W hat would happen if the best of musicians from some of the top music bands came together to form a band? Melody gets transformed with an amazing amalgamation of voices, instrumentation and percussion. Thaikkudam Bridge is one such band. It recently gripped the imagination of the music-loving crowd in Kochi with concerts from Dubai to Trivandrum a total sell-out. Promoted by Music Mojo and with a recent performance aired on Kappa TV, Thaikkudam Bridge is making musical waves. “Music has always been our passion, but there is something else that binds us together—a brotherhood and camaraderie,” says Ashok Nelson, the rhythm guitarist of Thaikkudam Bridge. The band improvises on th e old compositions, favourite yesteryear numbers and serves it up new and fresh like it did at its first performance in Kochi recently.
Kochi was where it all started during endless nights of jamming sessions. But some of the members know each other since their days in Chennai when Ashok Nelson, Vipin, Govind Menon, Christie and Hemanth were pursuing a sound engineering course and were part of a music reality show, X factor hosted by Sony entertainment television. Lucknow-born Piyush Kapoor, turned professional musician at 16 after attending a music workshop. Cousins Govind Menon and Siddharth Menon participated in the workshop Music Mojo on Mathrubhumi TV, bringing along several of their friends from Kerala and Mumbai. “Music expresses that which cannot be said, it expresses the beauty of life itself,” says Govind, who plays multiple roles of violinist, keyboard programmer and vocalist, while also being credited as music director of the critically acclaimed film North 24 Katham.
Siddharth Menon, the vocalist along with Vian Fernandez was part of a band named Nirmitee, one of the finalists of X factor India. Guitarist Ashok Nelson, a lawyer by profession was learning mridangam but eventually took to the rhythm guitar and his recent favourite, the mouth organ. “Thaikkudam Bridge is like a rich ice cream that one soon gets addicted too,” laughs Mithun Raju, one of the most talented guitarists and member of the sensational band Mother Jane. Peethambarakurup, the senior most in the band along with Vipin Lal and Christie very skillfully rope in both old and new music of the Malayalam film industry. The amalgamate of fusion is provided by Hindustani vocals, Krishna Bongane and Nila Madhav Mohapatra who are originally from Mumbai, and disciples of Ustad Rashid Khan of the Rampur-Sahaswan lineage.
Adding their might, especially during live performances are the brothers Ruthin and Abin Thej, sons of music director Thej Mervin on the keyboard and drums respectively. Abin, the youngest of the lot has completed fourth grade in Trinity College, London with distinction is busy with academics. Confesses Ruthin, “Without music, life would be a horrible mistake.”
Some of the important shows have been the ones at Dubai (Al-Nasr Island), Sacred Heart College, Kochi and at Decibels 2, battle of the bands, Kochi with an upcoming event in Chennai at the World Malayali Council.
Thaikkudam Bridge is not a cult band. But it scores on the strength of its hard-hitting melodic performances. It encourages one to sing along, the old and the new and that is something that has its fans shouting “Encore”.
STYLE QUOTIENT
■ The band encourages the audience to sing along the old and the new tracks.
■ Fusion of Hindustani and Carnatic is its melody mantra.
■ It gives hard-hitting performances marked with Tamil and Malayalam songs.
MELODY METRE
■ Shiva
■ Thekkum kooradiyathi
■ Nostalgia
■ Rahman and Ilayaraja Medleys
■ Fish Rock
■ Chekele