THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Six Kochi-based millennials are stirring up the local indie music scene. With unique artistic capabilities—think rapper, DJ, Carnatic vocalist, guitarist—the sextet have joined forces to create a multi-lingual and multi-genre band called Mashive Affair. Armed with just two guitars and a cajon (a Peruvian percussion instrument), the ensemble comprising Darwin Dev, Shirin Riyazuddin, Likhitha Nair, Blessin Philip, Jonathan and Jeremiah de Rozario, specialises in crafting mashups. We speak to them prior to their debut gig at Papaya Cafe’s annual Christmas gathering, alongside city-based electro-dubstep DJ Jubin Sunny, on December 24.
Mixing it up
Besides composing originals, creating the Yellow Mein Khelo football chant—played at the Nehru Stadium during every Kerala Blasters home match, to a crowd of over 60,000—and working on a music video for one of their mashups (namely Uptown Funk), the band is currently working on a 15-track setlist for the third annual Christmas Polli event. “The art of composing mashups—blending two or more songs by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another—is partially frowned upon by some in the indie community. But we cover multiple genres and not just tracks,” shares 28-year-old frontman Darwin Dev, who’s taken a sabbatical from his career as an aerospace engineer in London, to follow his musical aspirations. “At the concert, some of our tracks will include alternative rock paired with popular Malayalam love songs (like Howie Day’s Collide and Parayathe Ariyathe) and Carnatic music mixed with folk rock (Ed Sheeran’s I see fire and Mahaganapathim),” he concludes.
From 7.30 pm. Entry Rs 100 onwards. Details: 9895019900