COMBINING THE VIBRANT beats of rock, funk, pop and the soulful nuances of Indian classical music, Bengaluru-based band, Lagori is named after the popular street game played across India. With Geeth Vaz on electric guitar and Edward Rasquinha on the acoustic guitar, the band is complete with lead vocalist Tejas Shankar and drummer Vinyl Kumar. Incepted in 2011, the musical ensemble has success- fully crafted a sound that is: rich, young, hip, honest and an utterly infectious musical journey that has taken them across the country. Lagori's self-titled debut album, released in August 2013, showcased their versatility with a collection of soulful tracks like Saiyyan and River Song, alongside angsty rock singles such as Darbari and the anthem Boom Shankar. The album, spanning five languages, marked the beginning of Lagori's exploration of the evolving definition of what it means to be Indian. In 2021. Lagori delighted fans with the release of their second album, Inside Out. Boasting tracks like Yaad, Sau Sau and Jeene Do, which continued the band's tradition of blending classical melodies and rock tunes into a seamless 37-minute musical journey. Recently, the band announced their rendition of the iconic song Maadeva by HanuMankind and Sanjith Hegde and is now gearing up for a stellar performance at Deepavali Sante in Bengaluru. Ahead of the event, over a quick chat, band member Tejas Shankar reveals that the band has more than one Diwali gift in store for the fans! He gives us a sneak peek of their upcoming album and songs that the audience will get to hear during their performance at Deepavali Sante, a Diwali Flea Market & Live Concert.
How has the ethos of Lagori evolved since the band's formation in 2011? In what ways has the band's collective vision changed over the years?
The band has performed over 500 shows over the years across the world and has fig. ured its sound through this time. The new lineup includes two additional singers Joel Jacob, Jhanavi Bhat and a percussion player amongst other things.
How has the band's music transformed since the release of the debut album in 2013?
The entire journey itself until now has transformed our way of looking at music. We are working on our new album which brings in the inspiration that the brand has drawn from the artistes that they follow. Bands such as Jungle, Parcels etc, have influenced the sound in recent times.
Could you share insights into your rendition of the iconic song Maadeva and the creative process behind it?
We've always been fans of this folk track and have wanted to release this version. When we thought of working on a Kannada track with a Lagori sound, Maadeva was a no-brainer.
What can the audience expect from Lagori's performance at Deepavali Sante?
The audience can and should expect fire. works from the performance! It's our first public performance this season and we are really excited about it. We can't wait to get on stage and play some musical Lagori with everyone.
Could you provide a glimpse into the set list for the show?
The Diwali lineup will have new faces that the Bengaluru public hasn't seen Joel and Jhanavi join- ingon vocals, Santosh Kumar on percussion. This will be a big lineup for the band. Also, we'll be premiering our new song. So lots of surprises for this special show.
Are there any new songs or albums in the pipeline that Lagoriis currently working on?
We have a couple of new songs in our archive Zaroori and Khoye Huve from our new album that we are going to feature.
INR 1299 onwards. November 26, 10am. The Tamarind Tree, JP Nagar.
srushti@newindian express.com
@Sru Kulkarni