The Indo Soul band has been captivating audience with its distinct blend of Indian classical music and global sounds. Over the past few years, the band has widened its reach with its digital presence. Last year, the band launched an initiative called Soul Sabha to strengthen the connect with its fans.
This sabha is different. Around 30 listeners, each equipped with headphones, share space with Indo Soul band members — lead vocalist and violinist Karthick Iyer, lead guitarist Vikram Vivekanand, acoustic guitarist Akshay Yesodharan, bass artist Reshwin Nishith, drummer Ramkumar Kannakarajan and mridangist Venkat Subramanian — in a recording studio. They are briefed about the recording process as the cameraman gets ready to shoot.
Indo Soul has so far released four albums and their popular songs include ‘Nagumomu’, ‘Manavyala in my mind’, ‘Rejoicing in Raghuvamsa’, and ‘Clown’s Junket’. Inspired by the western band Snarky Puppy, who had a live audience during the making of its music video, Indo Soul founder Karthick Iyer was keen to reprise this setting to engage closely with the band’s followers.
Singer Haricharan at Soul Sabha - Season 1
“Unlike recording in a bubble, here the listeners get to watch the making of a music video. Soul Sabha has helped us get instant feedback to our songs before the formal release. They also get to chat with us on various music-related topics,” says Karthick. Considering Soul Sabha was a unique experience, was he was satisfied with the final output of the video? “Compared to our earlier videos, there was a certain rawness, but that added a charm to the overall presentation. The best of both worlds, it’s a combination of recording and live performance experience. This gives a different vibe to the songs,” says Karthick.
In the first season of Soul Sabha, the band collaborated with artistes who resonated with their musical style. From popular kritis such as ‘Thaye Yashoda’ and ‘Telisi Rama’ by Haricharan and Spoorthi Rao respectively, ‘Pibare Rama Rasam’ by Karthick, ‘Kantha naal’ by Abhinaya Shenbhagaraj to the rare Muthuswami Dikshitar composition ‘Soma Sundareshwaram’ by Trichur Brothers, and a rhythmic recital of ‘Niravadhi sukhada’ by vainika Rajhesh Vaidhya, the videos were well-received on online platforms.
Ask Karthick about the song selection process and how each song evolves in the hands of the band members, he says that mridangist Venkat Subramanian chooses a song of those suggested by the collaborators. “For instance, he selected ‘Soma sundareshwaram’ kriti because we wanted to offer our audience something different. Each song’s singing and feel are different as the artistes bring in their own creativity and expertise,” shares Karthick.
The Indo Soul band
Looking at the response to Soul Sabha - Season 1, the band is coming up with Season 2, which will feature Rajasthani folk and ghazal artistes apart from Carnatic musicians and vocalists. “With the coming together of diverse musical styles and artistes, we wish to build a like-minded cultural community. Though Season 1 and our earlier albums were self-funded, we are now looking at promoters who can help sustain this project.”
The Indo Soul Sabha team has figured out the logistics with regard to attendees. They want to increase the number. More details will be shared closer to the date. They also plan to hold their recording sessions much ahead of the Chennai Margazhi Season. “This will enable us to release the videos at a time when music takes over the city,” says Karthick.
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