BENGALURU: When stage lights illuminate two middle-aged men sitting in chairs wearing black suits and holding an unfamiliar stringed instrument, most people would expect a sombre classical performance. Instead, Marko Veisson and Ramo Teder jump around the stage, moving their arms around to a signature choreography that is popular among everyone from Estonian kindergartners to adults.
Veisson says, “When the audience sees us, they think it is going to be very serious. But it’s not. In our live shows, we play ironically with our ideas. We play with contrasts, so the look is rather conservative but when the show starts it’s very playful. So the audience should be ready to dance!” On Sunday they took to the stage at the Indian Music Experience Museum for their debut performance in the city. Today, they will be performing at the Bangalore International Centre.
The duo plays the Talharpa, an Estonian folk instrument that nearly died out in the early twentieth century following conservative campaigns against it. Combining the distinctive droning sounds of this instrument with an electronic looping station produces Puuluup’s signature folk meets electro-punk sound that they like to call ‘zombie folk’. “In the 1980s a few enthusiasts started to revive this tradition. When somebody has been dead but wakes up again and acts a little bit strangely… that’s why we call it zombie-folk,” says Veisson.
Their shared love for the instrument is what brought the duo together. “Ramo and I happened to see somebody playing the instrument and were enchanted by the sound. It was something we’ve never experienced, seen or heard before,” says Veisson, who was teaching social sciences at a college when he heard a band playing Talharpa and asked around if someone could teach him. “At that time there were only about 10 people in Estonia who played it,” he says. The band made it to the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest earlier this year, introducing this rare instrument on a global stage.
Puuluup’s process of making music is as spontaneous as their performance, with songs often evolving from improvisation between the duo. The lyrics too are whimsical, with a focus on creating interesting soundscapes and letting the audience’s imaginations run wild. Some of the songs are written in a language created by Marko and others in a mix of Estonian, Finnish and Russian.
With this being their first visit to the city, Veisson hopes to get to know Bengaluru better. “We are very much looking forward to seeing Bengaluru. We will spend a few days here so I really hope that the audience will recommend something to do. It’s always better to ask from locals!” he shares.