Girl Power: Aditi Ramesh

In a short span of time, Mumbai based vocalist Aditi Ramesh has made a remarkable rise in the Indie music scene. The 27 year old exudes girl power wherever she goes, as Verus Ferreira found out.

Drum Diaries: Gino Banks

The incredibly talented Gino Banks has a resume that reads like a guest list rather than musical Curriculum Vitae. In this day and age of YouTube channels and online drum clinics, Gino maintains a level of proficiency behind the drum kit which is his work station.

A ‘Burning Love’ for Elvis - Siddharth Meghani

Sporting killer side locks and a deep lung capacity, Siddharth Meghani embodies Elvis Presley to an uncanny degree. Struck by the spirit of ‘The King’ from a young age, this crooning Bandraite who otherwise is a photographer by profession, has quickly made a name for himself all over the country and overseas bringing on a desi version of Elvis. With his close resemblance to Elvis, and his ‘Good Luck Charm’ making him the darling of many a young girl, the 41 year old eligible bachelor has a love of Elvis and strives to keep his memory alive.

Rock the Bass – Mohini Dey

20 year-old bass prodigy, Mohini Dey, has a lot on her plate. Having worked with MTV for Unplugged Seasons 1 and 2, and Coke Studio 2 and 3, she has already built a very strong network. With A R Rehman, Louis Banks and Ranjit Barot for mentors, she has managed to make her music more play than work.

Stories from Candyland - Komrebi

New Delhi’s electronic scene just got better and it’s because young lady Tarana Marwah aka Komorebi has slowly made a name for herself, thanks to her fascinating electronica tracks and album ‘Soliloquy’ that is gaining momentum all over. Besides being a songwriter and vocalist, the 20 something lass who left the shores of Vancouver in Canada for a music career in India, brings eccentric beats, layered with harmonic melodies and synth work that allows the listener to traverse new sounds and sonic worlds. On her album, she tells her stories in an intimate and hypnotizing way, almost as if luring us into Candyland, the imaginary realm that the album is set in.

Guru of Rock - Abhishek Gurung

If you watched The Stage season 2, you would have seen and heard of finalist Abhishek Gurung. He is the shy and ever-smiling young lad who gave you goosebumps with his powerpacked performances. With loads of self learning singing skills, he was surely the darling of the judges and maybe a few viewers too. Born and brought up in the beautiful town of Kurseong in Darjeeling, Abhishek showed us the talent that exists in the North East. Even though he missed the top spot he was surely a top challenger.

A Ray of Light – Aswekeepsearching

If you love listening to western bands playing post rock and thought that this would never appear on Indian shores, take a listen to aswekeepsearching, an experimental rock band that expresses their music through instrumental music and a bit of Hindi and Urdu lyrics. The band consists of Uddipan Sarmah on Vocals and Guitars, Shubham Gurung on Guitars and Keyboard, Robert Alex on Bass and Gautam Deb on Drums. The band recently released their second album ‘Zia’ and also completed an album launch tour. Four years old and they have made quite a name for themselves all over the country and overseas.

Alluring to the Stars - Alluri

The name might not strike a chord immediately, though we have seen him at NH 7 last year. This globetrotting young singer might seem like your next door neighbour. He’s got a musical talent which he is very passionate about, so much so that The Sex Pistols bassist followed him to India to jam with him recently.

Divine Intervention - Divine

He is s familiar face at many major music festivals in the country and has also made his presence felt aboard. A local boy from the slums of Mumbai, Vivian Fernandes who goes by his stage name Divine, has brought his own style of hip hop and is today regarded as one of the top rappers, songwriter and composer in the city.

A Brimful of Fusion – Maati Baani

If you think you know what Indian fusion music is, think again. There have been many Indian fusion concerts and collaborations that state ‘Indian fusion’, but the best example is that of Mumbai-based fusion band Maati Baani who shows you how Hindustani Classical vocals can be fused with any kind of sound under the sun and still sounds cool. Maati Baani’s music effortlessly combines elements of rustic folk, Sufi and various different genres of world music with Hindustani classical, funk and new age sounds.