BENGALURU : Whenever Carnatic fusion music is discussed, the first song that is likely to pop up in the minds of many is Maha Ganapathim Manasa Smarami from the film Morning Raga. While the song still remains a classic, the city-based Project MishraM’s Kanakana is also finding a spot in many playlists. The song, which came out on Jan. 29 on their YouTube channel, has crossed 40,000 views as of now. The song, which also features the band Kmac2021, is the band’s take on the 18th century Carnatic composition Kanakanaruchira, by the legendary composer Thyagaraja.
“Traditionally, the raga holds a gambhira tone, so we did a fusion with metal, which has a dark and aggressive side to it,” says Shivaraj Nataraj, a techie and the vocalist and beatboxer of the seven-member band. The other members are Anirudh Koushik (flute), Pranav Swaroop B N (violin), Ram Srinivas (bass), Sanath Shanbhogue Manikkara (drums, mridangam), Srishankar Sundar (guitars) and Sumant Nemmani. Natraj shares that the song is from their first album Meso, which is going to be released soon.
The album is mixed and produced by Thejus Nair. Making a fusion might not be new to them but the taste of being an internet sensation is. Nataraj, 24, says though they did a bit of promotion for the song, it going viral on the internet was a pleasant surprise. But while the songs have a fan following, ask Nataraj if he ever thought a fusion could spark any kind of controversy among traditionalists, and he says, “We are not trying to disrespect anything. It’s our take on the song.”
Speaking about the story behind the unconventional band name, Nataraj – who has been learning Carnatic music since the age of five – says Mishram means “mix” in Sanskrit . The band started out in RV College of Engineering and garnered popularity as the members attended fests and inter-collegiate competitions. Apart from metal, they also mix hard rock, progressive and djent tunes to create their songs, keeping Carnatic music as a common thread in their work.