae, pop, and dance genres that some might consider to not be 'true' rock. Groups originating in South Asian communities in western countries like Britain are noted for this style, with bands such as Swami and Asian Dub Foundation using elements of UK garage, UK bhangra and hip-hop, such as synthesisers, rap vocals and turntables.

[edit] Hard Rock and Metal

Several bands from India have focused on the hard rock or metal styles. Bangalore based Millennium was one of the first and heaviest metal bands. Other bands centred around Bangalore and Bombay such as Xenon and Kinky Ski Munky have a dedicated following in their cities. Indian black/death metal bands such as Demonic Resurrection have achieved some favorable recognition amongst international metal experts.

Cochin based band Motherjane is popularly referred to as the first band to put Indian rock on the world map. Motherjane is the first and the only Indian Rock band to have their album aired across a mammoth American, Mexican and European radio stations[citation needed].

[edit] Vedic metal

Main article: Vedic metal

The Indian Singaporean band, Rudra (initially got their worldwide push from major metal label Sonic Wave International), with its style of 'Vedic metal', based around Hindu themes, has gained some fame in South East Asia, and is perhaps the most successful Indian band to fuse metal and traditional music in the vein of Brazil's Sepultura, although it does not use avant garde instruments like the latter. Many international critics from America, Germany and other countries, have given the band's albums rave reviews.

Since the genre was pioneered by Rudra in the late 1990s, it has grown in popularity. Bands like Aryadeva (Ukraine), Symmetry (Indonesia), Warriors Of Peace (India), Asura (India), Advaita (New Zealand), The Aryan March (India), Narasimha (Singapore), Kaliyuga (Malaysia), Azrael (Australia) and Blue River (Sri Lanka) have done pioneering work in the genre. Often, along with the Vedic lyrics, the music has shades of Indian classical music. The definitive album of this genre is the Rudra album The Aryan Crusade released in 2001. In addition, India has produced many metal bands that combine ethnic-folk music with various forms of metal to create folk metal band's. Bands in this genre include musical acts such as Zanskar.

Indian rock has been influenced by some notable cultural trends, and has in turn produced influences of its own. Indian musicians have also collaborated with other musicians from across the globe from time to time. Jolly and the Oceans is one such example. The band line up included a German drummer, Hungarian bassist, German vocalist and an Indian guitarist/vocalist Hemant Kapoor.

[edit] Raga rock

In the west, certain groups, such as The Beatles traveled to India and incorporated some aspects of Indian music, especially classical instruments such as the sitar, into their music, often as a way of conjuring psychedelic 'eastern' feelings. The term for this was raga rock, and examples of it are The Beatles "Love You To", "The Inner Light","Across the Universe","Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)", "Tomorrow Never Knows", "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Within You Without You" - The Rolling Stones' "Paint It, Black" - The Kinks' "Fancy" - The Doors' "The End" - and The Byrds' "Eight Miles High". A number of prolific Indian classical musicians such as Ravi Shankar aligned themselves with this trend, making collaboration albums with western artists. Indian bands themselves mainly covered early rock songs by pioneers of rock and roll in the United Kingdom and America, and only achieved recognition in popular culture by supporting film scores and Indian pop.

[edit] Rock scenes

Many cities and regions have produced collections of bands large enough to be classified as a scene within Indian rock.

[edit] The North-East scene

Some of the notable bands from the north-east includes Still Waters (Gangtok), Soulmate (Shillong), Phoenix (Imphal), Dazzle City (Imphal), Faith (Assam), Albatross (Aizawl), Boomarang (Aizawl), Magdalene (Aizawl). All of these bands have made their mark in the respective states and some in the national rock scene. Most of these bands play soft pop-rock, blues and hard rock. More recent bands like Magdalene and Boomarang who are play nu metal music have considerably influenced the rock scene in the region. Soulmate, a blues band from Shillong who, with their signature style riffs and licks, are easily of international standard. Still Waters, a band from Gangtok, regularly perform at major rock events in the country. Heavy Water, an all Manipuri band based in Bangalore is slowly building a fanbase in the metal and classic rock segment.


