The story of Emergence revolves not just around its music but also co-founder Krishna Mckenzie’s relentless pursuit of spreading awareness about sustainable farming. An Englishman who has been an Auroville resident for over two decades, Krishna owns the Solitude Farm, a permaculture and natural farming project, and founded his fusion band in 1996, along with renowned French bassist Mishko M’Ba, who is also a member of the band Ziskakan, based in Reunion island.
Accompanying Krishna and Mishko is drummer Soundar Rajan and popular city-based Carnatic violinist Karthick Iyer, who wrote the lyrics for The Kuthu Song. “We gave him one of his breaks when we performed at the Glastonbury Festival, and have witnessed his growth as a musician over the years first-hand,” says Krishna.
Having already released two albums, Emergence recently released their third EP, Can You Record Me, where besides Krishna singing Tamil lines in The Kuthu Song, there are other tracks that remind us why a sustainable way of living is important in the present world, such as The Red Apple Tree and the title track.
Although the responsibilities of being a green crusader takes up a chunk of Krishna’s daily priorities, he still manages to find time to make music. “It is difficult, I am compelled to focus on both roles, as I believe both music and nature have a deeper connection than what many people think,” he says.
Krishna also organises an eco-music festival called Lively Up Your Earth, where flea markets and stalls selling organic items are put up. The next edition is to be held next February, for which Krishna promises fresh music that are more aligned to nature and the organic movement than ever before. “We are initiating a movement called Peoplefoodmusic, which is a more focused approach of ours towards collectively bringing together nutrition and music.
Details: emergencetheband.in
Listen to the new album on http://www.emergencetheband.in/index.php/album/can-you-record-me/