Sa Re Ga...Do Re mi *Font Size - * -A<http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Sa-Re-Ga...Do-Re-mi/321526/#> +A <http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Sa-Re-Ga...Do-Re-mi/321526/#> Pallavi Jassi*Posted online: Thursday , June 12, 2008 at 09:14:06 Updated: Thursday , June 12, 2008 at 09:14:06 * Print<http://www.indianexpress.com/printerFriendly/321526.html> Email <http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Sa-Re-Ga...Do-Re-mi/321526/#> To Editor <http://www.expressindia.com/feedback.php> Post Comments<http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Sa-Re-Ga...Do-Re-mi/321526/#post>
***An online radio station-turned-record label brings hot independent names to India* For two years, IndiaBeat was a one-stop Internet radio station playing Indian fusion, raga rock, Indipop, jazz fusion and a variety of music with an Indian or Mid-Eastern rhythms. It has now reinvented itself into a record label in association with EMI, and will concentrate on releasing several established independent artistes in India. "A lot of quality Indian music in various forms have been produced by independent musicians, but these have not been able to become very popular in the Indian market. So, with this label, we hope to create a platform for niche music in the country," says Samiran Gupta, founder of IndiaBeat, which embarked as a web radio for world music in 2006. Gupta adds that the label's genre spans Indian classical, folk, jazz and even Indian progressive rock. While IndiaBeat will source the content, partner EMI will take charge of distribution. IndiaBeat already boasts nine big names from India and abroad—Sanjay Mishra, Pete Lockett, Amit Chatterjee, Broto Roy, Amit Heri (inset) and Henrik Andersen. "It is ironic that while the concerts of these artistes are a sell-out in India, their CDs are tough to find in the music stores. It is this disconnect that we hope to repair with this label," smiles Gupta. The releases will begin in two weeks, starting with Mishra's Blue Incantation and Lockett's Taalisman. This will be followed next month by a full-length album by Bangalore-based guitarist Amit Heri, a Berklee School of Music graduate. Hailing the concept behind Indiabeat, Mishra says, "Blue Incantation is an expression of my musical journey. It defies genre, incorporating elements of rock, Indian classical, jazz and pop." He adds that the album also features the last studio recording of the legendary guitarist Jerry Garcia before he died. Though Blue Incantation was recorded in 1995, it is being released for the first time in India. Taalisman's raga melodies will have Lockett teaming up with guitarist-singer-composer Amit Chatterjee, who has recorded and performed with artists like Eric johnson and Carlos Santana. "The collaboration is interesting, with an Indian who has studied extensively in the western idiom and a westerner who has studied extensively in the Indian idiom," says the London-based Lockett. He plays several Indian, Middle-Eastern and Latin percussion instruments like the tabla, mridangam and the dhol and has worked with musicians such as Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant, AR Rahman and Sinead O'Conner. "The idea behind the label is to focus on good Indian music that blends various genres and has made it big internationally but not been as popular in India," says Anand Srinivasan, senior manager, EMI, which has artistes like Coldplay and Kylie Minogue internationally. http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Sa-Re-Ga...Do-Re-mi/321526/ -- regards, Vithur HELP EVER; HURT NEVER; LOVE ALL; SERVE ALL
