KOCHI: Karnatriix. The name is meant to sound like a crazy Asterix character than a high brow band. “After all, what is life without a bit of humour?” is how John Anthony, its founder, sees it. For a person who has strummed the guitar for 2000-odd movies, whose band has been doing world tours and who has worked with greats like L Shankar, Zakir Hussain and Balamuralikrishna, John appears surprisingly laid-back and easygoing.
On stage, performing at the Fine Arts Hall on Tuesday, he played with a relaxed smile, swaying gently, enjoying his own music.
So what brings him back to Kochi after 26 years?
“The sponsors helped,” he quips. Jokes apart, John wants to introduce his music to the crowd in Kochi, “especially the young, which is why we made it a free show.”
And what is it that makes Karnatriix sound so different from the rest?
“Well, it would be difficult to describe our music. Record labels put it under ‘new age world music.’ It has a definite Indian flavour to it, which makes it stands out in shows in the West.”
Not surprisingly, it is this ‘uncategorisable’ nature which has made Karnatriix a name to reckon with in the industry today.
“Yes, it is difficult to play Indian music on the guitar tuned to the Western style. But then, that is what the guitar is all about, otherwise it would be no different from the veena,” says John. “I would say our USP is that we make use of Indian ragas and scales in western harmony.”
Probably the expert guidance of his two gurus, M G Radhakrishnan and Roger D Jhanke, US-based pianist, lead to the seamless blending of the two streams in his compositions.
John fondly remembers the days when he used to hang around musicians while in school at St Albert’s. “I failed in Class IX, and that was when my attention wholly turned to music.” For a generation of western music lovers, John Anthony and the bands he played for like Stone Age and Hijackers were household names.
“I feel that it is now that there are less takers for a western music performance. Those days, we used to have all night shows lasting till 6 am at times.” He also worked at KJ Yesudas’ studio Tarangini later. Soon after his PDC, John left for Chennai, in 1984, where he immersed himself in film music for a long while. “I have done the guitar for around 2000 movies, starting from ‘Poochakkoru Mookuthi’, to the recent ‘Vinnaithandi Varuvaaya.”
But playing for movies was just a livelihood for him, and alternative music was what he was really interested in. “But only commercial and film music works in India. We have a rather closed mind towards alternative music.”
Karnatriix formed in 2003, and their first album - Namaste - was an instant hit. The band went on to play in venues in the US and elsewhere. These days John plays for films “only if the music is by AR Rahman.” Back in the 80s when Rahman was not yet launched, John, Rahman and Sivamani had formed a fusion band in Chennai called ‘Roots.’ All three have come a long way since, but they still contemplate a reunion.
Now, 26 years later, John has five international students under him. He picks up good musicians he meets during his tours and invites them to play with him. Carola Grey and Oliver Fox who play the drums and the saxophone respectively, are two such people who are with Karnatriix now.
Interestingly, the Fine Arts Hall, where Karnatriix performed on Tuesday evening, was where John made his first stage debut. “Brings back a lot of memories,” John said to the packed hall, to be greeted with a loud cheer.
