Building bridges with genres
BENGALURU : There’s a certain amount of joy one gets while performing with a big band. Although we come from different musical backgrounds, we love performing on stage together. Every individual in the band has complete freedom to pursue their genre of music,” says Ashok Nelson, lead guitarist of Thaikkudam Bridge, which is a 15-member band comprising vocalists and instrumentalists.
Navarasam, the first album of the band, was released in 2016 and since then, there has been no looking back. Even today, Kerala’s Thaikkudam Bridge is one of the best-known YouTube influencers who soared to the top, ever since their first ever video, Fish Rock. Going back to the days when the band was formed, vocalist Anish Gopalkrishnan says, “Thaikkudam Bridge is named after a small bridge that nobody knew about until the band was formed.
It was on a certain summer evening when our lead vocalist Govind P Menon called all the members and said we were invited to perform by a TV channel. The channel’s objective was to bring together like-minded musicians on the same platform. Intrigued by this idea, we decided to form the band.” What had to be a one-night gig turned out to be one of the best bands in India. Since then, the band has been every member’s first priority.
Thaikkudam Bridge has performed several covers in many languages and has been appreciated globally. The Nostalgia covers is popular among youngsters and have also bridged the gap between the younger and older generations. “When youngsters listen to the covers, they make sure they listen to the original song,” says Nelson.
The videos of the band have made a big contribution in making the band popular. Their cinematography is aesthetic and the members make sure that they are appealing to the eyes as much as they are to the ears. Also all the musicians are inspired by well-shot films.
“We spent `50 lakh on our first video since we believe in quality,” says Gopalkrishnan, adding, “The formation of Thaikkudam Bridge is one the best things that has happened to us and we cannot wait to explore more art in the future.” When they started their gigs, the local band culture was not as popular as it is today in Kerala. The band’s contribution to the music industry has helped smaller bands grow in Kerala.
The band will launch Namah at Forum Shantiniketan Mall, Whitefield, on Nov 30, 7 pm.