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Of the tabla, trumpet and technology

French band Jugal Bandi believe that if Indians accept their music, they will be a hit all over

PHOTO: H. SATISH

DESTINATION INDIA The Jugal Bandi team strikes a pose

Richard Bernet, a Frenchman who discovered the sarod in California, plays it with as much precision and passion as any Indian dedicated to music and the instrument. He has also studied Sanskrit and the one who came up with the name Jugal Bandi as the bands name. Richard is just one sixth of this world music band, the other five — Sayon, Ricco, Nabankur, Hamid and Laurent, come from equally diverse backgrounds. Hamid is Algerian, plays various percussion instruments, Sayon is Guinean and sings in French, Sulu and Zoha, Nabunkar is from India and Ricco and Laurent are from France.

The band was formed when trumpet player Rocco and Richard (or Rishi) met on a radio show. The others soon hopped on board and Jugal Bandi- a fusion band with heavy Indian influences was born. The six musicians feel that their trip to India is extremely important and decided that if Indians accept their music, they will be a hit world-wide. On the other hand, if Indians didn't like their kind of music then they would have to rethink their strategy.

This is the group's first trip to the country and it also coincides with a series of concerts across the world. Understandably, Sayon misses her two toddlers while Nabunkar Bhattacharya, fondly called Pinku, is only too happy to be back on home ground. Nabunkar, a hard-core Bengali loves teaching the tabla and when he's not playing with the band, he conducts workshops in Netherlands, Finland and Spain. Nabunkar also misses his Doi Maach, Misthi Doi and Rasgullas and has scheduled a four-day holiday in Kolkata to indulge himself.

Jugal Bandi is based in Marseille, in the south of France, a place famous for soaps that makes use of Indian coconut oil. "Another fact that shows the Indo-French connection," says Richard with a grin.

RENUKA VIJAY KUMAR

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