QUEEN'S ROAD: Arka, a contemporary fusion band, will perform at Chowdiah Memorial Hall on July 4.
The band will play tracks from their debut album, And a Half, and will also launch the same at the event. The contemporary album is produced by Vivikta Entertainers Pvt Ltd and released by Times Music.
The band comprises Selvaganesh, Karthik, Ravichandra Kulur, Gino Banks, Mishko M’Ba and Santhosh Chandran. With their years of experience, the musicians have pooled in a variety of instruments and genres to compose unique music.
Arka creates contemporary tunes with Indian classical music at its soul. Their genre can be best described as fusion as they blend rock, pop, jazz, flamenco and so on.
Percussionist Selvaganesh says, “The music sense of the youth is evolving constantly, and over a period of time, they have developed a taste for newness. Harping on these emotions, we have composed tracks on scales ranging from one-and-a-half to seven-and-a-half, which explains the name of the album. And a Half has a unique ring and I hope to receive a positive response from the audience.”
Excerpts from a chat with Selvaganesh:
How did Arka take shape?
Three years back, I met Ravi and Karthik in Kolkata at a concert. We realised that there was this vibe between us and we decided that we should work together.
How do you incorporate the ideas of all the artistes in your compositions?
The beauty of Arka stems from the love and respect we have for each other. We all are harmonious in approach and very receptive of each other’s ideas.
The survival of a band is not easy. How do you manage to get your funds?
Vivikta Entertainers have been handling Arka’s gigs ever since its inception and I think they are doing a brilliant job. We have been well-paid for all events and have been performing at interesting places too.
Future projects?
We have several events and prestigious musical festivals lined up.
How do you feel about performing in Bengaluru?
We all feel so happy to perform here because the crowd is very enthusiastic and appreciate us for our efforts. We have performed quite some gigs in Bengaluru and also performed as a part of Rock N Raag.