Formed on Valentine’s Day in 2014, this Delhi-based band couldn’t have possibly chosen a better name than Bismil, which means ‘lover’ in Urdu. Talking about it, lead vocalist Asif Khan shares that it’s the same love that brings his band members together — love for music, live performances and for each other. “All that it takes before every performance, is a comforting nod and eye contact to go up and set the stage on fire.” With the same enthusiasm, the five-member outfit is bringing their soulful tunes of Sufi to the city this weekend. “Expect a couple of our new compositions, along with O Pardesi, Tu Hi Re and Ilahi, among others,” he adds. Along with Asif, the band comprises Shoaib Ahmad (guitarist), Sumit Singh (bassist), Irfan Khan (keyboardist) and Vasu Singal (drummer).
On or off stage, Bismil is a band that believes in teamwork. Asif’s strong vocals are perfectly complemented by Irfan Khan’s keyboard notes and Vasu Singal’s energetic beats. Add Shoaib Ahmad’s guitar riffs and Sumit Singh’s bass tunes to the mix, and you have a melody that has you grooving quite immediately. “Each one of us brings a bit of various genres to the table. Drummer Vasu has a knack for jazz, whereas Irfan is from the Trinity College of London. I have learnt Indian Classical from various gurus,” shares Asif. Apart from their love for music, what brings the band together is food and travel. “All of us love travelling, which comes with being a musician. It has helped our bond grown stronger. Then there’s food! We’ve been to Hyderabad a few times and we love the food here,” he says.
Although the four-year-old band plays a number of genres, their speciality is Sufi and Bollywood, inspired by renowned artistes including Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and AR Rahman. Apart from Asif’s compositions for upcoming indie movies, the band has produced a few originals to be released soon.
At Stone Waters. On June 30, 8 pm onwards.