KOCHI: Age has turned Nandu Leo’s hair grey. However, it hasn’t been able to diminish his love for classic rock. The 64-year-old musician is still the undisputed rock star of the city.
Revisiting the classic beats of the 70s and 80s, he is keeping alive the soul of rock & roll by organising an annual gig, Long Live Rock with the message Music For Peace’. Nandu has just found a few moments of peace as this year’s concert has just concluded in the city. Held with the support of friends and daughter Cindy Nandakumar, the annual music gala was also a meet-up of rock fans from across the state.
Nandu, a self-taught musician, found the genre when he was young. Born to a classical musician mother, Nandu found his niche in rock music on a school trip. “Those days, the main entertainment of youth was music cassettes. Classic rock had a huge fan following in our generation. All those who are above 50 have it in their blood,” reminisces Nandu.
But with the passage of time, the fandom for rock also diminished. “The influence of classic rock music is fading globally,” Nandu says, “and the annual concert is a way to preserve the essence of the genre. Cindy represents a section in the young generation who loves rock,” he says.
“The crowd was young in this year’s concert. The free event lured more youth, and so I was able to introduce classic rock beats to them. For people like me, the event is a trip down memory lane to our youthful days,” says Nandu.
Nandu and friends began organising the concert in 2012, to remember and honour their friends who had died. They all used to hang out together at the Indian Coffee House in Statue. “We decided to throw a rock concert at Vyloppilli Samskrithi Bhavan that year. The success and crowd participation made us plan another at VJT Hall (present Ayyankali Hall in Palayam) in 2013. It was the first edition of the annual Music For Peace concert,” he says.
Nandu says the classic songs also have powerful lyrics that touch the heart of each listener. “Something that the new songs lack.” “Not only western, but the songs of Baburaj, Vayalar, Mohammed Rafi, and P Bhaskaran were all melodies with meaningful lyrics. Those songs are evergreen. But now, be it international or regional, the music is software-made and lacks purity. So I am not interested in them,” he explains.
However, every year, Nandu manages to update his playlist with rock tracks from the past. He also shares some favourite bands whose songs never turn boring even when listening on a loop. “Pink Floyd’s song Us and Them, released in 1973, is my favourite. Deep Purple, Santana and The Elect are other bands I love to play. In this digital era, it is easy to find a song on the internet, and many in the audience say the concert’s playlist has made them fall in love with rock music of the past. This event is my attempt to spread the beauty of classic rock to every generation before I leave this world,” he concludes.