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Raw and out there
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Tony John of the alternative Malayalam rock group Avial, tells RAKESH MEHARthe band sings in traditional folk forms of Malayalam for its immediacy, which is evocative of good old rock ’n’ roll
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In the mix Like the dish it is named after, Avial represents a blend of influences and ingredients
Regional rock is often a rather troubling proposition for Indian listeners. After all, the space is usually peopled by bands and artistes that are self-conscious or over-proud of their vernacular status. Every so often, however, one comes up against
a band that effortlessly and unpretentiously fuses the disparate sensibilities of rock music and the vernacular. And when the result is as good as Malayalam rock band Avial’s self-titled debut, released recently across the country by Phat Phish Records, it’s worth the effort of wading through the unloved bulk of the genre.
Of course, at first glance, the idea of Malayalam and rock music together doesn’t inspire much confidence. And yet, they fit and fit so well that even listeners who cannot understand the lyrics (this reporter for instance) would find themselves singing whatever scraps they can pick up.
“Malayalam is a difficult language to work with, and spoken Malayalam would never have fit in,” explains Tony John who does vocals, turntables and synth. “We’ve worked with more traditional folk forms of Malayalam because folk forms have a raw feel to them. And it’s the same with rock music, it’s raw and out there.”
In singing in Malayalam, however, Avial proves more than anything else that language isn’t really a barrier for good music. It’s fitting that most of the fans for this experiment in “Alternative Malayalam rock” (as the band refers to its music) are global, catching onto the video for the band’s powerful first single “Nada Nada” on Youtube. “Language is really not an issue because the sound speaks for us. It is only the sound that matters,” says Tony.
And what a sound it is: a lush mix of good old classic rock with interesting progressive touches and a folk sensibility that goes beyond merely the Malayalam lyrics. “Over the years, we’ve been listening to everything from the 70s, 80s and 90s, and our music is a mix of everything we’ve ever heard. There are just too many influences to name,” says Tony.
The band currently comprises Tony, along with Rex Vijayan on guitars and synth, Naresh Kamath on bass and Mithun Puthanveetil on drums. (Vocalist Anandraj Benjamin Paul, who appears on the album has since quit the band.)
Avial first came together in 2003, with the specific design of alternative Malayalam rock in mind. Part of the credit for the band’s formation, Tony attributes to filmmaker Pradeep Kalipurayath, whose impetus to shoot a video for “Nada Nada” helped give shape to Avial. Once shot, the video went up on Youtube, and in no time, the band had achieved unexpected levels of Internet popularity.
Work on the album started off soon, taking two years, with another year of shopping around for a record label until bassist Naresh got the people at Phat Phish Records to check the band out and a deal promptly followed. The band is now even set to collaborate with an Italian band called A 67.
“They happened to hear us on MySpace, and want to collaborate on a song for their album. “It’ll be a fantastic mix; Malayalam and Italian.” says Tony. “It’s amazing what the Internet has done for bands. I was recently reading about a music company that isn’t even going to print CDs, and will only sell on the Internet. This is the future,” he adds. Besides “Nada Nada”, the album features some other interesting songs, like rock renditions of two folk originals called “Chekele” and “Arikuruka”, as well as a contemporary take on the eminent Kavalam Narayana Panicker’s “Karukara…” from the Malayalam film “Kummatti”.
Their originals like “Aadu Pambe” and “Aranda” strike just as strong a chord with the listener, all excellently arranged and produced. And of course, for those of us who’d still like to know what these guys are singing about, there are helpful translations in the album inlay with some rather fascinating art work illustrating the dominant images of each song.
Of course, one can’t leave without asking about the band’s name. The official explanation, says Tony, is that Avial as a dish represents a mix of ingredients. So too with the band it represents the eclectic mix of influences that have gone into creating the music. That said, he adds with a nonchalance about the superficial that also characterizes Avial’s music: “When Rex came up with the name it made us smile. We named ourselves that just for fun, and to tell listeners not to take us too seriously.”
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