Where most of us think ‘trash’ when we see a PVC pipe, Thalavattam’s Montry Manuel sees an organic melody. A percussionist who chooses the road not usually taken when it comes to unleashing his creativity; he creates music out of everyday trash. The 39-year-old, with his chin length curls, enthusiasm and a warm disarming smile, emits the vibes of someone who is finally realizing their dreams.
A man who kept popular bands like Swarathma on beat for eight years, his journey is fascinating. As he welcomes us into his home in C.V. Raman Nagar, fragrant with the smell of sandalwood oil, it becomes evident that the man does believe in breathing new life into used everyday objects. From home décor to instruments, most of his things are recycled and have an earthy feel to them. The musician, making himself comfortable on a couch placed beside a doodled table, recalls his band days. “It was brilliant playing with one of the biggest names in the rock scene today but I kind of got tired of having the best of it. As a part of the band, I got to play the best drum kits but no matter how many different kits you buy, the sound is still more or less the same. I missed original sounds. I missed creating them.”
A banger of pots and pans since he was little, the talent was natural, he says laughing. “Ever since I was little, growing up in Cochin, I had a knack for making things. I liked it and I loved percussion, but always favoured the melodic variety. I realized the only way I could bring them together was if I followed my heart and started my own project,” says Montry.
Paint cans, buckets, empty tetra packs, soda bottle crowns, plastic bottles, shock absorbers, metal parts from vehicles and PVC pipes, Montry makes music out of all of them. Started six years ago in 2001, Thalavattam has received an amazing response from music festivals abroad. He has played in music festivals like the Tree of Life in Turkey, O.Z.O.R.A in Hungary, where he will also be headlining this year, to name a few. Montry is also taking his unique potpourri of genres on tour to 15 European countries starting next month. With his loop station handy, his assortment of waste materials and his Tubela, an instrument made out of three large PVC pipes, steel jugs and small wooden pieces; and his PVC didgeridoo, an instrument otherwise made out of hollowed wood by the Australian aborigines, his concerts have a mix of trance, electronic, hip hop, rock, jazz and classical fusion. Montry is also currently working on making a bitar, which is a combination of broken guitar frets and strings put together to be beaten, quite literally. “I’m working on designing and building a percussion instrument that will be made out of musical trash. Reduce, reuse and retune!” he says enthusiastically.
What: Thalavattam in concert
When: Sunday, May 21 at 7pm
Where: VR Bengaluru, Whitefield
