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Whiff of Oxygen
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Carnatic ragas and Western notes merged at a concert by the band `Oxygen'
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Fresh air and fusion notes: Oxygen in full flow at Vani Mahal — Pic. by R. Ragu
THEIR ATTIRE was symbolic of their music. Barring two, all members of the fusion band Oxygen, were dressed in kurta and jeans. With the youngest band member aged 15 and the oldest, 20, Oxygen had the audience at Vani Mahal spellbound for two hours with a performance that was shaped by a baffling mastery over diverse musical instruments and a maturity that belied their age.
During the first number "Vathapiganapathim" two contrasting sounds - powerful drum beats and mellifluous notes of the flute - blended perfectly. With the drums and keyboard leading the other instruments, the next number "Harmonica Minor" was predominantly rock. However, towards the end, with strong fingerwork on the mridangam and the kanjira accompanied by the violin, the Carnatic elements overshadowed all the other sounds.
"Intensity", based on the Keeravani raga with a symphony track running through, was, as the name suggests, buoyant. One could read a number of meanings into the sounds. You had reason to believe that the sounds conveyed intensity of effort or thought or an abundant swelling of hope. As the music progressed, thumping drum beats were matched by intense swings of the bow on the violin.
The best part of the concert was defined by a sustained play of percussion instruments. Before playing out a rhythm on his mridangam, K.S. Ramana clapped it out with his hands and then hummed it. It was then picked up by P.T. Prithvi Kumar on the drums.
It was a riot of sound when Ramana turned to his mridangam to create music and Anirudh joined in with his kanjira and Prithivi topped the two sounds with some spirited whips on the drums.
Carnatic ragas and Western notes continued to make love in `Dimension' which was based on a classical raga and performed in blues style. `Rain In Paradise', in the Harikambhoji raga, was followed by `Mist' and `Dreams.'
Swarnamalya, hostess for the evening, announced that the band was all set to follow its eponymous first album with another, `Clarity In Confusion'.
Music director Harris Jeyaraj was all praise for Oxygen, and Carnatica and Om Ganesh Millenium Music, which jointly organised the concert.
PRINCE FREDERICK
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