On the 20th of January DY Patil College Nehrul played host to renowned fusion band Indian Ocean who in prime form headlined the final day of the three day annual fest, playing to a relatively large crowd, their fourth time around at this prestigious university. Heavily publicized, this was also notably the first show since the passing of percussionist, vocalist and all around remarkable performer, the beloved Asheem Chakravarty.
Almost an institution in the country’s rock scene, they had by now become a staple of Indian rock after spending nearly two decades in the public eye popularizing their brand of jazz inflected indo-rock fusion. Nonetheless after the demise of the iconic singer, questions were visibly raised whether the band would be able to continue. All these questions were undoubtedly laid to rest as soon as the band stepped on stage to the deafening applause of students and fans that had waited eagerly for hours to witness this prolific band at work.
Compensating for the irreplaceable Asheem Da couldn’t have been an easy task for the band, but they managed to get on board two celebrated musicians in the form of Gyan Singh on Tablas, Sudhir Vichare on Lead Vocals.
Clearly an emotional performance for the band losing a band mate and a friend of over 20 years, the crowd reveled in the poignancy of the band as they dealt with the grief with what they do best, performing a string of songs which may be safely described as classics. The mood was however anything but somber as the band decided to forgo the clichéd mourning instead celebrating the life of its founding member, playing one exemplary song after another.
From the expressiveness of ‘Jhini’ to the sing along enthusiasm of ‘Hille Re’, it reminded most of the initial draw of the band, their compelling honesty and knack of reaching the audience wherever they may be.
Those lucky to be in attendance were also able to witness first hand two unreleased songs ‘Baundhu’ dedicated to Asheem Da and ‘Zindagi se darte ho’ soon to be featured in an Aamir Khan production. By the time ‘Bandeh’ came up, even the most cynical of observers were swept up by the natural charisma of the group.
The original three members appeared in great form filled with passion and fervor playing Ma Rewa, giving the attitude of a jam session, the band feeding of each other’s energy, demonstrating the technical prowess they have come to be known for.’ Jugalbandi’ saw the utilization of eclectic instrumentation especially in the form of a ‘gabgubi’ by drummer Amit Kilam.
Ending the show on a high note with the ever popular ‘Kandisa’, the band although restricted to a short span of time, managed to move the audience in completely different ways, some to their feet while others more affectingly to tears.
