A chorus full of RIFFS

Tis the season of bonhomie and what better way to bring in the celebratory mood as we bid adieu to the year with these two musicians from Bengaluru as they entertain crowd at KIAB till January 3, 2017.

The duo Byrden and Parth represents a perfect combination of Western and Classical music, creating an exciting cross-genre musical experience for the audience. We speak to the duo that’s part of The Choral Riffs team about their contemporary music.

Bryden Lewis is from St. Joseph’s Boys High School and Parth Chandiramani is from Vidya Mandir. Recalling some of their most memorable places performances, Bryden shares, “Some of the most memorable places have to be the smaller shows we’ve done like the ones at Starbucks. It brings us a lot of joy to convert an unassuming place like a coffee shop into a party! But the best of 2016 has to be the one we’re doing now at the Bengaluru International airport. The airport is an emotional melting pot of sorts, where we encounter different emotions riding high at the same time. From the happiness of seeing a family member after a long time to the anxiety of catching a flight and getting to the scheduled meeting in another town to the immense excitement of leaving for that long-awaited holiday, we think the airport brings together a global microcosm. Performing at a place like that and bringing each emotion to come to a musical crescendo has been an experience that will stay with us forever. Our team of 17 members had a wonderful time making the airport more festive and enjoyable.”

Talking of their musical influences, Bryden shares, “It varies a lot as Bryden comes from a Western music background and Parth is more from the Indian Classical space. We first played together in 2012 with The Raghu Dixit Project and had a great time performing with each other and in the subsequent four years, we kept performing as part of a band. It was only in 2015 that we realised that we work really well as a team and wanted to do something together. We decided to start off our duo partnership under the brand name, Bryden-Parth and are planning to make some original tunes in the coming year.”  

Their music is something that touches people's lives in different situations and has the power to bring out their truest and purest emotions. “We endeavor to create music that is a fusion of western and classical tunes and that appeals to the sensibilities of a wide variety of people. Our audience has always shared great feedback with us and we are humbled to be able to be a part of so many of our listeners’ lives,” shares Parth.

Having worked with Raghu Dixit, they have extensively performed across the world at various music festivals. They have also worked with Bollywood music composers, beginning their career from the Yash Raj films banner and are a big hit with the online audience, having rendered various compositions on YouTube.

They are performing at the airport to give the passengers an evening worth remembering, filled with music and Christmas tunes. So when they’re not rehearsing, singing or performing, what can one find the Bengaluru boys doing, we ask and Parth adds, “Bryden is a lover of football and hopes to be able to play the sport more often. My interest lies in the underwater world, and I want to pursue scuba diving.”