The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Wait for fusion music full of surprises

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 03, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Wait for fusion music full of surprises

K. Lakshmi

CHENNAI: The city has seen several genres of music. But, `Aradhna' has a load of surprises in store, which will be unveiled at a concert on Sunday. It will comprise Hindi and Nepali bhajans fused with sitar, tabla and guitar.

So what's new? The members of the band are Westerners. But these former rock performers from the United States and Canada will render compositions, following the Bhakti tradition, but with a difference. The bhajans will sing the praise of Jesus Christ.

In a telephonic interview, Chris Hale, a member of the band, said his childhood in South Asia inspired him to learn the bhajans.

It started a decade ago even as Mr. Hale toured across India as part of Olio, a fusion band that concentrated more on rock music.

Besides rock repertoire, the band also performed bhajans that received wide reception and release of album `Naam Leo Re' followed.

"We have performed in IIT Madras as `Olio' band during 1998," he recalled. Along with American guitarist and vocalist Peter Hicks, Aradhna's debut album, `Deep Jale' was released in 2000. "I was surprised to find hundreds of bhajans were composed on Jesus over the last few centuries during my study for albums," he said.

"Our songs are based on Bihari, Bojpuri and Braj bhasha, a language used in Hindustani music," he said.

Their fourth album slated to be released in June would have songs on Nepali folk music.

After touring across several countries, including Britain and South Africa, `Aradhna' would provide a treat to Chennai at the Museum Theatre, Egmore on Sunday for the first time. The concert would include Hindustani violin performance of Fiona Lyth.

The entry for the concert is free. For details, contact 98403 21662 or 98408 55875.

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