CHENNAI: A couple of sleepless nights and a packed performance schedule does nothing to douse the excitement in Adil Manuel’s voice! Having originally planned a gig in the city as part of a corporate endeavour, a couple of calls across his network resulted in collaboration with Ohio-based 80s Arena Rock band Electrik Circus, who played at the same venue last weekend as a part of the Global Isai Festival.
“My band, Mr Manual Manuel and members of Electrik Circus will perform a mix of jazz, fusion, funk, rock and blues. Looking forward to the evening,” says the frontman of Mr Manual Manuel, which has Ed Degenaro on the guitar, Shyam Rao on the drums and Gerry on bass.
The story of Adil’s entry into the country’s music scene may sound familiar to aspiring musicians across the globe. Having slowly and steadily made his way up, from being a regular at cultural events and performances to becoming one of the most sought-after guitarists in the country today bears testimony to his versatility.
“It’s hard to pick one style I like, but I think if anything comes close to being a favourite, it’s jazz,” says Adil, who is also adept at playing blues and rock compositions.
The Mumbai-based artiste has performed in the city on several occasions, and is excited about being back here. His long list of collaborations over the year features popular names from both the independent circuit and mainstream cinema.
Starting off with bands like MRP, Olio, Asphyia and Bandish, names like Vishal Dadlani, Mohit Chauhan, Kailash Kher, Shubha Mughdal, Clinton Cerejo and movies like Akira (2016) and a documentary called BTC made it to his resume. “The whole point of collaborating is to push you out of your little cozy corner. It’s not about you. It’s about two diverse styles coming together,” says Adil as we urge him to pick his most challenging tie-up date. “Every artiste has their own comfort zone and mine is jazz,” says Adil, quick to point out the irony of finding liberty in one of the hardest styles to master.
We quiz him about the difference in composing a track fully and playing to another’s tunes and he says, “Everyone has a signature standard and style. The idea is to maintain the standard but also reinvent and make it different. It’s a challenge to retain the flavour without sounding the same, be it with one’s own work or someone else’s.”
The ace guitarist believes that the independent music scene has come a long way over the last decade. Adil has had a number of successful collaborations, and many appearances on Dewarists and Fox Life India’s Sound Trek. “Over the years, opportunities in the independent scene have increased tremendously. Music has become accessible to creators and consumers, thanks to technology and that has changed the way artistes function and how they become popular,” he opines.
He also says that the diversity in the Indie music arena fosters creative confluence. “There is a certain honesty to the craft there, craft for craft’s sake. And that’s endearing,” he smiles. “There is so much exposure today and people are exploring their own capabilities and pushing their peripheries like never before. No hurdle is too big, and that is showing in the quality of music coming out as well. It’s an encouraging sign.”
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