Masters of Kali Yuga blues

Where oneness and integrity resonate with love; music revives a sense of balance that defines existence. And, in this harmony lies the true essence of divinity. As Ludwig Van Beethoven once said, “Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy. Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents.”Considered as the language of the soul, the musical form and genre of blues originated at the end of the nineteenth century. Redefining melodic structure and functional expression, blues indeed reflected the melancholy, angst and freedom of enslaved people. Keeping blues alive in Bangalore, Chronic Blues Circus (first established blues band in the city) was formed in 1990.Over the years several musicians have contributed towards keeping the band alive. Their present lineup comprises Owen Bosen on bass, guitar and vocals; Peter Isaac on vocals, guitar, saxophone and harps; Miriam on vocals, harps, guitar and percussion; and Abhilash on drums and percussion.Mesmerised by the raw and rustic nature of the genre; the band usually plays its own compositions with a few tributes to some of the blues masters who have influenced them like John Mayall, Paul Butter field, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, etc.According to the band — Music is how a musician communicates with the society, as does an actor by acting and painters by painting. Few artistes are able to transcend the mundane and reach out to the divine through their art.And, we are not one of those extraordinary people.We catch up with the Chronic Blues Circus who performed at The Great Indian Octoberfest 2011 by Common Colours on November 12.Describe the Chronic Blues Circus sound.The Chronic Blues Circus is a very tight band with a totally raw and unfiltered sound, which is done without using any effects on our instruments or voices.‘Blues’ as a genre is commonly associated with melancholy and intensity.How would you describe this genre of music?There is no doubt about it. The blues is intense because it is played from the heart and usually carries a message. It is easy to identify with these messages because some of them affect all of us. This is what draws people to listen to the blues.Who have been your major source of inspiration so far?Well artistes like John Mayall, Ian Anderson, Steve Winwood, Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Janis Joplin, Gene Clarke, Dave Mason, Mick Taylor and Nat King Cole have definitely inspired us all.Among the bands Canned Heat, The Climax Blues Band, Guess Who, King Crimson, The Band, Led Zeppelin, Blood Sweat and Tears, Emerson Lake and Palmer deserve special mention. And of course, Kali Yuga Blues 1975 is what is called Indian blues. It is about how Indians see the world.Tell us about your album Kali Yuga Blues (1997).It was written with the environment, corruption and our present society kept in mind.How have you evolved as musicians in the past twenty years? Do you see any significant change in your music?Technically one gets better from sheer practice and exposure over the years and yes our compositions keep changing with the times. Recent compositions like Mobile blues, Indian Blues, and Help me Mama reflect this.Where do you think ‘blues’ stands today in India?More musicians have begun to experiment with the blues. We now have four dedicated blues bands in Bangalore, one really good band in Madras, one in Shillong, two in Delhi and there’s bound to be one in Calcutta but Bangalore is the place for the blues where one can always expect a great audience.What genres of music do you enjoy listening to apart from ‘Blues’?Classical, folk, classical rock and some jazz in that order.What were you trying to create with Kali Yuga Blues 2?Kali Yuga Blues 2 expresses contemporary issues in India like corruption, environmental pollution, the sickness in our society and disregard for our culture.How important is it to break barriers and experiment with sounds?Musically, the blues is very simple music and if at all any barriers are to be broken. It is in the messages that the musicians send out through their music.As for the sound, it’s got to remain raw and dirty, one can’t change that.Any future projects we can look forward to?We are working on show casing the blues by having concerts on a regular basis with solo artistes and bands from the South and will organise workshops to promote slide guitar, harmonicas and vocals.