Episode 18 – Make In India

 

Our most excellent P.M, Mr. Narendra Modi has exhorted us to ‘Make In India.’ This indeed is the mantra for the new age. This is what needs to be done- show the world that we Indians can make world class products; in my case – music.

So in October 2014, I met Vinay Lobo and together we recorded two of my tracks which I promptly uploaded on ReverbNation. The first track, Eagle Dance, winged to No.1 in Mumbai and No.11 on the National Rock charts in about a week. I got fan mail from all around the world – U.S.A, U.K, Canada, Indonesia... Well begun is half done?
And then, And then, and then? Dude where’s my car? Where are the talent scouts? The record labels? The Honchos? Nada. Kaput. Ain’t making a good product enough? What to do now?

Then I looked around. Talent isn't in short supply. There are musicians here who are as good as anywhere else in the world. How come they aren't being promoted? The drummer of an upcoming indie rock band told me during a jam, “Major record labels do not promote bands like us. They promote star-kids and people with bags of money.” This left me puzzled – here is a band of skilled people, who compose their songs, write lyrics, have a significant fan following and the potential to stand shoulder to shoulder with foreign bands. So why are these guys NOT being promoted!?! Whereas, on the other hand, labels spend unimaginable sums of money to promote manufactured pop stars who are spoon-fed the music, lyrics etc. If the argument is Rock/Metal doesn't sell in India, I ask, “Are these nonentities selling millions of records to make the deal profitable?”

So, the quintessential question is – isn't making a world class product enough? The musicians are doing their job of making good music, but who’s taking care of the business side of things? Sure, things are being “Made in India” but what about aspects like promotion, marketing and even corruption which prevent our world-class products from being world-class!

Or are they taking us on One Big Wild Ride???

More next week in Make in India Part 2... Stay tuned... till then,
Dazed and Confused,

Yashashree

Episode 17 – Meeting Shobhaa De

                           

Hello! Yes, it’s been a really long time since my last blog entry. After all the exams and the eventful things I went through in the past few months, attending the Times Literature Festival last week was a revelation. Listening to what different writers, artists had to say about literature, art, music as well as life and its affiliated hassles, made me realize that opting to do something different takes immense courage.

My mission in attending the Lit Fest was to try and get Shobhaa De to sign my copy of her autobiography, “Selective Memory” Not only did I get her signature but an experience I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. After the seminar was over, I mustered the courage to walk right up to her (praying I wouldn't be tackled by any of the security guys) As Shobhaa De was walking off-stage, I went up to her and said, “Excuse me ma’am, could you please sign this?”

She looked at me with a radiant smile and said; “Of course dear” She was pleased that the book was an original version and not a pirated one. She asked for my name and then signed the book. Mission accomplished!

Two specific books by Shobhaa De are very dear to me. One is her autobiography and the other “Speedpost” Both of them explore the trials and tribulations of growing up, the hardships you face when you choose to do things a little differently.

So the whole point of the festival and meeting Shobhaa De is - you gotta do your own thing and never mind the naysayers.

As Mark Knopfler sings -

“And after all the violence and double talk 

There's just a song in the trouble and the strife 

You do the walk; you do the walk of life”

P.S - Looking for a good rock vocalist for my band.
Stay tuned, more things coming soon... till then...

Musically yours,
Yashashree

                                       The Natural High

  

  Hello people!!! Feels good to be back... Happy New Year!

I’ll be getting my Bachelor’s Degree in a few months and College Days will soon be over. My classmates are busy discussing career options – teaching, management, law, journalism… As for me, I cruised thru my college days saying “I’ll cross the river when I come to it.” Bloody Hell, the river is here now and I ain’t got no lifejacket, boat or bridge. All I have is my music- that’s the only thing I love and the only thing I want to do. People tell me to keep Plan B ready but I can’t imagine being cooped up in a cubicle 9 to 5, living the same one day for the rest of my life. It’s the most soul-destroying thing that can happen to a musician.

I guess every musician starts the same way – no money, opposition of parents, you get ditched by your girlfriend (like Billie Joe Armstrong) for being a jobless loser. Well, despite the odds and doors slammed in your face, as Oscar Wilde says, “We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars.” Or a more Rock version by Jack Black –

We may fall on our faces, but if we do, we will fall with dignity! With a guitar in our hands, and rock in our hearts! And in the words of AC/DC: "We roll tonight to the guitar bite, and for those about to rock, I salute you."

     Episode 14 –James Hetfield – The Poet

My subject in college is English Lit and the current lectures on ‘Appreciation of English Poetry’ and ‘Literary Criticism’ have been very enlightening. As usual, I relate everything that is taught to Rock music and it has helped me understand poetry and lyrics better. Last term as a part of my assignment on American poets, I studied the lyrics of Bob Dylan – who would have thought talking about Rock n’ Roll could fetch you top marks!

Coming to the point, last week I saw Metallica’s ‘Black Album’ on Classic Albums. While talking about song writing, Lars Ulrich said about James Hetfield – “He would sit down and count every syllable while coming up with lyrics. He would not simply string words together. It was structured.”

