Indiecision: Music Blog: Independent Music in India and Elsewhere

BAAJAA GAAJAA GETS DATED

Baajaa Gaajaa is an Indian music conference that will be held between Feb 6-8, ‘09 in Pune. The event, organised by the Shubha Mudgal run Underscore Records, aims to bring together “individuals connected with music and music making in 21st century India”.

According to their official website, the event will see

An exposition and sale by indie labels, from across the country, that are publishing and distributing rich and varied forms of Indian music. So if you are looking for the kind of music you don’t find readily in music stores, this is where you will find it – folk music, rock music, classical music, experimental music, archival music and more.

Seminars and discussions on each of the three days, led by experts from various fields.

Screenings of documentaries on music on each of the three days.

Specially curated evening performances featuring some of the finest musicians in the country.

A unique exhibition of archival photographs from the collections of musicians and music lovers.

The Raghu Dixit Project are already scheduled to play at the event, and more artist confirmations are expected as we get closer to the event.

GIVE THE NEW GAURAV VAZ PROJECT A NAME

Gaurav Vaz, founder RadioVerve and bass player for The Raghu Dixit Project, has a new, er, project, and he wants you, dear reader, to suggest a name for it.

Vaz said on his blog

Over the past year, I have been working with some amazing musician friends of mine to put together a band that truly does some ‘different’ music from what you’ve seen me play all along. I don’t really know how to describe the music we make, but if I had to try, it would be a contemporary acoustic arrangement of some classical, some latin, groove based music sung by one of the most unique female voices I have come across in my time as a musician here!

We need a name for the band and we just can’t agree on any names that we have come up. So I need you to help me find a name for the band!

The project includes

Noella D’sa - Vocals
Joey Sharma - Guitars
Jason Zachariah - Piano / Keyboards
Rzhude David - Percussions / Vocals
Gaurav Vaz - Bass Guitar

That’s the same Rzhude David from Thermal And A Quarter! Head to Vaz’s blog and get cracking so he can start ID3 tagging some of these new recordings.

Download: ‘Maximum City’
Download: ‘Plight’
Download: ‘The Spanish Song’

WATCH: ‘TIRANGA’ - RAGHU DIXIT

‘Tiranga’, a song by the eponymous frontman of The Raghu Dixit Project, features in this Babblefish produced tribute to India. The fallout of the Mumbai attacks has already seen a musical tribute by Karsh Kale, though this video (which, unlike ‘Aftermath’, contains actual video footage) seems better thought out.

Raghu Dixit will also be releasing specially composed songs on the Mumbai terror attacks which will be, reportedly, available free of cost for download. In an interview with Mid-Day, Raghu said

I’m trying to create an awareness movement through music as it is one of the most effective mediums. As youth listen to music, it makes it easy for us to convey the message to them.

The songs are full of energy and stress the importance of youth in the movement against terrorism. Listening to such songs will remind the youth of their responsibilities and roles in the movement.

Take the jump for ‘Tiranga’.

More »

INTERVIEW: THE RAGHU DIXIT PROJECT

The Raghu Dixit Project recently completed a mini world tour, travelling to four countries and playing sold out shows to new audiences. I spoke to Gaurav Vaz (bass) about the band’s experiences abroad.

Over the last couple of years The Raghu Dixit Project has become one of India’s premier independent music acts. From the release of their eponymous debut album, to a string of big venue, outdoor shows, the band has fast become one of the freshest properties in the Indian music scene. This success and some hard work by the band’s record label (a Vishal-Shekhar project supported by Counter Culture Records) culminated in a four nation (Hong Kong, Russia, Japan, South Korea) tour organized by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

I phoned the very amiable Gaurav Vaz.

What were your first feelings when you returned to India?
Well, I didn’t really want to. It was really good fun; this is what a travelling musician really dreams of doing. This is the second time we’ve been on a tour like this, but only the first time abroad. The first time was in the North-East of India when we sat in a tour bus and went, so that was even more hardcore than this.

Take the jump for the full interview.

More »