Trained as a Carnatic singer but inspired by Michael Jackson, Sangeetha Rajeev worked as a software engineer for three years before thinking, “What the hell, let me just do this.”
“This” was turning into a singer full-time. And Sangeetha did turn pro, but with a difference: she and her band Sarvasva sing Kannada songs influenced by rock. The result of all these efforts is their album Sarvasva, named after their seven-piece band which includes the flute and violin along with bass and rhythm guitars and percussion.
When people listen to the violin, they can headbang to it, when they listen to our flute, they can headbang, We wanted to give the music an Indian touch as well and have an element of fusion.
– Sangeetha
Sarvasva has gained prominence for its focus on Kannada identity in cities like Bengaluru and Mysuru that are dominated by English and the influx of several other languages. In a recent performance in Mysuru, Sangeetha exhorted the audience in Kannada : “Mysurin janre, enu, nidde madthiddira? Eddeli, Rock music na kuthkondu kelbaradu. Eddu ninthu kuni beku.” (People of Mysore, are you sleeping? Get on your feet. You should not listen to rock while sitting. Get onto your feet and dance”.)
Sangeetha has had opportunities in films as well. The song Thinbeda Kammi from the film ‘Lucia’, for instance went viral on the internet.
It is a difficult song to sing, it’s not about the music, but the words. The song has a very village rawness to it. It challenged me.
– Sangeetha
The song became so famous that she became known as Thinbeda Kammi Sangeetha.
It was around the same time that she, Sagar Gururaj on the keys, Amith Kumar on the bass, Vikram Parthan with rhythm, Himal Giri with the lead guitar, Yadhunandan Nagraj on the drums, Arjun the flautist, and Sarith Sukumaran the violinist got together with lyricist Vasuki Vaibhav to record the songs for the first album. The band however has had its share of lineup changes.
“Himal has gone back to Bhutan, he had come to Bangalore to study engineering. Some are in Kerala. But when we perform these songs, we always go as Sarvasva with whoever is available.
– Sangeetha
It was one of her early associates Roshan D’Souza and Sagar who gave the band its rock identity, which they seem to have stuck to.
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