Through gypsy rumba flamenco, artistes have always had the privilege of exploring the art of musical seduction with great ease. While the expressive portamento weaves its way through rich organic melodies, the joyful rhythms of this particular genre resonate with the sounds of 'celebration'. Exploring a bold new perspective of flamenco by combining elements of the traditional art form with a myriad of popular music forms, Arun Shenoy's world fusion album titled Rumbadoodle is a journey that transcends all genres.
Being nominated for a Grammy in the category of best pop instrumental album, Rumbadoodle is a fiery hybrid of guitar interludes and smoldering textures. “The title track was one of the very first songs that I had worked on and one of the last ones to actually make the album! Originally, it was a jam between Glenn Sharp (flamenco guitar) and me (electric guitar). The general response I received was that it sounded very ‘Santana like’. Though, I have been a big fan of Carlos Santana, my music has never been influenced by him and I did not want it to be perceived that way. So in the end, I ended up replacing the guitar parts with violin pieces which were played by Ian Cameron from Canada," said the Singapore-based songwriter and record producer who is originally from Bangalore.
According to the artiste, Rumbadoodle was given a more percussive Afro Cuban Rumba feel unlike the rest of the album; to capture the influences of the Afro-Cuban Rumba in the Spanish Rumba Flamenco, which was brought back from Cuba to Spain in the 19th Century.
In fact, some of the tracks from the album including Blue Sky Happiness Part II, Rock and Rigmarole and The Violin Song have earthy tunes that are punctuated with gentle swaying melodies and intricate hooks. “My music is designed to energise and excite. I often use counterpoint melodies which makes my music interesting and also allows the listener to interpret it in his or her own way. Well, the musical arrangement in my songs is usually complex and has several layers of sounds. Tonally, one will find that a lot of my tunes are influenced by the music I grew up listening to. Apart from being inspired by epic soundscapes by musicians like Meatloaf or the good old solid acoustic drum and bass grooves; I am also fascinated with pop piano sounds that are reminiscent of Elton John and jazz pieces by artistes like Keith Jarrett,” said the artiste who strongly believes that music has the ability to take us on a journey to new lands and experiences.
Arun's production style traverses through genres like rock n’ roll, world beat and new age music. He broke into the limelight in 2010 with the debut EP of American rockers Tanadra that was co-written and produced by him and also yielded the hit single Danny. So, what's next for this artiste? “My latest project is under production and will be released in 2013. This will be an Indian fusion project that goes deep into my cultural roots and brings out the essence of 'what I discover' in the form of fresh sounds," he signed off.