Meet Salangane, the Reunion Island band that’s named after a bird and offers rich Maloya music

This band is named after a category of birds that build edible nests, majorly found on the cliffs of Reunion Islands. Called Salangane, the four-piece troupe hails from Reunion too and will be in Chennai this weekend to perform their brand of rich Maloya music. We caught up with Stephane Gaze, one of the members of the band, before the performance and found out more about their musical influences and expectations from their fans in Chennai. Excerpts: 

We are excited to see you in Chennai. Is this your first visit here? What have you heard about the music-loving audiences in Chennai?
This is the first time that we are coming to India. It will be a surprise for us to discover the Chennai audience.  

What kind of music and songs your fans can expect from you during your upcoming performance?
We play Maloya, the traditional music of Reunion Island. Our songs talk about love and humanity.

For the uninitiated, tell us a bit about yourself and how and when the band was formed?
I grew up in Réunion surrounded by all our different cultures and that created my musicality. The group is formed naturally around friendship.

Take us back to your first ever performance. How did it go, and what were the challenges you faced until then?
Maloya is a part of my life and my life is a part of Maloya. There is no challenge or challenge throughout my music. 

How do you look back on your journey over the years? What are the big lessons you learnt along the way?
To accept is a great lesson and humanity should have found more peace.

What inspires you to make new music? How much has your musical style evolved over the years?
My music is a story of a life and always in motion.

Take us through how you prepare for your live performances. 
We prepare all the shows in the same way by giving the best of ourselves. 

Who are the musicians who have inspired you and influenced your music?
Bob Marley, Tiloun and Gramoun Lélé.

Are there any upcoming projects or tracks in the pipeline? Could you shed some light on the same? 
We are preparing our video clip. I think naturally we will be thinking about a CD release as well. But tours remain our top priority. 

Catch them live at Vapor Lounge, Feathers Hotel. December 1, 7.30 pm onwards. 

[You can contact the author at karan.pillai@newindianexpress.com or follow him on Twitter @karan_pillai]