Words are very powerful instruments. Words have sounds, the way we use them, the choice of words, their arrangement play a pivotal role in making or breaking a song. Continuing with the example of James Hetfield, the chorus for ‘Wherever I may Roam’ goes like this (as you all know)

Rover, Wanderer
Nomad, Vagabond

Call me what you will…

If you pay attention to the details and the stylistics, here is what you’ll find – each line from the chorus has 5 syllables where the first word in every line has 2 syllables and the remaining have 3. ‘Rover’ ‘Nomad’ and ‘call me’ are Iambic which means the first syllable is stressed and the second unstressed. ‘Wanderer’ ‘Vagabond’ and ‘what you will’ are Dactyllic where the first syllable is stressed followed by 2 unstressed syllables. It actually deciphers the meaning of the song. The Iambs and Dactyls which represent falling action denote the ups and downs of life on the road. It shows how hectic and stressful touring can be (which is what the song is about) Hetfield rhymes the sounds – ‘ver’ -‘rer’ and ‘ma’-‘va’… It would not have the same impact had it been – “Vagabond Rover, Wandered, Nomad call me what you will.”

For some, this may seem like a boring exercise but the next time somebody says ‘Metallica is awesome’, you can bag the title of Fan No.1 because what you state will not be just your personal opinion, you can brag about your intellectual skills by saying how you have actually taken the efforts to appreciate how Really Awesome Metallica is!

Well, as for me, my love and Respect for Metallica has increased.

Episode 13 - Dream Out Loud

A few years ago while channel – surfing, I heard a few bars of acoustic guitar on Vh1.  A soaring Eagle voice and phenomenal acoustic guitar snatched my attention. As the video ended, I came to know the song is “It’s Raining now” by Dream Out Loud. I jumped to the conclusion (who wouldn't?) that it must be a USA band. When I googled them, I found out to my great joy and surprise that they are an Indian band – a Mumbai band.

The ultimate test of a rock band is their acoustic songs and this one of the best. It ranks with ‘Love of my life’, ‘More than words’, ‘Patience’, ‘39’. So I went out and bought their album ‘Human Race.’ The CD came with a lyrics booklet. Its poetry and extremely good poetry at that!

Fast forward a few years, and the guy who sang “No more tears to cry, no more need to lie” is now belting out “Bhaag Bhaag Bose D.K!”

Quo Vadis Dream Out Loud? This band, according to me should have been playing stadiums by now all over the world. What happened? They had the Dream, the Ambition, and the Potential. I don’t care about what happened, but I bet every rock lover would have loved to see this band dominate the international rock scene. They are a gazillion times better than Coldplay!

So Who? Where? When? Why? What happened? Why didn't a major record label sign them? Because I’m damn sure they would have sold like 20 million copies ALL OVER THE WORLD!

Episode 12 –   Friendly Neighbourhood Guitar Shops

The best thing about living in Borivali (w) is the number of guitar shops. You can buy a US Tele, Ernie Ball strings, and Tech 21 pedals and give you guitar first class service- all within a radius of a few kilometers.

There are so many options to spoil you! There’s S.B Music, Good Shepherd’s and Mr. Sunil Shinde – the luthier par excellence.

The best thing about S.B Music is the owner of the shop, Mr. Ashish Modasia, is himself a guitarist. So whenever you go there, you get advice from an expert. The establishment has a very friendly atmosphere and a pleasant ambience. It’s not just business; it’s about guiding a musician about the best that is available in the market at a price you want. And if the shop doesn't have the product you are looking for, Ashish can get it for you. I bought my Jackson WRXT from S.B Music when I was 13yrs old. Even back then, he told me, after I played Sunshine of Your Love (just the riff) – “Someday you’ll have to buy pedals” and then he gave me a BOSS pedals booklet. After 7yrs, his prophecy has come true. So the next time you go gear hunting, this is the place you visit!

Shepherd’s in I.C Colony is a 10 mins walk from my place. It’s a family run establishment that has a warm atmosphere and a friendly smile. Uncle Steven D’cunha has supported me with encouragement (and occasional discounts) I bought my Hoolahan slide from him some 5yrs ago. He once let me try a Gibson acoustic to check its action and always says – Play some more.

If there is one person I absolutely trust with my guitar, it is Mr. Sunil Shinde. I recently got my Jackson re-fretted from him. He used Dunlop frets and my guitar sounds better than the original. Mr. Shinde breathes life into guitars from India and abroad. Mr. Eshaan Noorani sends his guitars to Mr. Shinde. It’s a very comforting thought that this wizard has his workshop in Charkop, only a few kms away from my place… Whatever the problem, Shinde kaka HAS the solution!

North, South, East, West – Borivali is the Best!!! ;)

Episode 11- The Wizards of Sound

Hello people around the world! I know I haven’t blogged for a while (for those who care) Well, that’s cause I bought me a Reverb pedal – Tech 21 Boost RVB and it’s been taking up all my time, it’s so magical!

Buying pedals was the best decision I ever made. I had a Zoom G2.1u, I had a lot of fun with it but because of its limitations I started thinking of more professional gear. The Zoom gave me a lot- it taught me to think in terms of sounds and not just notes. As a Rock guitarist, I think it is very important to develop your own sound and I’ve heard from professional guitarists that pedals help you to achieve that distinct sound.

Ever wondered how Hendrix, Brian May, Tom Morello, The Edge have such a broad and deep sound? It’s their pedals plus loads of talent. The only downside with pedals is Money! (It’s a gas) There are so many pedals you need to buy and each brand offers a unique sound. It’s not enough to buy just one distortion pedal, same with Overdrive pedals- the variety helps you to experiment and explore a whole new horizon of sounds.

The last word is pedals are a rewarding experience.

Slash said in an interview that he has a bathtub full of pedals… it will be a while before I get there!

Oh! For a few dollars more!