KOCHI:The crowd roared when the lights went out. Suddenly, there was a beat. Beads of water illuminated by neon lights danced along with the beat. And there was another beat. There was more water this time. It was jumping on the drum. With each rhythm, the water danced as if having its own fun. The show turned out to be more than a musical evening, it became a visual treat for the audience.
Percussionist Gino K Jose and his instrumental band ‘The G Band’ have taken it upon themselves to entertain crowds with music and visual appeal. “For this, I use two methods,” Gino says. “The first method - water drumming - is something I have developed. It incorporates water and light into the performance. It would be safe to say that I am the first one to develop south India’s first water drum and perform using it. Water drumming is my baby, but I don’t want to take credit for it. The second technique is fire drumming. Usually, most performers just light the end of the stick and perform. But, I burn the entire stick and perform using it. It’s like I use the elements of water, air and fire.”
According to Gino, he creates music with live creativity. “I loop rhythms and combine it with melody to create a groove,” he says.In his 27 year-career in percussion, he has never had a role model. “I have looked up to renowned percussionist Sivamani,” says Gino. “My only role model is myself. I feel I’ll never realise my potential if I have a role model.”
Music is in Gino’s blood. “My grandfather used to play a double reed harmonium during the Latin mass,” he says. He began learning percussion instruments such as tabla and conga drums since Class V. “Since then, I began taking it very seriously. My professional career began when I was in Class X.”
However, being a retired Army man, Gino’s father wasn’t very pleased about his decision to be a professional percussionist. Consequently, Gino was sent to Bengaluru in search of a job. There he had to sleep in his relative’s garage, next to an old Fiat and a Boxer breed dog.
It was this garage that gave his professional career a new perspective. “My relative’s son and his college band used to practise there,” Gino remembers. “One day, there was a fallout between them and the drummer of the band left abruptly on the eve of an important competition. I told the guitarist of the band that I was a percussionist and I might be of some use to the guys. Because of my systematic approach towards music, they were impressed. And I floored the competition the next day. I was even declared the best drummer of the competition.”
On returning from Bengaluru, Gino was able to convince his father of his passion for music. Apart from his percussion career, he also collects drums. “During a live solo performance, I perform with 18 acoustic and seven electronic drums,” Gino says. Also, he has been a DJ for more than 16 years.He has worked with music composer Gopi Sunder in five films, including “Udhaharanam Sujatha” and “Kammara Sambhavam”.
In November, Gino will reveal another drum technique in an event in Kochi. “It is a suspense,” he smiles. In January, 2019, his seven-year-old daughter Julian will make an appearance along with him. “We’ll be doing a father-daughter percussion performance,” he says.
live creativity
What makes his performance visually appealing is his water drum, fire drum and live creativity. In live creativity, a groove is created with rhythm that is recorded on loop