I cannot believe that it has taken this long for an Indian Ocean track to feature on playlist. Their music is really the very essence of what my playlist represents - music unbound to a genre, language or culture; music for the love of music.
Tandanu is the title track of the seventh studio album of a band that redefined Indian music scene. The word Tandanu, according to the band, has no intrinsic meaning. It is from a Kannada folk song dedicated to Lord Shiva that bassist Rahul Ram learnt from his aunt as a child. Indian Ocean retells this song in their inherent sound - layered rhythms and elements of Hindustani classical music rendered through western instruments. There is no sound that better defines Indian Ocean and their music.
What I love about this ten minute track is its phases, not to mention it brings on board Shankar Mahadevan who is inarguably one of the greatest Bollywood singers. Right at the beginning of the track, the listener is introduced to his vocal genius, moving into a unique sound of the tabla, guitar and Ram's folk inspirations. Eventually, a more introspective mid-section takes over, forcing one to acknowledge the genius of the percussionists and the vocal depth of Mahadevan.
Indian Ocean wins hearts through their music, which if you think about it, is what music is all about.
Let yourself afloat in Indian Ocean.
You can learn more about Indian Ocean here:
About the curator - Aarushi Aggarwal
Aarushi is a senior at college and is majoring in history and international relations. Her music library is as much home to jazz as it is to Indian classical. Her passion for discovering new music far supersedes other equally important things like finishing assignments on time. She loves dogs, coffee and chocolate.