Blues' new 'Aavaaz'

A psychedelic blues band singing in Hindi, Kashmiri and Urdu is quite unheard of in India. The first band to ever explore this possibility, Bangalore's Parvaaz has charmed critiques and fans alike all over India.

They're all set to play on December 22 at Soul Sante.

“I never wanted to sing in English because it was not my first language. The point is to express yourself the way you want to. What other than your mother tongue can help you do that? Sachin, our drummer, brings in a lot of folk elements into the sound of the band. Kashif, the guitarist, brings in the blues and also the experimental guitar patches. I just hold the melodies through my vocals and that is how everything falls into place," says Khalid Ahmed, the vocalist.

After forming in 2010, the band went on to headline many major festivals in India such as the Storm Festival, The GoMad Festival, The Great Indian October Fest and Roots Festival. Parvaaz released their debut EP, 'Behosh' in 2012 which became the top-selling album on OKListen, a platform for independent music. The track, "Behosh", from the EP topped the NH7 charts.

“There was this one gig which started all this. After moving to Bangalore, Khalid and I were staying together in a flat and making music. We were invited to perform at a venue in the city. We composed an original track for that show and got a really good response for it. It was just Khalid and me back then but we decided to continue. After sometime, Sachin and Fidel joined us and we formed Parvaaz," says Kashif Iqbal.

Venturing into different forms of music is something that band that includes Khalid Ahmed, Kashif Iqbal, Fidel D'Souza and Sachin Banandur, does on a regular basis. They are currently in the studio to record their yet untitled debut album which will hit the stores in the beginning of February.

“Musically, the songs of the album are inter-related but I can't say that about the lyrics. Each song has its own distinct lyrical theme but, yes, I can say that all the lyrics are about being positive. For example, "Ab Ki Subah", a track from the album, is about a futuristic environment where there is beauty everywhere and people understand each other. The light of the day is so bright there that everyone forgets what darkness feels like," says Khalid.

They recently released a single, "Khufiya Dastaan", to promote their upcoming album.