[edit] The Delhi scene

Delhi's music circuit has seen its share of ups and downs, but has held on largely due to the local presence of Rock Street Journal (aka RSJ). Delhi being the operational home of the Allahabad-based magazine, local bands have benefited by the proximity to India's first magazine that (supposedly) was only about rock and metal. The Great Indian Rock festival is mostly held in Delhi, with occasional forays into Bombay, and has exposed the upcoming musicians of Delhi to a wider variety of musicians.

Delhi's most famous products are probably Parikrama and Indian Ocean. Other famous bands to come out of Delhi are Them Clones, The Superfuzz, Frequency and Decibel. Of late, Delhi has seen a rise in bands incorporating much more contemporary western influences such as the White Stripes, Rage Against the Machine, Limp Bizkit and Slipknot. Genres like Jazz, Grunge and Nu metal have found a strong following, bolstered by the growth of pub gigs around the city

The past few years have seen Delhi rise as the capital of Rock music in the country. All three Campus Rock Idol tours (the biggest amateur rock competition in the country) have been swept by Delhi bands. Prestorika in 2004, Superfuzz in 2005, and FTN in 2006-07. While Prestorika was a support act for The Rasmus' tour of India, FTN has opened for Iron Maiden.

Arguably, the most popular local act is Menwhopause. This indie outfit recently headlined the South By Southwest music festival in California. Their Delhi shows draw expats and locals alike.

[edit] Bangalore scene

The Indian Rock scene in Bangalore brewed in its own quiet corner, coming of age gradually. Largely independent of what was happening around in the rest of the country, Bangalore bands have been quietly innovating and experimenting with various forms of music and, their achievements have been commendable so far. Home to legends like Satchith Paulose, Konarak Reddy, Amit Heri, Roberto Narain, Bruce Lee Mani, Chris Avinash [1], Sharmon Ibrahim, , Trinity D'Souza, Ryan Colaco, Tony Jason Das, Ebenezer M John etc. Bangalore has been a rich breeding ground for many a young gun waiting to make a mark in the Indian music arena.

Thermal And A Quarter is considered one of India’s most popular, talented and innovative bands.Kryptos Kryptos, the straight-laced, virtuoso thrash /speed metal band. The Galeej Gurus won the 2008 Desert Rock Festival. Bangalore has the distinction of having the most varied genres of Metal like Goregrind act Gorified, White Metal band WhiteNoiz and Vedic Metal band Asura. Other Bigwigs include Myndsnare, Bhoomi, Synaps, Sonic Flare, Extinct Reflections, RiverX, Rubberband, Spitfire, Slain, Inner Sanctum. Bands playing other genres include The Raghu Dixit Project, Illuminati, and Eveda Chechi.

The Levi's Sunday Jam, organised by Guruskool on the first sunday of every month, is a free concert designed as a platform for upcoming bands to showcase their talents.

The annual rock festival Strawberry Fieldsorganised by the National Law School is one of the most prominent rock festivals of the country attracting a large number of bands from across the country.

A recent ban on live bands in most places in Bangalore has had a negative impact on the music culture of the city[1].

[edit] Hyderabad Scene

Hyderabad has witnessed a great surge in the number of quality metal/hard rock bands and their followers in the city. Weekly metal gigs happening at The Escape or The Spanish Fly pubs have now become a feature of the city. Sledge, a band formed in 1998 has achieved great success with their debut album "Desert of Souls" recorded by Times Music. They have won many national level rock competitions like Castrol Garage Rock. They toured Singapore in March 2007. Shashikant who is making and bringing up outstations bands and has been managing many bands and giving them a platform for all the up coming bands in the city from the time the scene started off in six years of his managing career has done more than 194 gigs in the city and still on the run also this trend was further augmented by Akshay from Microtone and Anjani from sledge who went on to found arguably hyderabad's first independent atrist recording and management label. Wreckage being another metal outfit, have being playing in various parts of the country. Winner of campus rock idols 2005 (hyd region) it has also been the finalists of NSIT Delhi 2006(Avalanche) headlined for bloodfest 2006 mumbai and been headlining many gigs in city. Legacy was another band during 2004–2005 which supported the Metal Scene in Hyderabad to new levels.Native Tongue an alternative rock band in the city has come up with their debut album called electric piano and is well received by the crowd here. Apart from this other metal acts such Death Incarnate and Ethereal Rush bands like History makers , Stiff neck syndrome and Microtone which were hyderabad's other alternative rock outfits also contributed to the scene in terms of originals. The other bands which played here are Metakix, Infernal wrath, Evergreen, Motherjane, Sceptre, and Pdv. Bands from Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Pune and Chennai regularly visit the city. Rudra, Kryptos and Superfuzz have performed in the last six months. The city has its regular overdose of metal[ mostly death ].

