A cohesive organic project

The Gypsy Sound Revolution brings together the traditional folk sounds of the Manganiyars with flamenco, rumba and pop

June 15, 2016 04:50 pm | Updated October 18, 2016 12:43 pm IST - Bengaluru

Round and round we go On the gypsy bandwagon

Round and round we go On the gypsy bandwagon

The gypsies are one of the forerunners of cultural exchange with their ability to adopt and transfer various traditions and ways of life across borders. Bringing about one such cultural transaction is the Gypsy Sound Revolution, a band of brothers from across the world bringing a new sound to the music of the gypsies.

Here in the city to perform at VR Bengaluru recently, the band take time off their sound check to talk about the gypsy way of life and how they share an Indian connect.

The band featured former Gipsy Kings members including Cedric Leonardi (drummer), Pablo Reyes (founder), left-handed guitarist Mario Reyes and Manganiyar Manjoor Khan in this edition of the tour.

Their music, that brings together the traditional folk sounds of the Manganiyars and the flamenco, rumba and pop sounds of the Gipsy Kings, is a cohesive organic project. Cedric elaborates: “We’re keeping a little bit of both worlds and building a bridge with our styles. We add a nuance of LA sound, since we are now based there, that adds spice to the whole mix. In fact, we share a lot of similarities with your Coke Studio.” Mario adds, “This project is a work in progress. It is a living entity that is constantly evolving.”

Their first time as a project to India, Cedric says excitedly that they’ve always had deep connections with India. “We have a love for India for several years. I’ve visited India on my own before though. I came here in my younger years and travelled across the country, wild and free, on a motorcycle.”

Mario, who answers in Spanish which Cedric translates, says even though they’ve been travelling across the world, this is the first time they’ve come to India. “We’re so grateful for this opportunity to share our music with everyone.”

Elaborating on their sound and what they think is the revolution to the original gypsy music, Mario explains that it is an important question to address for all gypsy musicians. “The revolution is in the art of blending. We are blending different cultures and music together.” Cedric adds: “The challenge is to get people out of their comfort zone and start experiencing the unknown. Otherwise everyone stays safe. The Manganiyars – they play what they know, while the Reyes family play what they know. I’m here to mix it all up.”

Manjoor pitches in and says they’ve been collaborating for over four years. “The uniqueness here is that our worlds are so different, yet our music and melody resonate together. We understand each other through our music. So we believe when people listen to this combination of Rajasthani folk and flamenco, they’ll love it.”

Cedric adds that they want to spread joy to people and exchange the power of music. “Music unites everyone. We are experiencing that in this project. Our languages, traditions, cultures and religions are different, but what unites is the music. There are probably many other bands that have tried to engage this path. What makes us different is the human connection we have together. Music is the language of the soul and it’s borderless.”

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.