Indian Ocean Live At BB King’s Blues Club, Times Square

28th August 2008.

There is an ancient Spartan saying that a man is only as strong as the man beside him. Ask a musician what he thinks about it. Chances are, he has felt it, playing in harmony with other musicians. Ask a guy who went to see a live performance. He will probably tell you details about how two artists, playing different instruments altogether, created a melodious composition out of nowhere.

It was a cloudy evening. Clouds overcast the Manhattan skyline. And a long queue waited outside the BB King’s @ Times Square. You could see young couples, serious office-goers, and curious by-standers. Indians who wanted a taste of home and music. Americans who wanted to experience Indian fusion at its best.

They started with “Kya Maloom”. Amit started off from the word Go. Rahul looked like Lord Shiva Himself, with the bass guitar, and the bandana. Susmit was the epitome of peace, as if waves of notes washed ashore and found solace within his chords. Asheem, one of the rarest tabla players known to sing and play together, looked composed and all set for the evening. Soon the audience was tapping feet, and moving in symphony with the music.

Indian Ocean emphasizes on techniques, improvisations and a no non-sense on-the-fly approach to live shows, while still sticking to the basics of classical raga and western influences. Most of their live performances are an extended, more relaxed and innovative versions of the original song. High on music, lesser but stronger lyrics. Surprisingly, that was exactly how the ancient Latinas and Greeks coined their slogans, which are still popular after thousand years. Their music ranges across the country, sometimes they touch the bank of a river in the east with Chhokher Bali Nodir Baali (this was a new song played for the first time), and sometimes they go back to old Rajasthani folklore. As the evening proceeds, as the audience is absorbed more into the music and the drinks, they become more and more intense, more experimental and fluent. Amit picks up the flute to start Bhor. Asheem gets up and all of sudden start playing percussion with Rahul’s bass guitar. Sushmit looks at his friends and gives and encouraging smile. Rahul, high on music, keep co-coordinating and still manages to wink at the audience. Like the song “Paaon Zameen Par Asman Pe Nazar”, they remained ambitious, focused and perfectly down to earth.

Music can be expressed as a generous flow of notes into the vast expanse of languages, expressions and emotions. Like a river in glory, it turns, twirls, strokes the banks and moves on. Maa Rewa is not just a song about a river and a leader who held on to her ideals, or people worshipping Shiv Shankar. Maa Rewa is a celebration of the music, as free form, free style and free flowing. “Bande” is not just another filmy music. It comes back and haunts us in the quiet of the night, asking again and again if its the religion or the humanity we must listen to.

The band jokes and calls themselves, “Lufis” (Sufis who could not leave the lust part aside). It’s been a long journey for these four friends to start with an humble jamming session and eventually reach the center stage at the BB King’s Blues Club. Like an old wine, their music tastes better with time. I am already high, and I enjoy my bliss. And like all other fans of the Indian Ocean, I am waiting for more.

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Rik is a computer programmer who also happens to be a connoisseur of original music. He prefers instrumentals, original/self-composed, inspired music, jazz, blues as well as fusion music, to the standard pop numbers. If there is a song which transcend the barriers of languages and countries, chances are he has heard it or it's on his wish-list. Apart from the listening bit, he is also known to be pretty handy with the harmonica, his favorite past time for the last ten years or so.