[edit] Mumbai scene

The Mumbai scene is sporadic. There are gigs almost every week - these are college festival related events or private gigs at pubs like Hard Rock Cafe and Not Just Jazz By The Bay. Razzberry Rhinoceros used to be a great venue for gigs but has of late not had any due to license issues. Bands from Mumbai include various genres of music, mostly Rock,Metal and Alternative.

Bands like COLOSSUS, Demonic Resurrection, Devoid, Amidst the Chaos,Bhayanak Maut, Skincold, Bitchslap, Scribe etc. play heavier music, whereas other bands like Split (band), Black, Something Relevant, Dream Out Loud, Tripwire, Human Abstract, Medusa,Psychomotor,The Works (Band) etc. play relatively music ranging from mainstream rock to GrungeSplit (band) to Punk(Tripwire) , ((Old Monks/Classic))

College fests hosting band events are highly popular as well.Bands from all over Mumbai and sometimes even outside participate.It serves as a platform for many upcoming bands.Bands lately coming into recognition include Darksyde, Chronic Phobia, Necrosis, Crystal Meth, Zodiac, Dropzone, Atmosfear, Depth, Rosemary (Sliver), [[Arson] .

The Famed Independence Rock Festival[2] takes place every year here at Mumbai.

[edit] The Bhubaneswar Scene

Although Bhubaneswar was late to jump in to the bandwagon of rock culture, rock music has evolved into new heights over the few years, owing to the sudden surge of many engineering and management colleges in Bhubaneswar. Abyss and Ragaaz are the older and more popular bands. Famous bands such as Krystal Kords, Clash, The Humming Birds and Ozone have disbanded. Some of the notable newer bands to enter the scene are The StyX, Rezo-Noyze,Shabd, Temple 69 and Negative Feedback. Sparks, De Blues, Zebra's, Pal Heights and Devil's Paradise are some of the pubs where rock gigs are hosted.

[edit] The Pune scene

Pune had a very vibrant rock scene. The city is home to many universities. The campus culture in Pune led to the prolifration of rock bands. In thye 80's and 90's, Pune-based bands such as Agni and Ezee Meat were regular fixtures at rock gigs and had a nation-wide following.

The alternative band Acquired Funk Syndrome (AFS) played extensively during the early 00's.

Drizzle an Alternative/Grunge Rock Band which rocked with their originals during that period like "Streets of Heaven", The Prognostication_End of the World" and "Saving Private Ryan" DriZZle was identified for unique sound and style which gave a different dimension to Pune Rock Scene.

[edit] The Chennai scene

One of the major Indian rock festivals is the June Rock Out or JRO as it is popularly known. It is organised by the Unwind Centre, Adyar. It is an annual musical extravaganza which happens every year in the month of June as the name suggests. Some of the most happening rock acts from around the country perform at the JRO. The JRO has seen many a sell out performances by most of the major Indian rock/heavy-metal acts. There is a stress for the number of originals performed to out number the covers at the JRO . There are also other smaller rock/metal festivals happening regularly in Chennai, like the "September Underground", "Last Band Standing" and the weekly Live 101. Most of them are usually assosiated with the Unwind Centre (which is a significant patron of the scene) and the rest being college/fundraising ceremonies. The Bands Association of Chennai (BAC) is an 'organisation' which actively promotes the cause of original music by the Chennai bands, and tries to provide suitable forums for the plenitude of talent which exists here. The Chennai circuit endorses original music, cover-acts almost always taking a back seat. Some of the notable rock/metal acts from Chennai include the Shamaal winners Junkyard Groove, Little Babooshka's Grind, Blind Image (an album is due out soon) and Blood N' Iron, and ever-burgeoning semi-professional circuit comprising of eclectic bands in the forms of Junkhead, Grey Shack, Skrat, Buzz Theory, Fish Eyed Poets, Substance, Disconnected Thought Process(a progressive metal band formed by school students),Tom Violence, Dust etc. Amongst the non-metallers Fall Of Reason,SoundScape, Maelstrom etc.

