When it comes to Indian Ocean, I have a special memory with them. Years ago, and I mean a really long time ago, when I was in college, we invited them to play at our college fest at IIT-BHU, Varanasi in 1997 and the event was sponsored by Channel V. With Asheem Chakravarty’s death anniversary (25^th December) just gone by a little over a month ago, this is a fitting tribute to a band I have admired.

Prior to their concert, we had a battle of bands competition where their bassist, Rahul Ram and drummer, Amit Kilam were judges. When we played, they both rocked out and asked us to play The Beatles Come Together as the Judge's Choice song selection. We played it and guess what we bagged the first prize.

In the campus they were selling their second album ‘Desert Rain’ (1997) cassette at their concert merchandize stall and gifted me an autographed copy of the album. Sweet memories. Later, I watched them live thrice in Jamshedpur and years later twice at NH7 Shillong and Calcutta. An amazing band with a very unique sound.

A few days ago I received the first vinyl reissue of the Indian folk rock fusion masterpiece, ‘Kandisa’ on Tanagya Records/Times Music, released in November 2020. Honestly, I have not yet seen such an elaborate and beautiful LP reissue of any Indian band. Excellent artwork on gatefold cover with liner notes, lyrics inner sleeve, full color booklet with band bio. Superb sound quality too. Mastered in Netherlands at Fairman TMEQ using world's best analog tube gear, pressed in Warsaw, Poland.

Going back to the album, the breakthrough for this album came only in late 1998 when Times Music (a division of Times of India) signed up the band for an album. The band consisting of Susmit Sen on guitars, Asheem Chakravarty on tabla, Rahul Ram on lead guitar and Amit Kilam on drums were a close knit band, until Chakravarty's demise on 25^th December 2009, after which Tuheen Chakravorty and Himanshu Joshi were officially inducted into the band as replacements. The band further went one step down when Susmit Sen left the rock fusion outfit in 2013, with Rahul Ram now being the only founding member. ‘Kandisa’ however had all the original band members and was their second studio album (March 2000).

This album (their third after the self titled ‘Indian Ocean’ in 1993), went on to become one of the best-loved albums produced in India which acquired cult status and propelled Indian Ocean into the status of one of India’s most original and creative bands ever. The album took them overseas to become an overnight sensation. The album's title, and the song Kandisa sung with the iconic tilting of the head by Ram, is in Aramaic – East Syriac which is used in the liturgy of the Saint Thomas Christians of Kerala. The catchy melody and lyrics were a crowd call at every show the band played at. The band also uses Hindi and a bit of Kashmiri lyrics in the song Kaun a song written by drummer Amit Kilam's mother. Other unforgettable songs include Kya Maloom, Ma Rewa.

I am happy that I own this iconic album on vinyl for now and forever. Some albums just never grow old, they infact grow on you. ‘Kandisa’ is one of them.

Rating:

Release date: 1998 on Times Music, India on Audio CD

Reviewed by Aveek Chatterjee

Aveek Chatterjee is a Calcutta-based corporate professional and a passionate fan of classic rock, prog and blues of ‘60s-‘70s. He’s an amateur musician and stills finds time to intermittently play drums while jamming with his son on guitar. He’s an avid collector of LPs, CDs and DVDs, all from the classic era of music. However, his Audio Technica turntable and the collection of 1000 odd vinyl LPs featuring many rare and hard-to-find albums are his prized possessions.