Rabbi Shergill at the performance of ‘Khule Da Rabb’
Angaraag ‘Papon’ Mahanta at the performance of ‘Khule Da Rabb’
Rabbi Shergill (influenced by local folk music and Led Zeppelin) and Angaraag ‘Papon’ Mahanta (influenced by local folk tradition) collaborate on Khule Da Rabb.
Location: The verdant landscapes of Kaziranga.
The Dewarists is an exploration of the different musical genres in India, the boundaries between, crossing those boundaries and creating a fusion.
A free download of Khule Da Rabb is available from The Dewarists on facebook, click like, enter e-mail address and you will receive a link to download an mp3 file.
If would be great if The Dewarists uploaded all the music to an album on bandcamp, where the music would then be available for download as high quality lossless FLAC. [see mp3 v FLAC]
When you find your roots, when you understand who you really are, everything becomes really easy. — Monica Dogra
British-based Indian musician Shri, joins singer-songwriter Monica Dogra and folk collective Rajasthan Roots in the desert of Jaisalmer.
Monica Dogra a musician in her own right coordinates The Dewarists, but for Changing World she joined in the collaboration.
The resultant song Changing World is a fusion of rock and ethnic folk.
The backdrop is the desert landscapes of Jaisalmer and its surrounding villages.
Growing up Shri only knew traditional Indian music, then going to college, where he encountered rock music, he asked ‘what is that boom boom boom in the background?’ Hey man, that is bass. A bass guitar became a must have, only he came from a poor family, and so he made his own. He then developed a style of playing it with a bow.
When Shri took up the guitar, he was told by his uncle that he was a disgrace to his family. Ten years later when Shri was touring the world his uncle had the good grace to come to him and say sorry, he was wrong, his family was proud of what he had achieved.
Paulo Coelho wanted to be a writer. Against all odds, he followed his dreams, he became a writer.
Shri wanted to be a musician, Against all odds, he followed his dreams, he became a musician.
We all have to learn to be like Santiago in The Alchemist, to realise our passions, to take risks, to follow our dreams. We have to learn to shun the advice of those around us who wish us to conform, be like everyone else.
Again and again what comes across with The Dewarists is the passion the musicians have for music.
Monica Dogra knew from an early age that all she wanted to do was play music.
Music comes from the heart, it is to communicate with the Soul of the World.
Amazing, sit around a camp fire in the middle of the desert and compose music.
The Dewarists make music because they love music. Fuckwits debase themselves on X-factor, wanna be worthless celebrities.
The final song, very existential.
Strange, how this morning when I awoke my first thought was must read The Zahir. The Zahir is set in the desert.
Everyone sat around the desert camp fire jamming, I thought of my lovely friend Carolena Sabah playing Athena in The Witch of Portobello, where she dances around the camp fire in the desert. It is through dance Athena communicates with the Soul of the World.
Do we paint the desert with our music or does the desert paint the music?
The Dewarists is an exploration of the different musical genres in India, the boundaries between, crossing those boundaries and creating a fusion.
A free download of Changing World is available from The Dewarists on facebook, click like, enter e-mail address and you will receive a link to download an mp3 file.
If would be great if The Dewarists uploaded all the music to an album on bandcamp, where the music would then be available for download as high quality lossless FLAC. [see mp3 v FLAC]
The Dewarists is an exploration of the different musical genres in India, the boundaries between, crossing those boundaries and creating a fusion.
A free download of I believe is available from The Dewarists on facebook, click like, enter e-mail address and you will receive a link to download an mp3 file.
If would be great if The Dewarists uploaded all the music to an album on bandcamp, where the music would then be available for download as high quality lossless FLAC. [see mp3 v FLAC]
What comes across time and time again with The Dewarists is the love and passion for music. This is especially so with Indian Ocean, they play music because they love music.
I contrast this with X-Factor and other garbage TV reality shows that are dumbing down music. Wanna be celebrities who want to be rich and famous.
Many are now using crowd sourcing, community support, to raise money for new releases. Very depressing though to read in The Guardian that many see this as the route to becoming rich and famous, more wanna be celebrities.
My Grandfather was a musician, he played in a band, though that was before my time. I will always remember him tapping out a rhythm, be it with fingers, an item of cutlery or a stick. He used to have a massive collection of old 78s and a wind up gramophone, which I used to love to play. Sadly all destroyed on his death.
I recall this as that is something I notice too, playing with sounds.
India Ocean are an Indian folk-rock group. A strange concept to a Westerner.
Sometimes I drop in on Jon’s Jam at The Old Ford. A group of musicians who get together to jam. Bass player Rahul Ram of Indian Ocean reminds me of Jon.
India Ocean get together with Mohit Chauhan to create Maaya.
The final performance of Maaya takes place at The Garden of Five Senses.
The Dewarists is an exploration of the different musical genres in India, the boundaries between, crossing those boundaries and creating a fusion.
A free download of Maaya is available from The Dewarists on facebook, click like, enter e-mail address and you will receive a link to download an mp3 file.
If would be great if The Dewarists uploaded all the music to an album on bandcamp, where the music would then be available for download as high quality lossless FLAC. [see mp3 v FLAC]
Indian Ocean released their album 16/330 Khajoor Road on-line for free. Named after the house where they used to rehearse, now derelict. The main reason for releasing free was frustration with record companies and fighting over copyright issues. Please upload 16/330 Khajoor Road to bandcamp where it can be free to listen and pay-as-much-as-you-choose download. Indian Ocean recognise that people get to know music through sharing.
