Rock on, Kerala!

Youngsters in the state are opening up to a new world of music outside the realm of traditional genres
Most concerts held across Kerala continue to feature musicians strumming good ol’ Bollywood and Mollywood tunes. But a number of young bands, seem to have taken it upon themselves to change the scene. So much so that the state now brags of over 50 local bands, out of which as many as 15 are professional and semi-professional ones.
Guitar riffs, drums and loads of head banging are the norm that originally began at college fests. Today, bands organise stand-alone concerts that have a huge fan following. And genres vary from rock, heavy metal and even blues and jazz. “People here love music and turn up in large numbers for concerts. In addition to popular numbers that get the crowd grooving, we also play a couple of our original compositions,” says Rahul Menon of the Calicut-based band Echoes of the Throne. While many band members are happy enough to play as long as there is an audience, they admit that it is going to be a while before a career in music can be considered a financially viable option.
“Established bands are able to demand a price for the concerts. But younger bands have it tough, as nobody is willing to pay. Very often, we end up having to play for free, something which never happens in other countries. We don’t mind doing that, because we just enjoy performing,” says Arun of Kaav, a Kochi-based band.
Shaheen Siddhik, an entrepreneur and a music aficionado, says, “It is interesting to see rock music making an entry into films as well. In addition to helping younger bands gain popularity, it also introduces a large part of the audience to different genres.”