KOCHI: A packed stadium. Everyone present is chanting his name. The crowd roars when he comes on stage. He waves at them, exchanges pleasantries and finally sits on the cushioned bar stool facing the piano. As if working on his mojo, the crowd goes silent like a flipped switch.
Then, out of his favourite piano flows notes of treble and bass clef. An ensemble of Indian instruments follows suit and establishes the mood for the evening. An hour later, with the sounds resonating in the atmosphere, the audience is still moving in their seats in harmony. And there, just like that, one sees the perfect culmination of an equally perfect instrumental concert.
Getting an inch closer to this dream, pianist and composer Ralfin Stephen is getting ready to perform at an instrumental concert in Germany soon. “For this, I have composed new sets and arrangements,” he tells Express. “I want to give a western backing to an Indian ensemble. The idea is not new, but I have conceived a unique style which I haven’t performed elsewhere.”
Ralfin has made his presence felt in the Indian music industry over the past decade. Having worked with most of the big names in the music industry, he renders piano backing regularly to the outings of many of them. “But my ultimate dream is to have an instrumental band,” he says, sitting at the comfort of the couch on a rainy evening. “I like doing what I do right now. But independent instrumental music is what I love to do.”
His tribute to music legend Yanni and his composition ‘Piano in the Desert’ are popular on YouTube. “Both are just a glimpse of my vision of an instrumental performance,” Ralfin says. “But I never thought I would garner so many views and constructive criticism for the tribute video. I had shared the video on Yanni’s website and a lot of people from around the world messaged me after watching it.”
Like most contemporary musicians, Ralfin came up through intense hard work. Starting his music career as a piano and keyboard teacher, he used to perform at local events and celebrations. It was on one such occasion, he was recognised by a popular music director, who was judging a reality show on a Malayalam TV channel, while he was performing at a shopping centre. He was asked to perform in the reality show. “That was the turning point and I never had to look back,” he says.
Born in Switzerland, he grew up influenced by western music, especially listening to ABBA and Yanni. At 14, he began taking keyboard lessons. While he was passionate about the keys, it was only after he turned 25 that he began taking piano grade lessons. He was then working at an IT firm in Kochi.
During this time, I used to practise at a renowned hotel in the city,” he says. “On a slow day, I was practising as usual and did not notice the guests present there. One of the guests was sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. He learnt my details from the manager and told me not to waste my fingers on computer keys and that they are meant for the piano. That piece of advice gave direction to my life.”
Since then, he has been taking real care of his fingers. “He doesn’t even lift a small plate in the house,” Ralfin’s mother quips in. “My fingers are dedicated to the piano and its music. I can’t think of soiling it,” he laughs.