A few years ago, if someone claimed to have grooved to an AR Rahman melody like O Cheliya from Premikudu in a posh city nightclub, you’d have laughed it off. But a relatively new band, Capricio, is adding a Telugu twist to pubs in the city and what’s more, has garnered a loyal fan following. “Our music plays out like a love story on stage,” says Sai Teja, who handles the rhythm. He adds that the other band members, P Pandu on the keyboard, and the vocalists Ganesh Krovvidi and Eknath Kiran, sync impeccably when they play.
Improvised melodies
The name of the band, Capricio is a derivative of Capriccio – a free flowing improvisation of art. And that’s exactly what they represent. However, it turns out that it took these 22-year-olds some time to find their dream team. Eknath and Teja got it started, while Ganesh, who is the latter’s childhood friend, got roped in after a month and Pandu joined them when they were looking for a pianist. “A common friend put us in touch and we connected instantly, because of our taste in music. We treat AR Rahman and Ilayaraja as gods. I took off to Hyderabad that very day to join them,” narrates Pandu, who is based in Warangal. Earlier, the band played a lot of Bollywood music. However, once a viral medley of Chiranjeevi and Balakrishna’s songs garnered them fame online, they stuck to Telugu music.
Unexplored possibilities
For a city that has developed an appetite for the usual, creating an intervention of sorts with Telugu music didn't come easy. “We are all Telugu people and we are in Hyderabad. We have some really catchy songs and beautiful lyrics in our cinema,” insists Eknath sharing how despite a following in the city, the band has seen that pub or restaurant owners often prefer R&B or Bollywood hits over the regional music. “We have had managers rush up to us to stop us from singing regional tunes,” adds the vocalist.
Long way ahead
Currently playing at watering holes like The Moonshine Project and Out of The Box, Capricio is steadily gaining momentum in the city. “We aim to change the nightlife scene in the city. There should come a time when there will be exclusively Telugu gigs and the same level of craze for it. We also have an original composition in the pipeline and we are planning on releasing it soon,” concludes Teja.
Capricio plays at The Moonshine Project on Saturdays. Time: 8.30 pm. Entry: Free.
Details: 8099890000