The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : A mix of highs and lows

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 04, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

A mix of highs and lows

Rakesh Mehar

Bangalore: The Unity Concert, the big highlight of IIM Bangalore's "Unmaad 2007," was an interesting union of two musical counterpoints, in the form of Indian Ocean's earthy folksy rock and Ali Azmat and crew's all out hard rocking act.

Indian Ocean, first up on stage had the crowd eating out of their hands with their wonderfully unique Indo-rock fusion mix. Playing such hits as "Kandisa," "Ma Rewa" and "Bande" (from the soundtrack of Black Friday, whose February 9 release was plugged by vocalist and bassist Rahul Ram while he introduced the song), the band exhibited the delicious virtuosity that has made them one of the best fusion bands in the country. With Ram's fluid basswork, Susmit Sen's lilting guitar solos, Amit Kilam's slick, seemingly effortless drumming and Asheem Chakravarty's powerful moving vocals, Indian Ocean had a full, satisfying package on offer.

Next up on stage was Ali Azmat, backed by Omran Shafiq, Kamran Zafar and Louis Pinto, playing the kind of straight-out rock act that one is more accustomed to hearing. Although they too managed to keep the crowd grooving, the second band on stage was not nearly as entertaining as Indian Ocean. With a less evolved and distinctive sound and a performance that was often all over the place, and fell well short of the expected level of tightness, Ali Azmat and crew could not make as much of an impact musically. Despite the shortcomings of the second band, however, Indian Ocean's punchy, rocking set made for a more than enjoyable evening.

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