An insight into the Indie music world

Just mentioning the name Indian Ocean is enough to have a person humming their songs.
) A still from one of the performances of Indian Ocean,
) A still from one of the performances of Indian Ocean,

Just mentioning the name Indian Ocean is enough to have a person humming their songs. Formed in the ‘90s, the band is considered the pioneers of Indie music and currently spearheading the Indian Rock scene. All set to perform at the Mayur Utsav 2018 – a three-day extravaganza aimed at reviving the lost enthusiasm for culture and heritage of India, Rahul Ram, the band’s bass guitarist, appreciates initiatives such as these.

“For someone living in the outskirts of Delhi has to travel a lot just to attend a show in central Delhi which is the cultural hub. Making art accessible to all is a much needed initiative,” he opines.

Ram, who has been a part of the Indie music industry for over 23 years now, says that there has been a sea of change in the last two decades and numerous avenues have opened up. 

the entire band together
the entire band together

In the first five years of the bands initiation, they were able to do only seven shows; they spent more money on practicing than what they actually earned from performing. “College festivals were all we had and it was only through the word-of-mouth publicity that people came to know about us. Those were the days of chasing record companies to record and release music.

Now everything is up on YouTube or on some cloud. Even though its crowed, at least you have a way of getting your music out without the intervention of a music company,” shares the 55-year-old artist, adding, “We have a lot festivals now-a-days that give adequate exposure to artists.”Appreciating the emergence of private venues that invite artists to perform, he rues that these never existed before. “We only had Five-star hotels where bands played covers of English songs. But it was our love for music that kept us going as a band,” he shares. 

Ram is also part of the show Aisi Taisi Democracy which is an amalgamation of stand-up comedy, music and diatribe. Ram is of the opinion that the creative freedom has been under a lot of fire and things have gone from bad to worse in last four-and-half years.

“But on the other hand Safdar Hashmi, the famous playright was murdered on the street in 1989 because his group was performing plays that were critical of the then regime. So, there have been ups and downs but that’s what keeps me fighting for more. There are temporary setback but that alright,” shares Ram as he signs off.

(Today at Durga Pooja Park, Mayur Vihar Phase 1, 6.30 pm.)

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The New Indian Express
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