Gig review/ Advaita


BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

Advaita/ Unison

Genre: Indie fusion-rock

Details: NMACC Studio, April 25

Rating: **** 1/2

Seeking, searching, tryin' to find, waiting, watching, I don't know why...

It's been a while since I'd seen Delhi band Advaita, who I tripped on when they performed at Blue Frog around 15 years ago. The albums Grounded In Space and The Silent Sea still keep returning, bringing back warm memories.

After missing their gig at NMACC last year, their April 25 Unison gig was something that had to be experienced. And what a show it was. Over 100 minutes, they charmed their fans with their trademark mix of rock, classical bandishes and Hindi lyrics. Vocalists Ujwal Nagar, who sang the Indian parts, and Chayan Adhikari, who sang the English lines, coordinated wonderfully as usual, and the other band members chipped in with supple inputs.

With flautist Rohit Prasanna coming in place of sarangi player Suhail Yusuf Khan, there was a basic change in sound in comparison to the earlier versions, with fresh interludes and solos on the older songs, and more elaborate keyboards by Anindo Bose. At some places, the changes worked, and at others, one missed the typical sarangi tone and melody.

But the songs had their own charm. The Malhar piece 'Ghir Ghir' and the Bhimpalasi rock number 'Mandirwa' showcased Ujwal's skills, whereas 'Mihila' and 'Dust' reflected Chayan's vocal charm. The Sufi element came through Ghulam Farid's 'Mainda Ishq' and Bulleh Shah's verse on 'In The Air'. The newer track 'Palkan' had a good balance between the two vocalists and Abhishek Mathur's guitars, and 'Colourful' was a rarer gem.

Another highlight was Ishan Sharma's tabla piece, accompanied by some rocking accompaniment from Gaurav Chintamani's bass and Aman Singh's drums. With time running out, though, they couldn't fit in the popular tunes 'Durga' and 'MoFunk'.

One really wishes Advaita performs in Mumbai more often. Given the fact that the NMACC Studio show was sold out much earlier, and seeing the way the crowd knew the songs, they definitely deserve more appearances here.

...Median khushiyan da asbaab vi tu, mede soolan da samaan vi tu (You are the cause of all my delight, the remedy to my wounds, my fight).



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