INDIA SOUNDPAD

Flashback: Swarathma jamming at University of Westminster

Marianne Bouchart — Thu, 21 May 2009 23:25:47 +0000

On Tuesday 12 May, Swarathma took a break out of the studio to play some of their cheerful music in the University of Westminster’s courtyard.

A camera crew recorded the band jamming on the spot, here is the video, again, a purely fantastic moment of music…

Soundpad’s Launch Party at the FLY in London, Tuesday 19 May

Marianne Bouchart — Thu, 21 May 2009 23:21:11 +0000

Back from the first dates of their UK tour, Advaita, Medusa, Indigo Children and Swarathma came back to London this week for a launch party at the FLY bar in London.

The place was packed with people who danced and singed along our band’s fantastic music. Each group delivered a terrific performance saying it may be one of their best gig ever!

Even though it was extremely hot in the small venue, people stayed until late to enjoy the show. Swarathma finished the party with a big success and made the crowd sing in Hindi!

Exhausted by their performance, the bands were picked up by the tour buses late at night, Swarathma and Indigo Children heading for Manchester, Medusa and Advaita for Cardiff.

Here are some pictures from the launch party at the FLY…

(Photos by Alison Baskerville)

Advaita (Credit: Alison Baskerville)

Indigo Children (Credit: Alison Baskerville)

Medusa (Credit: Alison Baskerville)

Swarathma (Credit: Alison Baskerville)

Indigo Children (Credit: Alison Baskerville)

Flashback: Suzy Green’s interview at the University of Westminster

Marianne Bouchart — Thu, 21 May 2009 23:07:39 +0000

On May 13, Suzi Green, freelance working on the Soundpad Project for the British Counciil, came to the University of Westminster to assist to the recording of our four bands’ songs.

Students from the University produced this brief interview (Marianne Bouchart interviewing) where she explains where the idea behind the Soundpad Project come from.

SOUNDPAD Photo Shoot at the University of Westminster

Marianne Bouchart — Thu, 21 May 2009 22:48:06 +0000

When the four bands came to the University of Westminster last week, Tom Medwell, photograph, immortalised the event with a splendid photo shoot. Here are the four best shots of the bunch!

Indigo Children posing for Tom Medwell (Credit: Tom Medwell)

Medusa in Northwick Park (Credit: Tom Medwell)

Swarathma showing their acrobatic skills (Credit: Tom Medwell)

Advaita in the University of Westminster lecture theater (Credit: Tom Medwell)

Flashback: Introductory speech by Sally Gross, chair of the panel for India Focus, 14 May 2009

Marianne Bouchart — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:04:50 +0000

India Focus – (music as cultural and music as a product)

On May 15, an open discussion produced by the University of Westminster’s Faculty Music, in association with British Council Soundpad, gathered representatives from Sony India, The Big Chill, Rough trade retail and John Leckie at The Great Escape festival in Brighton.

Sally Gross, director Music Programme for the University of Westminster, was chairing this debate, here is her speech:

“The Empire Strikes Back again and again and in ways the emperor never expected – the wondrous magical thing about music is the way it comes in shapes that were never predicted.

India Soundpad can sound on paper like something contrived but the reality – the music –speaks for itself, outside of our prejudices – not least the knowledge that Iron Maiden are huge in India!

I am particularly proud to be chairing this panel in 2009 – I am extremely grateful to the Oscar judges that managed to get Slumdog Millionaire to slam-dunk the Oscars and make India the topic de jour.

So here we are in Brighton to discuss the phenomena that is modern India or is it? 70% of the Indian population live in rural villages with little access to what we would recognise as the modern digital age-where even access to electricity and water can be a daily problem BUT there is a growing 30% who have economic access to consume music and the potential to develop a music industry that is recognisable outside of the Bollywood phenomena.

The Anglo/Indian relationship has a long and often painful history but music is part of the pleasuredom – that space in which the sensual and the spiritual as well as the political meet to confront and recognise and heal – music as far as I can recall has never been a destructive force in the sense that it has done physical harm to anybody – rather it has been transformatory, enabling and powerful in its ability to bring people together. – and Indian music has had a huge influence on the UK music scene from the `Beatles to “Punjabi MC let alone Timbaland and all those American producers that love to jump on our band wagon – step off and tune in to 1XTRA !

