In a gypsy quad'rie

The boys at Beltuner have been crafting gyspy folklore with their music for over 15 years now. Keeping in the spirit of the wanderer and dreamer, they have decided to bring that spirit to Bengaluru too, on April 22. “I have to confess that I don’t know anything about the city, except that it’s in India! We have no plans yet, but improvisation is not only for music. We’d love to discover something local,” says Nicolas Pautras, the band’s bassist, who sat down with us for a tête-à-tête before their show.   

According to him, their sound is exactly like what you’d expect to hear at a popular jaunt in Paris. So, if you are longing to hear what that would sound like, this has got to be your chance. “Much of our repertoire encompasses French culture, but we do tend to put in it many modern influences,” says Nicolas.

Taking their name from ‘Beltuna’, which translates to ‘the beautiful sound’ in Latin, the songsters’ solid gypsy rhythms and sensitive melodies range from jazz-rock to musette. “Gypsy people are spread around the world, taking off from India in the 11th century. When they met and played with our local musicians back home, the music evolved and it’s now a big part of the French culture. The genius guitarist Django Reinhardt is one such person and he’s a major influence on us,” he tells us.

As they get ready to bring a piece of Parisian culture with them, Nicholas dishes out on what it is like in the City of Love. “We are lucky that the music scene in Paris is varied and important, with different styles of music being played all the time. But with time, people are tending to stick to their television screens and not get out to catch live concerts,” says the self-taught musician who plays with three others — René Sopa, Pascal Muller and Mickaël Correia.

Although all of them are in their forties, it hardly shows with their vigour to travel trumping all. “It’s our first time in India and we would be very glad to meet some local musicians and have the opportunity to play and exchange with them,” says Nicolas. After their eight-city tour of India, they are headed to the French countryside. “We are off to the Vosges, a fresh place with mountains and forests that will probably seem good after the Indian heat,” he quips.

This gypsy jazz show is on at the BlueFROG on April 22.