Oorali: Of man, myth and music

The Oorali Music and Conversations is more than a typical music concert. It is a creative mix of theatre, visuals, poetry and original compositions that come together to create an experience. What’s more, they sing in three different languages--- English, Spanish and Malayalam, use traditional percussion instruments from all over the world and make their own stage when they can't find any, quite literally. The six member band often performs in their tour bus cum living space that has been modified to open up on the side, like a stage.

Unlike most bands, their lyrics are moulded according to a concept they want to have conversations around. “We were a theatre crew that eventually became a band,” says Saji Kadampattil, the guitarist of the band, “I remember we were doing a play inside the bus and needed some background score. I guess that’s why our songs are written around concepts and issues we like to talk about, much like the mythical Oorali,” he says. Oorali is a prophet of sorts in Malayalam mythology who speaks about wrongdoings in the society. The collective has Martin John C on vocals and percussion; Saji Kadampattil on guitars and vocals and Sudhish Velur on percussion. Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan contributes poems; Shaji Surendranath pens the lyrics while Sudheesh is in charge of visuals.

What: The Oorali Experience
When: Saturday, August 5, 8.30 pm
Where: Straight Up! Pub, Hennur-Bagaluru Road, Kothanur

Their sound swings from folk, reggae, blues, theatrical music to rock and the performances always have something for everybody. “Genres… it’s a coming together of all of them. You see, its more then music. We interact with our audience, but not in the cheesy ‘sing with me’ way. We talk to them about political issues, about human emotions, capitalism and simple everyday life. Plus the gig is visually appealing. You can watch, you can sing along, you can talk. We believe that our audience is a part of the performance instead of being mere spectators,” says Kadampattil. They even set the stage themselves, making different props for each stage and a curated play list is decided from the vibe they get from the city and the crowd on spot.

This Thrissur based collective has played over 300 shows so far, but Bengaluru has always been their favourite. “Bengaluru’s crowd is what makes it so amazing to perform in this city. They are so accepting. We make sure we always try new material here. If they like it here, it will work anywhere in the world!” Kadampattil says laughing. For their upcoming show in the city, they plan to bring out the best of their work so far. “Though we decide on the list only when we reach the spot, we plan to present our best sounds so far. Upbeat tracks, yes, but also the groovy, deep music,” he reveals.