This panel is here to discuss if and how the experience of the UK music industry can inform and assist the emergent new music industry in India today. We are not here to discuss how we in the Anglo/American nexus can sell more records in India – we are after all struggling to sell any records in our own back yard.

The situation In India is unique to its own landscape and cultural identity.

The history of Rock N Roll in the west is a hotly contested environment – but the singular undisputed fact of the emergence of a separate ‘teenage’ identity in the 1950’s is acknowledge as the catalysts for the explosion of ‘popular’ music.

Without teenagers and the youth movement- there would have been NO 60’s as we understand it today – the idea of teenage rebellion as a valid form of cultural resistance has dominated the history of popular music and the creative industries and has been exploited by record companies and marketers alike But can this model of a youth market and youth identity work in India in 2009?

Our panel are here to illuminate this topic – to introduce this modern India to us, the British Council and Westminster University have brought this panel together in conjunction with Faculty Music – well if that is not branding in action! But seriously the job of academia is to record –to enquire, to analyze and to document – the job of the British Council is to forge relationships and the job of the new entrepreneurs and musicians of India is to create!”

Last moments at the Great Escape Festival!

Marianne Bouchart — Sun, 17 May 2009 13:11:16 +0000

Bands from India Soundpad jam on the beach at the Great Escape, Brighton (Credit: Kit Oates)

Indigo children rip up a storm whilst playing the Providence club in Brighton, Great Escape Festival (Credit: Kit Oates)

DAY 2: what the bands were up to yesterday in Brighton

Marianne Bouchart — Sat, 16 May 2009 16:56:53 +0000

The bands took a long walk down Brighton pier yesterday afternoon before setting in Horatios bar.

The gig kicked off around 12:15 with Indigo Children, who got the crowd going and certainly woke them up! A good rock and roll style set that was lively and energetic!

Swarathma then enlightened the crowd with their mystical beats and Vasu got the audience clapping along to their songs. Advaita followed with a spiritual and mellow set which then finished with some good old loud indie rock from Medusa.

Swarathma enlightened the crowd yesterday at Horatios in Brighton (Credit: Alison Baskerville)

All the bands coped well with the quick turnaround on stage and needless to say they had a bit of fun exploring the pier.

Then, Indigo Children heading of for a gig at Providence and Medusa to the Ocean Rooms. Medusa delivered a great little set in the basement of the Ocean Room and enjoyed the free cider, which was a first taste for the guys!

Indigo Children woke the crowd up! (Credit: Alison Baskerville)

Medusa's gig at the Ocean Rooms (Credit: Alison Baskerville)

They are all enjoying a well deserved day off today. Back on the road tomorrow!

Enjoying the English Cider! (Credit: Alison Baskerville)

Indigo Children Informal Interview

Marianne Bouchart — Fri, 15 May 2009 11:13:23 +0000

When they came to the University of Westminster on May 12 and 13, Indigo Children gave an informal interview to a team of journalism students (Sapna Khan interviewing).

In this four minutes video, the boys explain how their band came together but also give the meaning of their songs “Irresistible” and “Sing to me”.

They reveal why they picked the name “Indigo Children” and talk about their adventure with the Soundpad Project and their recording at the Yash Raj Studios in Bombay. “When we first entered the studio, it was like an alien mother ship, it was crazy,” Rahul Sainani says.

Advaita at the Concord II yesterday

Marianne Bouchart — Fri, 15 May 2009 10:45:13 +0000

Advaita gave the crowd an amazing performance (Credit: Alison Baskerville)

The concert started late and the boys were under pressure as they only had a few minutes to sound check. With the added pressure, they got straight into their set and gave the crowd an amazing performance. They were so well received that the public demanded an encore!

The audience enjoyed the gig so much that they demanded an encore (Credit: Alison Baskerville)

Anindo during yesterday's concert in Brighton (Credit: Alison Baskerville)

The band were playing at the amazing venue The Concord II (Credit: Alison Baskerville)

Swarathma made the crowd dance last night!

Marianne Bouchart — Fri, 15 May 2009 10:18:17 +0000

Swarathma performed their first gig yesterday at The Arc in Brighton (Credit: Kit Oates)

After a calm first day at the festival, Swarathma headed towards the well-known venue The Arc in Brighton yesterday night to perform their first gig of the Soundpad UK Tour. The band is famous for the energy it puts on stage and yesterday’s gig was yet an other great moment of music where Swarathma even made the crowd dance!