Swarathma

Infobox musical artist
Name = Swarathma

---

Img_capt =
Img_size = 250
Landscape = Yes
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Mysore and Bangalore, India.
Genre = Indian Folk/Fusion
Years_active = 2004 - present
URL = http://www.swarathma.com
Current_members = Vasu Dixit
Pavan Kumar KJ
Sanjeev Nayak
Montry Manuel
Jishnu Dasgupta
Varun
Past_members = Abhinanth Kumar, Arjun, Dheeraj Joseph

Swarathma is a Bangalore (India) based Indian Folk/fusion band. The current line up includes Vasu Dixit (vocals and rhythm guitar), Pavan Kumar KJ (percussion and backing vocals), Montry Manuel (drums), Varun (lead guitar), Sanjeev Nayak (violin) and Jishnu Dasgupta (bass guitar and backing vocals).

They were formed in 2004 in Mysore when vocalist and songwriter Vasu Dixit met Abhinanth Kumar on guitars with the objective of creating original music. Joined by Pavan Kumar KJ on percussions, Arjun on the violin and Montry Manuel on drums, they were the original line-up.

Early days

The first break for Swarathma came when they won "Radio City Live 2006", an SMS based contest for Bangalore's best band, conducted by the FM radio station Radio City on September 31, 2006. [

cite web
url=http://www.deccanherald.com/archives/mar202006/metromon1328102006319.asp
title=City Quakes to Rock Waves
date=2006-03-20
accessdate=2008-03-20
publisher=Deccan Herald] The fresh original sound of the band won them the contest coupled with the fact that they played a song "Ee Bhoomi" (This Earth) in Kannada, the local language of Bangalore. The show ended with a jam session with leading Indian rock band Parikrama. Swarathma continued to play shows in and around Bangalore, gaining popularity and building a fan-base, while searching for a record label who would release the band's music.

The New Avatar

Owing to other professional commitments, Abhinanth and Arjun could not continue full-time with the band. Over the year 2007, they were joined by Sanjeev Nayak on the Violin, Varun on lead guitar and Jishnu Dasgupta [

cite journal
last = Mehrotra
first = Palash
title = Underground Pleasure
journal = Rolling Stone, India
volume = 1
pages = 26
url = http://www.rollingstone-india.com
date = March 2008] on bass guitar who earlier played with the band bodhiTree, from XLRI Jamshedpur [cite web
url=http://www.jammag.com/rock/show_rock.php?article_id=66
title=bodhiTree
date=
accessdate=2008-03-20
publisher=Jam Magazine] . The varying musical backgrounds of the members caused the music to evolve.

The new line-up played at various venues including the prestigious Mysore Yuva Dasara Habba [

cite web
url=http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/12/stories/2007101250170200.htm
title=Talent from Mysore to rock Yuva Dasara on Monday
date=2007-10-12
accessdate=2008-03-20
publisher=The Hindu] , the celebrations of the Indian festival Dusshera in November 2007. Sharing the stage with other noted artistes like Usha Uthup, and Sunidhi Chauhan [

cite web
url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/04/stories/2007100457140300.htm
title=Mysore ready to host Dasara festivities
date=2007-10-04
accessdate=2008-03-20
publisher=The Hindu

] the band was lauded for the strength of the compositions and on-stage energy. Various artistes joined the band as guests in performances, notably saxophonist David Moskowicz of Lyons, France and Tavil player Raja of Bull Temple Road, Bangalore. Such varied instruments gave the band a sound unlike any other, while bringing together musicians from backgrounds so diverse that they could not converse with each other, not having a common language [

cite web
url=http://citizenmatters.in/articles/view/61-musicians-sans-frontiers
title=Musicians Sans Frontiers
date=2008-01-24
accessdate=2008-03-20
publisher=Citizenmatters.in] .

The band was nominated in three of the eight categories of the Jack Daniels Indian Rock Awards [

cite web
url=http://im.rediff.com/movies/2007/mar/06rock.htm
title=Indian Rock: Coming of Age?
date=2007-03-06
accessdate=2008-03-20
publisher=Rediff News

] 2008, including Best Vocalist, Best Song and Best Album/EP [cite web
url=http://www.india.musicballroom.com/Alternative/Indian_Rock_Awards_2008/
title=Indian Rock Awards, 2008
date=2008-02-13
accessdate=2008-03-20
publisher=Music Ballroom] .

This was the first time that a song in Kannada was nominated for such an award.

