KOCHI: kARNATRiix, the band which was formed in 1984 under the leadership of an exceptional guitar player, is planning a mega show in the city this year-end.
kARNATRiix is not just another trick out of the sagging bag of what goes for fusion music these days. It is the soul-soothing culmination of a band of musicians’ experiments with different styles and sounds, much like a new colour produced by the skillful combination of various hues and shades.
kARNATRiix’s soundscape stretches out far beyond what has been created hitherto. It is contemporary and yet traditional. It is not simple and yet not complicated. It is electronica and also acoustica. You can chill out or just sit in silent contemplation as the music stirs your senses.
Misguided and conflicting it might seem, but the music is direct and clear, offering Indian classical creations in a new age package to people all over the world.
kARNATRiix’s music has elements of jazz, blues, rock, trance, funk, and classical sounding in perfect harmony with the Carnatic kritis of saint Thyagaraja. It is not a traditional melody trapped in a melting pot of sampled copy-and-paste grooves topped by more samples of ambient keyboard and bass textures. The music, with a contemporary feel, has been woven carefully around the traditional melody, entailing months of study and a clear and deep understanding of the different styles and rhythms used in the compositions.
kARNATRiix features John Anthony on guitars; Ustad Faiyaz Ahamed Khan on vocals/sarangi; Carola Grey, the lady drummer from Germany, O Fox from Germany on Saxaphone, Flute, and Clarnet; Keba on bass Guitar and Shomi Davis on percussion.
They are the only band from this part of the world to perform at the Handzhou (China) World Music /Jazz festival on October 23. Says John Antony among the key artist in the band : “Our music is an extension of our soul and freewill. We believe strongly in our freedom to express ourselves by doing what we do best and that is making music and ultimately experiencing it. We hope other people too can share our experience.”