18 April,2017 06:35 PM IST | | Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya
A Folktronica duo inspired by Bulleh Shah and Kabir to introduce their new single at city gig
Who says you need a group to make a band? Hari Singh and Sukhmani Malik met through a common friend and discovered their love for Folk music. With the help of gadgets, they provide an electronic spin to the genre as they recreate poems of Bulleh Shah, Kabir, Baba Farid and Shah Hussain. The duo, better known as Hari & Sukhmani, will offer a glimpse of their sound at a gig tomorrow.
"Music speaks about most cultures, lives and history. In Folk music, we learn a lot about life; this needs to be shared with all, and presented honestly, which is our motto," reveals Hari. Through their music, they have been making the work of these saints accessible to today's youth. "The truth is always relevant. We have too many distractions today, and they hide the truth from us. So reading back into their truth is refreshing," he reasons.
But he believes being a producer and working from the console at live gigs is a challenge. "Music is all about sensibilities, and not the tools. A producer learns on a daily basis. The biggest challenge is to use technology in the right manner to create sounds that adhere to the soul of the song. It is about knowing your stuff. A guitar on stage will have the same use as an electronic delay unit," says Hari.
At the gig, they will be promoting their new single Promises, and perform signature tracks like Madhaniya and Mast Kalandar. "We have been working on Promises for a while. We were patient in putting the elements together. At some point, you need it when a song is complete."
Their music finds appreciation among non-Indian audiences whenever they have toured abroad, across Europe. "It just confirms that music has no language. It's nice to see people from across the world connect with our music," says Hari, who is open to performing at private gigs and at weddings. "We do a lot of that. We just fell into it. It instantly connects us to a wider audience."
On April 19, 9.30 pm
At Fun Republic Social, off New Link Road, Andheri (W).
Call 60226044
Entry R300 onwards
