Fusion reboot

Members of Arka

Arka, a crossover band between Rock, Indian Classical, Jazz and other influences will launch with their debut album, And a Half, today. The band comprises famous virtuosos like V Selvaganesh, flautist Ravichandra Kulur, guitarist Santosh Chandran, vocalist Karthik, French bassist/ pianist, composer and producer Mishko M'Ba and Jazz prodigy (son of legendary Louis Banks), Gino Banks.

Members of Arka

Arkans, as they prefer to call themselves, have performed with a star-studded roster of artists, like John McLaughlin, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan, Vidwan Vikku Vinayakram, Mike Stern, Guthrie Govan, Ray Charles, Jonas Helborg, and Niladri Kumar.

The beginning of Arka
Born to Vikku Vinayakram of the band Shakti, and currently the member of the band Remembering Shakti, V Selvaganesh, pledges to mesmerise the audience with the electrifying tune of his kanjira. The kanjira, a small percussion instrument, is turned into a monstrous drum kit each time Selva injects it with his raw energy. His ethnic inclination in music paired with the electric guitar, lends an unforgettable experience. As is the plan for Arka, to go by their formula of permutation-combination, which is to pool a vast variety of instruments and genres to create surreal tunes.

Selvaganesh describe Fusion music as, "A gateway that allows artists to collaborate using different genres and explore the path of music without any limitations and boundaries. One such gateway is Arka. As a percussionist,I feel Arka is an opportunity to unlock the potential of different genres. We see it as a medium to connect to the youth of India. I'm extremely grateful to be around maestros like Vidwan Vikku Vinayakram ji (my father) and Ustad Zakir Hussain who have introduced Fusion music in India, and popularised it among the masses."