THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Twice the Bliss, a purely acoustic two piece band, slowly establishing itself amidst the circles of music lovers, is a vivid example of how undying passion for music and a relentless zeal to entertain led these youngsters into finding their true calling.
Going back in time, when they were also known as ‘Alleppey Boys’, their audience largely consisted of travellers from around the world, seeking solace in music. During the brief tryst at Varkala, Bejoy befriended few African musicians, that lead to long-lasting friendships and an introduction into the world of ‘Djembe’, a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa.
While Sudheer is the voice of the band along with playing the guitar, Bejoy brings enigma to the music through the beats of the djembe. With the initial years of struggle that almost drove them into giving up, it was their lust for music that kept the inner fire within them burning to create more.
In pursuit of inspiration and to entertain people, they set out on a road trip charting 32 cities across the country, last year. Starting from Varkala, their journey took them to cities like Bhubaneswar, Varanasi, Ladakh and Rishikesh, jamming along with strangers in unknown cities, music being the only link amidst them.
After 4 months of tales and melodies, Twice the Bliss was home and since then, have never looked back. While they have a regular audience for their renditions of classics from the sixties and seventies, they majorly specialize in genres like Blues, Ambient and Jazz Music.
Being an acoustic band, they get a lot of requests to perform for tourists; since they do not have to rely upon any external equipment other than their instruments, especially during campfires or halts between treks or gigs in houseboats. “It’s just music and nature out there, in a glorious blend that reaches out to your heart”, said Bejoy.
Twice the Bliss now performs at the Marriott and Crown Plaza on popular demand pretty frequently and every Sunday, Café Papaya, Palarivattom, plays host to their gigs. Being one of the places in Kochi, where you would stumble upon movie stars pretty often, the band seems to have garnered an avidily increasing set of supporters. Being asked for more is any musician’s dream and ‘Encore’ is the word that sets Twice the Bliss on fire.
“Sudheer has this unique ability to sense the audiences’ mood and sing soulful covers that might want them to fall in love with his voice”, laughs Bejoy. Music has no boundaries and for these both, it is the only language that they have known all their lives. The band is bracing itself up for more performances in their kitsch in coming months, with ‘Take5’ in Bengaluru and other events in Delhi. Strumming along the beaches of Varkala to performing at the Marriott, Twice the Bliss has come a long way.