heART sessions aim to revive the indie music scene in Kochi

The collective was started by Abdul Manaf, Sachin Rajeev and Samhita Bhattacharya
heART sessions aim to revive the indie music scene in Kochi

Travels come to be of benefit later in life. Abdul Manaf’s journeys, however, have worked out not just to his advantage but also the music aficionados in the city. Inspired by his journeys to catch concerts at places including Morocco, he has teamed up with two of his friends Sachin Rajeev (who is also associated with the busking community Showtime Kochi) and Samhita Bhattacharya to create a new platform called heART sessions. 

“We’re all passionate about independent music, and when Bengaluru’s GrapeGuitarBox aka Teenasai Balamu was coming to town, we made a space for her. That debut event was a success and we decided to go on with it,” says Abdul. Besides promoting indie projects, the team aims to promote familiarity with other forms of art like painting among music lovers.
 

Collaborative art
Three sessions after their first show, in early May, the trio has an equation for their gigs. They feature one local and one national musician, alongside a visual artist. “One thing we’re insistent on is to showcase solo instrumentalists and singers or bands who create originals rather than do covers,” says the 36-year-old, informing that they are also creating videos of the live performances.

Musician James Thakara at an event
Musician James Thakara at an event

Picturising a bigger scenario to promote a musical culture, these youngsters are hoping to create a web platform to feature live sessions and artist interactions. Currently working with Panampilly-based Studio Pepperfry, heART plans to be inclusive of other creative areas like performance art including theatre and even poets in the future. The chief attraction of the next schedule is a set by Bengaluru-based singer-songwriter Mahesh Raghunandan who’s kicking off his upcoming EP promotional India tour from Kochi.

The next heART session is on July 28.
 

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