When cultures come together

Rasam saadam (rasam rice) meets hamburger! That’s how unusual the combination of music played by La Pongal is.
The Chennai-based outfit calls itself a contemporary-electro-Tamil-folk music band that strives to provide listeners a healthy blend of tradition and technology, and considers itself a voice of Indian folk.
“The idea to give Tamil films a contemporary touch germinated a few years ago when I was composing for another band of mine, Yodhakaa.I realized that most of the folk artists in remote rural areas of Tamil Nadu don’t get the opportunity to showcase their talent. Art forms like Therukoothu, Thappattam, Oyilaattam and Kuravan Kurathi Aattam that were a part of Tamil culture are gradually fading into oblivion. La Pongal is an attempt to revive folk music with a blend of contemporary instruments,” says band member Darbuka Shiva.
But why the name La Pongal? “When I decided to go ahead with this band, I wanted a name that would sound like an amalgamation of two cultures. The first thing that struck my mind was ‘pongal’ as the harvest festival is a true representation of Tamil culture. I later added the French word ‘La’ to it. Soon Pradeep, who is also part of Yodhakaa and is the main singer of La Pongal, came on board,” explains Darbuka.
So how does Shiva juggle the two bands that play two different genres of music? “I am a gypsy at heart and I love straddling these two genres. I cannot play the same kind of music all the time and I love to reinvent music,” says Shiva.
Finally, any album plans on the anvil? “After Yodhakaa brought out an album, everybody has been asking us about La Pongal’s album. Pradeep and I are working towards it,” wraps up Shiva.