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| These spice girls sing in Sanskrit |
| Praveen Bose / Bangalore Aug 29, 2010, 00:01 IST |
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Try saying “kamala kucha chuchuka kunkumato” at one go. Difficult? But not for Maye, a six-member band that sings mostly Sanskrit shlokas. Language is clearly no barrier to enjoying music.
Yes, you don’t headbang when they play. But you definitely do dance to some good music. Of course, it’s not easy to sing along, unless you know the Sanskrit shlokas they sing.
The two-year-old band with original compositions and the energy levels of a heavy metal band first performed on World Music Day at the Alliance Francaise de Bangalore in 2008.
Gopal Navale, the brain behind the band, had conceived the thought of putting together a band that sang Sanskrit poetry in a contemporary style. “While writing songs I discovered that Sanskrit poetry has a definite poetic metre,” says Navale. “You can see this in shlokas which are rhythmic,” he explains.
Maye brings in elements of harmony, some contemporary instrumentation and arrangements, and a funky groove to their music. The aim is to create popular music that is also easy on the ears.
“We wanted to perform the Sanskrit shlokas with an European feel,” explains Navale.
Maye is an offshoot of the Esperanto world music project, a project of the Bangalore-based Guruskool music school, co-founded by Navale.
The band members are an eclectic mix. Bhumika, 12, debuted at the Freedom Jam in 2003 when she was just four years old. She is a trained Hindustani singer, now learns Carnatic music and also plays the guitar. Mythili, 14, goes to a Shiamak Davar dance school and also learns Carnatic music. Varsha, 11, a bundle of nervous energy, loves performing somersaults and has a great voice.
Sridevi,13, has a husky voice which brings a certain diversity to the band. Ranjan Kumar on violin and Gopal Navale on the mandolin, guitars and vocals complete the line-up.
“The shlokas sung by us are more rhythmic and faster than the regular way that shlokas are chanted,” says Mythili. The four girls who are from the vicinity of Malleswaram learn shlokas as part of their daily routine.
In their early days, Maye’s music was on the heavier side with drums being at the core of the compositions. But now they have lightened their approach and their music has become softer. This has increased their popularity.
Maye performs regularly at the Alliance Francaise and the World Music Festival in Bangalore. It has also taken part in the Freedom Jam this year
You can catch Maye on September 28, on the float in Ulsoor Lake.
Entry is free for all
For details contact: guruskool@yahoo.com
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