ThrivingAt13: We list 13 Bengaluru-based singers who are making us proud

One city where singers and bands love to perform is our very own Bengaluru. Ask them why and all of them will have the same answer: the crowd in Bengaluru loves and accepts all kinds of music. Keeping that in mind, we speak to 13 city-based singers who perform in different genres ranging from chorale music to film music, in recognition of the laurels they have brought to the city to find out what they define their own music as…

Jonas Olsson, chanteur
“I specialise in western classical chorale music. This music is very close to me after having sung in choirs since the age of 10. Therefore, I am very passionate about carrying forward this musical heritage that we all share. Music unites people across ages, religions and countries. Our common love for singing conquers everything.”

Kevin Noel Sequeira, artiste
”I perform hip-hop using the musical art form of beat-boxing. I chose this genre as it enables me to express myself, channel my thoughts and share this energy using the sole power of my voice. The style I’ve developed over the years has helped evolve my sound, sense of self as an artiste and the story I want to share with the world. Every beat, bass, synth, melody/sound I produce or the verses I write and perform, help me give life to the many stories I long to share."

Jagadeesh MR, chanteur
“I am a jazz singer. I collaborate and work with a variety of musicians around the globe. The reason why I love jazz and why it helps me connect with so many forms of music from around the world is its openness and ability to connect instantly and form a completely new musical experience. It opened up creative freedom. That’s the most important thing.”

Varijashree Venugopal, chanteuse
My primary discipline of music as a singer is carnatic music. It fascinates me and has done so for the past many years. I have followed a lot of artistes who are great improvisers and try to improvise in carnatic music. I have been trying to apply the fundamentals of carnatic music in the context of jazz, harmonisation and improvisation outside of the raga system that we have here. The intention is to get the best of both worlds and it’s been quite enlightening to be from a very traditional musical background and now spread into different forms of music.”

Madhuri Jagadeesh, chanteuse
“I showcase Indian classical music through jazz and connect it to every form of music I hear. Jazz accepts all forms of music, not just as an ideology but musically as well. I love jazz because there is a lot of musicality you can put into it and all of it would come under the broad category of jazz.”

Bruce Lee Mani, chanteur
“We call our genre Bangalore Rock. Growing up here and with our multitude of musical and life influences, our music tends to reflect our ‘Bangaloreness’ in varying degrees of intensity. So, after several years of trying out genre definitions like ‘funk-blues-rockprog- fusion’ or ‘progressive-bluesfunk- jazz-rock’ and other such overhyphenated nonsense, Bangalore Rock sorted us out.”

Sukruth Mallesh, chanteur
“As a trained hindustani singer, I have also dabbled with metal, however, it was pop music that I have always gravitated towards. I love the layers pop music has, from catchy lyrics to boppy tunes — pop music is fluid, entertaining and a genre almost everybody listens to. Performing pop is an art as well, from the production of it to the way it comes alive, pop has the ability to bring people together, to make them dance and to make them feel alive.”

Kamal Singh, chanteur
“The genre that I perform in is called alternative music. I grew up listening to genres like Bollywood music, then I got introduced to a couple of songs by The Beatles and then it became predominantly rock music for me like Guns ’N’ Roses, Bon Jovi and bands like those. Then, in the early ’90s, I got introduced to a new sound by bands like Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam and The Smashing Pumpkins. They were all so different. They used to dress up differently, sing so differently. It all began there and then I found my own sound.”

Manasi Prasad, chanteuse
“I am a carnatic vocalist. I believe Indian classical music is timeless. It is a living and evolving form
that will always have relevance. I love carnatic music because it connects me to my roots while also allowing me to express my creativity. Be it in its pure traditional form or as part of crossover music. Carnatic ragas, talas and compositions will always resonate with people because of their emotional and intellectual resonance.”

Jishnu Dasgupta, chanteur
“I listen to a lot of different kinds of genres. I’ve grown up with Bollywood and the old music that my dad used to listen to — Rabindra Sangeet and also classic rock. I listen to pretty much everything. Swarathma is a folk rock band and we have chosen this particular genre because it is the closest approximate common genre for us. We all listen to different genres of music, so much so that when we travel, we cannot stand each other’s playlists. However, when we all come together to perform or jam or play in the studio, then the genre of folk rock which is outward-looking in its instrumentation, arrangement and inspiration, but also inward-looking in the way it draws upon Indian folk elements and classical traditional elements — that we’ve all grown up with — turns out to be Swarathma’s brand of folk rock.”

Behram Siganporia, chanteur
“I am the lead vocalist of Bengaluru-based popular pop-rock band, Best Kept Secret. I feel as a musician, you don’t always choose a genre. I feel in our case, the genre chose us. The genre we chose initially to make music in was alternative rock or independent or indie music. We drifted towards the pop genre because I felt my vocals were suitable for pop music. We started moving into that genre, slightly dabbling with that genre and then eventually that genre just swallowed us. We felt we were in the right place. We felt everyone was content with the kind of music we were making.”

Alok Babu R, chanteur
“I don’t necessarily believe in the concept of genres, for me, music is one divine experience. I love all forms of it, in all languages. Just like we respect and visit a mandir, a mosque or a church, I listen to and work on all genres of music all the same. To me music in itself is sacred and being able to be a part of something so divine is what makes it all the more special.”

Sangeetha Ravindranath, chanteuse
“I’m a playback singer. So my genre is movie music. I’m trained in hindustani classical music. In fact, I’ve done my masters in hindustani classical music. I have always been passionate about film music. My biggest ultimate goal in music was to sing in films. I always thought this was the biggest way to reach people in India. But when you grow with your profession, you understand the much bigger purpose of your art.”