The beautiful and haunting Kya Khayaal Hai is a collaboration between Pakistani folk duo Zeb & Haniya and two veterans of Bollywood — composer Shantanu Moitra and lyricist Swanand Kirkire.
Kya Khayaal Hai is performed in the Capitol Theatre, the oldest theatre in Mumbai.
The Dewarists is an exploration of the different musical genres in India, the boundaries between, crossing those boundaries and creating a fusion.
A free download of Kya Khayaal Hai is available from The Dewarists on facebook, click like, enter e-mail address and you will receive a link to download an mp3 file.
If would be great if The Dewarists uploaded all the music to an album on bandcamp, where the music would then be available for download as high quality lossless FLAC. [see mp3 v FLAC]
local musicians provide backing on Minds Without Fear
Imogen Heap and Vishal Dadlani on the streets of Samode
I started to do well when I understood it’s not about being the best person in the world. It was about being me — Monica Dogra
The Dewarists is an exploration of the different musical genres in India, the boundaries between, crossing those boundaries and creating a fusion.
The Dewarists is a movement that recognizes and celebrates those who have changed the rules of the game. We identify and promote those individuals who have followed their hearts and shifted the paradigm through their original approach. The Dewarists encourages individuals to do what they believe in, because some things are just worth doing.
Imogen Heap collaborated with an Indian songwriter. She is noted for making music because she loves music, not to suit a market, a global record company. The result of their collaboration was Minds Without Fear, heapsong4, the fourth track on her album Heapsongs.
Imogen Heap headed The Dewarists Stage at the Bacardi NH7 Weekender in Pune, 18-20 November 2011.
What comes across very strongly with The Dewarists is the lack of genre, the love of music. A love of music that is spread through sharing.
Vishal Dadlani who collaborates with Imogen Heap to create Minds Without Fear admits to downloading pirate music off the net. Pakistani singer-songwriter folk music duo Zeb & Haniya who collaborate with Bollywood composers to create Kya Khayaal Hai say they learnt from cassettes passed around, they had no idea what the performers looked like as they never saw album covers, when they recorded something and put it on the net, it got passed around the Pakistani community in the US, then leaked back into Pakistan.
Writers write to be read, musicians perform to be heard. We can only hear music, acquire a love of music in all its genres, if we share.
Pakistani folk due Zeb & Haniya have no concept of genre. They simply play the music they like.
Genre is synonymous with market, like piracy, a straitjacket imposed by the major record labels.
For each programme in the series, you can download the song from facebook. Simply click like, give your e-mail address and you will receive a link via e-mail to download an mp3 file. It is not a facebook app, as I originally thought, bad news if it was. But it begs the question: Why not have all the songs on bandcamp, free to listen, free to download, and as high quality FLAC, not just low quality mp3 files? [see mp3 v FLAC]
India gets The Dewarists, UK the X-Factor and similar rubbish. The Dewarists explores music, we see how musicians work together. X-factor wanna be famous celebs, zilch talent, dumbing down of music, reality TV at its worst.
Vishal Dadlani and Imogen Heap recording Minds Without Fear
Imogen Heap on the streets of Samode
Have pity on those afraid to take risks, because they will perhaps never experience disappointment or delusion or suffer as those do with a dream to follow. — Paulo Coelho
When you dream, you can enjoy the luxury of being yourself. Make it a reality. — Paulo Coelho
Minds Without Fear, heapsong4, the fourth track on the album Heapsongs by Imogen Heap.
The tracks of Heapsongs are crowd sourced, each is a community, collaborative venture. Each track has its own micro-site on the net.
Like Santiago in The Alchemist who took risks, followed his dreams, The Dewarists decided to follow their dreams, take risks, breakout of the mainstream, inspiring musicians collaborating to create original music while travelling to locations across India.
We all have to learn to be like Santiago, read the signs, listen to our heart, take risks, follow our dreams.
Imogen Heap collaborated with the duo Vishal-Shekhar to create Minds Without Fear, drawing her inspiration from the Tagore poem, ‘Where The Mind Is Without Fear‘. Filming took place at the 475-year-old Samode Palace on the outskirts of Jaipur in Rajasthan.
Minds Without Fear was available for free download. The bad news is that this was via a facebook app, not good news if you have no wish for a facebook app to have access to all your personal information.
Imogen Heap has a reserved space on bandcamp, but currently nothing there. Let us hope Heapsongs is uploaded when complete. In the meantime, please record the improvisation for Earth Hour 2012 and upload to bandcamp.
Were Heapsongs on bandcamp, the tracks could be added one by one. It would be possible to enable Minds Without Fear to be available for free download for a limited period, thus no excuse for forcing people to use a facebook app with its gross violation of personal privacy.
Imogen Heap headed The Dewarists Stage at the Bacardi NH7 Weekender in Pune, 18-20 November 2011.
The Dewarists is an exploration between the different musical genres in India, crossover of boundaries, collaboration between. The music can be downloaded for free via their facebook page.
Note: I mistakenly assumed from the link, download through a facebook app, if so, this would have been bad, but I am pleased to be able to report not so. You go through to a facebook web page, click like, provide an e-mail address and you will receive a link to download an mp3 file. It would though have been easier to have the track on bandacmp, click to download, provide e-mail, and receive a link.
Keithpp's Blog 