Swarathma also played at the Fireflies Festival of Sacred Music held off Kanakapura Road in Bangalore every year on February 23, 2008. They featured alongside artistes such as Oikotyaan in the night long festival. [cite web
url=http://worldmusiccentral.org/article.php/fireflies_festival_of_music_bangalore_08
title=Fireflies Festival of Music February 23rd, A Dusk to Dawn Music Festival
date=2008-02-19
accessdate=2008-03-20
publisher=World Music Central]

Breaking into the National Scene

In early 2008, Radio City re-launched "Radio City Live" [cite web
url=http://rclive.radiocity.in/
title=RC Live
date=
accessdate=2008-03-20
publisher=Radio City] , a nation-wide hunt for India's best Hindi band. [cite web
url=http://www.indiantelevision.com/mam/headlines/y2k8/jan/janmam87.php
title=Radio City launches RC Live to search for India's best Hindi band
date=2008-01-30
accessdate=2008-03-20
publisher=Indiantelevision.com] . Selecting from over 100 entries from bands across India, Swarathma made it to the national finals with a winning performance. [cite web
url=http://www.indiantelevision.com/release/y2k8/feb/febrel60.php
title=Swarathma and Ek are RC Live's Bangalore Regional Finalists
date=2008-02-24
accessdate=2008-03-20
publisher=Indiantelevision.com] [

cite web
url=http://www.agencyfaqs.com/perl/media/media_newslets/index.html?id=30365
title=Swarathma and Ek are RC Live's Bangalore Regional Finalists
date=2008-02-24
accessdate=2008-03-20
publisher=AgencyFAQs

]

The band flew to New Delhi for its first show outside Karnataka at the Garden of Five Senses. Pitted against six other top bands from across the country, Swarathma delivered a powerful performance that won them the Radio City Live title [

cite web
url=http://in.news.yahoo.com/indiaabroad/20080307/r_t_ians_en_bwd/ten-crowned-best-hindi-band-swarathma-fo-aaba444.html
title=Crowned best Hindi band, Swarathma focussing on first album
date=2008-03-07
accessdate=2008-03-20
publisher=Yahoo India News

] . In press interviews the band said that it was a combination of theatric showmanship and musical effort that brought them this honour. [cite web
url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/03/14/stories/2008031450370400.htm
title=Uncertain, with Reason
date=2008-03-14
accessdate=2008-03-20
publisher=The Hindu

] , coupled with the fact that the onstage energy came from close relationships that band-members shared amongst themselves [

cite web
url=http://www.radioandmusic.com/headlines/y2k8/mar/31mar/swarathma_interview.php
title=Interview with Swarathma's Jishnu Dasgupta
date=2008-03-31
accessdate=2008-04-02
publisher=Radio And Music

] . Palash Sen of Euphoria, one of the judges of the event said, "This is the moment we've all been eagerly been waiting for - Swarathma being declared India's best Hindi Band!" [

cite web
url=http://www.agencyfaqs.com/perl/media/media_newslets/index.html?id=30987
title=Radio City 91.1 FM declares Swarathma winner of RC Live
date=2008-02-29
accessdate=2008-03-20
publisher=AgencyFAQs

] . This was one of the band's biggest moments. [

cite web
url=http://www.indiaenews.com/bollywood/20080307/102571.htm
title=Crowned best Hindi band, Swarathma focussing on first album
date=2008-03-07
accessdate=2008-03-20
publisher=India eNews]

Swarathma recorded their debut album with EMI Music India as part of winning RC Live [

cite web
url=http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IE120080308231334&Page=1&Title=Bangalore&Topic=0&
title=Swarathma crowned best Hindi band
date=2008-03-09
accessdate=2008-03-20
publisher=newindpress] in Kshitiz Studios, New Delhi in July-August 2008 with Amit Kilam as the producer. [

cite web
url=http://www.dc-epaper.com/dc/dcc/2008/08/09/ArticleHtmls/09_08_2008_117_002.shtml
title=In Studio with Swarathma
date=2008-08-08
accessdate=2008-09-07
publisher=Asian Age]

On August 31, 2008 Swarathma were featured in an NDTV India program called Salaam Zindagi. In this talk show that featured well-known Indian bands like Parikrama and Indian Ocean. Swarathma spoke of their journey and plans for the future. [cite web
url=http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/SZgallery4.asp?txtclr=&bgclr=&imgid=2394&

title=Life and Times of Bands
date=2008-09-31
accessdate=2008-09-06
publisher=NDTV.com]

Plans for the Future

In March 2008, Swarathma were chosen as one of the four Indian acts to be part of the India Soundlab Sessions, a project bringing together emerging artistes from India and UK's top producer John Leckie [cite web
url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2008/08/11/stories/2008081151290300.htm
title=The Spirited Six
date=2008-08-07
accessdate=2008-09-07
publisher=The Hindu] to collaborate and record together in a series of special studio sessions set to take place in India in October 2008.

They are also looking to take their celebrated live act to audiences across India and the world.

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.swarathma.com Official Band Website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/swarathmamusic Myspace Profile]