[edit] The Surat scene

There is only one rock band in surat "The Aura stealers".The Original line-up of the band changed a couple of times.It was Akash Trivedi who formed the band.Since the band consists of people from different musical backgrounds,the band has very wide palette to experiment with.The Band Recently released their first ever single "Kuch Din ke".

[edit] The Jaipur Scene

The scene is slowly developing."Pink City Rock" was the 1st gig to be organized which had 2 delhi bands playing in it - Crimson and Undying Inc. There are only two popular bands "Freep Monera" (progressive metal, covering bands like Opeth, Sepultura) and "Dent" (alternative/punk rock, covering Stone Temple Pilots, Green Day and others). Both these bands represented Jaipur at the campus rock idols 2007 held in the city. Freep Monera opened for Decibel at the RadRock 2008 held at LNMIT.

[edit] The Kerala Scene

13AD is one of India's top rock bands from the 80's to the mid 90's. They released two albums, Ground Zero and ,Tough on the Streets, in the 90's.

Evergreen is a Kochi based progressive/hard rock band. Formed in 1998, they released their first album Between and Beyond in Feb 2008. [2]

Motherjane Motherjane is a Cochin based five piece progressive rock band which started in 1996. The band consists of Suraj (Vocalist), Baiju ( lead guitarist), John ( Drummer), Clyde ( Bass Guitarist) and Deepu (Rhythm Guitarist). Motherjane is the only Indian rock band to have their music played in American, Japanese and Mexican radio stations and has a cult following all around India.,

Avial (Mal Rock)

These are the three bands with an album.Even though there are many others these three are the main bands doing shows outside kerala.

[edit] Ahmedabad Scene

Ever since Campus Rock Idols have been coming to Ahmedabad every year.Bands like Niflheim,Hidden Faith,Abomination,Experiment 7, New Fools of Old Skool(NFOS) have been playing on regular basis.There have been many competitions in Ahmedabad.The Band Niflheim plays Metalcore/Thrash Metal.The 3 piece Band Hidden Faith is well known for playing Thrash Metal stuff. Hidden Faith were runners up for Campus Rock Idols 07 Ahmedabad Round and Abomination stood 1st. Well Ahmedabad, not only has heavy metal bands but bands like New fools of Old Skool(NFOS) formerly known as Indus Valley play Classic Rock. Indus Valley was the band, from all over Gujarat, to reach the Mega Finals of the Rock Idols(2006) , after which they changed their name to New Fools of Old Skool.

[edit] Indian origin rock musicians

Several Indians living abroad have become famous names in rock music. The first and most famous of PIO rock stars was perhaps the late Freddie Mercury of Queen. Other examples include Kim Thayil of the group Soundgarden, Tony Kanal of No Doubt and Dave Baksh of Brown Brigade (formerly a part of Sum 41). Generally, wherever there is a significant Indian comminity, Indian origin musicians have emerged. This is both a testament to the number and size widespread overseas Indian communities, and India's strong musical traditions. The most notable band composed exclusively of PIOs is Singapore's Rudra.

Other rock musicians of Indian origin, with varying degrees of success, are:

[edit] Bands

[edit] Independent record labels

Mainstream record labels in India often ignore rock, with a few exceptions. The rest are independent labels, often run by a band or a promoter. Album sales range between a few hundred copies to a few thousand. They are rarely, if at all, affiliated to the Indian Music Industry, the apex body for recorded music India, and sales are not usually monitored.

[edit] Promoters

In the Indian rock scenario, promoters of rock music often wear many hats: talent manager, gig producer, talent agent, publicist and record label. Given below are a few of these all-in-one promotion houses.

[edit] Film

There has also been a film produced about a rock band called Rock On!! (2008 film)

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/04/stories/2008080461100400.htm
  2. ^ www.independencerock.in

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

Personal tools