Chennai:
From a school audience to the world stage, a Chennai fusion band has made a giant leap. Selected by Danny Boyle, the director of Slumdog Millionaire, to perform at the London Olympics, 'Staccato', comprising a few teenagers and others in their early twenties, is one of the two bands from Asia that will perform at the Olympic Park on July 30 and August 2.
Their fusion music reflects a contemporary treatment of Indian ragas and talas. Aishvarrya Suresh, a city model-turned-vocalist, feels their USP lies in "the mix of Hindustani classical songs with western beats".
Both their entries for the selection - 'Sounds Of Air' and 'Salsa' were instrumental pieces. They plan to zero in on their Olympic composition with a little help from the Mozart of Madras, AR Rahman, whose nephew Kashif is part of the band. In fact, it was Kashif who quietly sent in the entries without sounding out the other members!
Staccato started off as a school band at Chennai's Chettinad Vidyashram. Arun Haridas Kamath, a member, reveals that "many of us have been into music from the age of four or five."
"It was our zeal to showcase Indian music to the International arena that helped us get picked from hundreds of entries across the world," says keyboard player Vikram Sarathy.
Staccato also means burst of energy. And this band of youngsters will hope that their compositions will inspire the Indian contingent and boost our medal prospects in the Olympics.