On the occasion of Music Day let us listen to some of the best Independent Indian musicians. Many may have noticed that a musical career in India is heavily restricted to the Bollywood industry. But over the years artists decided to break that loop and emerge as renowned musicians independent of the Hindi movie industry.
Today is recognized as World Music Day after the French music festival Fete de la Musique in 1982. The festival became an international phenomenon leading to over 120 countries celebrating World Music Day on the 21st of June.
Indian Ocean: Indian Ocean is one of the oldest bands in India and their exquisite fusion mix music deserves a good listen. The band began with tabla player Asheem Chakravarty who brought Indian Ocean together with bassist Rahul Ram and guitarist Susmit Sen. Chakravarty passed away and Sen decided to quit but the band remains one of the best in India.
Maati Baani: Maati Baani is a duo with classical singer Nirali Kartik and guitarist Kartik Shah. The duo travels the world and collaborates with different and unique musicians on their Indian classical music journey. The two believe music has no bounds and no language stating their genre comes from their heart.
Shantanu Pandit: Shantanu plays guitar, harmonica and sings with great passion. The Delhi based musician writes mellow and soulful music that gets your craving more. He only sings in English but as Maati Baani says music has no language.
Kanchan Daniels & The Beards: Kanchan and The Beards are a four piece homegrown blues band. Their blues music appeals to the young and old as they make beautiful use of their instruments and Kanchan’s voice is the cherry on the cake.
Ankur & The Ghalat Family: Ankur Tewari is a multi talented human with experience in acting, filmmaking, songwriting and singing. The band specializes in acoustic pop rock ballads. The four piece band got the opportunity to open for Norah Jones in 2013. Tewari’s influence for writing the beautiful poetry comes from Beats poet and musician Leonard Cohen.
Alisha Pais: This singer songwriter from Mumbai stands out of the crowd of musicians for her powerful husky vocals and guitar playing. Her original music is relatable and her tunes are catchy. She was given the opportunity to make her television debut on Vh1 Music Diaries.
Clown With A Frown: This Pop Funk Rock band is from Bengaluru and formed in 2011. The musical group is on its way to redefine dance music by using sounds from the 70’s disco era. The band’s lead singer Keerthana Sudarshan lights the music up with her perky voice.
Manan: Manan Gupta is finger styled guitarist who uses more than just the strings setting him apart from most guitarists. His instrumental compositions are inspiring and breathe taking. Manan has won a number of accolades for his musical talent and recently released his first debut album.
Prateek Kuhad: In January 2015, Kuhad released his debut album In Tokens & Charms which won the hearts of many music lovers. He is one of the frontrunners in the Indian independent music scene. He blends his folk pop music with amazing yet heartbreaking lyrics.
Bharath Kashyap: This exceptionally talented guitarist is rising to fame slowly with his jazzy swing music. Kasyap is a self taught guitarist and occasionally plays the synth. His debut album Running Revolution dropped in January 2017. He was heavily inspired by the fingerpicking style of Chet Atkins and the progressive sound of Steven Wilson.
Anoushka Shankar: Anoushka Shankar may be the daughter of the most famous sitar player but she cemented her own name and talent in the music industry. Although Shakar has composed for Bollywood movies, she deserves a special mention for her extraordinary talent and rhythm.
