Speak about reunions and there are two types of people! One is the kind that comes by to see how everyone has shaped up and the other that just doesn’t want to go. But, breaking the monotony is the third most eccentric kind which comes together to accidentally form a music band and become successful almost immediately. Did your brows rise and eye balls pop? Well, meet the rock band Thaikkudam Bridge who is now a world-wide sensation in the music scene. They are in Bengaluru to launch their second album Namah. We caught up with them and here’s what they had to say!
Excited about the launch of their album in Bengaluru, Ashok Betty Nelson the Rhythm Guitars and Sound Engineer says, “Bangaluru is our home away from home, to all of us regardless of where we are from - Kerala, Tamilnadu, Maharashtra, Orissa. We feel at home here and people have seen to that for every gig big or small.”
A showcase of their music and an excuse for a reunion was the real inspiration for the band — Thaikkudam Bridge they say. From naming their band after the place where they jammed to forming a band without a plan and trying to bridge the distance between 15 members of the band the Thaikkudam Bridge manages to shine irrespective of where they live.
Speaking about how they manage to jam with an ensemble of 15 eclectic musicians, Ashok Nelson says, “Just because we are scattered all over the country, it is a challenge to get together other than for shows. So we make do with whatever opportunities we get. Sound check, days in-between shows or in today’s case, album launch. Once we are together it is just music.”
Thaikkudam’s debut album Navarasam has garnered applause and popularity globally so much that the songs are played regularly even at radio stations in UK, Australia and more. When asked what can be expected in their second album Namah, Mithun Raju the lead guitarist says, “Namah is a collaboration album which is a dedication to all who have inspired us, including the maestros whom we are lucky to have, as a part of this album. Two and a half years back we would have laughed if anyone would have said that we had a chance to associate with the names we have had the great fortune of associating with in this album. And since respect for those musicians won’t be complete without the respect for the genre they represent, we have a multi genre album in our hands. For the launch you can expect us playing all the songs from the album along with some salt and pepper to make the dish tastier.”
The Multi-faceted Govind Menon the violinist, vocalist, sound engineer and the founder believes that the three things that binds the band together is, ‘Friendship, music and money.’ Speaking about the recognition and popularity they’ve earned in such a short span of time he says, “It is a proud and at the same time humbling phenomenon. It’s hard to say if it’s a burden of responsibility or a feather on cap. If anything it compels us to work harder.”
A few tips from Thaikkudam Bridge to the aspiring bands are, “Practise well, learn many songs and make your own songs.”
