Indian rock

Not to be confused withRaga rock.

Indian rock
Stylistic origins	Rock Indian music jazz
Cultural origins	India,Bengal
Typical instruments	Vocals gramophone indian musical instruments electric guitar bass guitar drums keyboard electric sitar

Indian rockis amusic genreinIndiathat may incorporate elements ofIndian musicwithrock music,and is often topically India-centric. While India is more often known for its (northernandsouthern)classical music,filmi,Bollywood music,Indi-pop,andBhangra,the Indian rock scene has also produced numerous bands and artists.

Early history

India, in the 1950s and 1960s, had a record industry in the Gramophone Company of India (an RCA/HMV/EMI subsidiary), andLPs,EPs,and45rpmrecords were freely available, including those ofrock and rollacts from the US and Britain, but also of contemporary pioneering Indian rock bands. The president of the firm,Bhaskar Menon(who later became the President ofCapitol Recordsin the United States) was the leading promoter of Western pop music in India. Later in 1970,Polydor,the German Label, began an India-based branch that distributed rock music locally.

Of these mid-1960s to early 70sbeatgroups, as they were then termed, some of the most notable were theMystiksfromBombay,theBeat-XfromMadras,and The Cavaliers, Calcutta-16, and The Flintstones fromCalcutta,who composed and played both earlyBritish Invasioninfluenced songs, and post-Sgt. Pepperhard rock.During this period from Delhi there were The Thunderbirds (featuring singer Ashwani Bali,Bass Guitarist Percy Singh), and WAFWOT (also with Ashwani on vocals, with organist Mark Spevak, from the U.S. andBass Guitarist Percy Singh) These bands played regularly on the Indian university and college music circuits, and some had successful EP and LP releases. Also notable from this period (1964–1970) was the femaleR&Bsinger, Usha Iyer, nowUsha Uthup,who had successful covers of "Jambalaya"andThe Kingston Triosong, "Greenback Dollar". A notable compilation LP titled "Simla Beat '70" was released during this period, from a contest of the same name. The winning bands recorded their versions of Western hard rock of the time. This tradition of covering Western rock would continue until the 1980s when it was more common to compose original songs.

The rock n' roll scene was also closely followed byJunior Statesman(orJS), a magazine started in 1965 contemporaneously withRolling Stonemagazine in the US andNMEin the UK.

Like Western rock bands at the time, Indian bands also began fusing rock with traditional Indian music from the mid-1960s onwards. A notable example of this is in the Cavaliers' 1967 hit "Love is A Mango," which incorporates sitar accompaniment alongside Beatlesque songwriting. However,filmisongs, those produced specifically for popularBollywoodfilms, often overshadowed the country's budding rock scene, which otherwise contrasted from that within the film industry. Some of the more well known filmi songs (including styles such asfunk rock,pop rock,psychedelic rock,raga rock,andsoft rock) from Bollywood films includeMohammed Rafi's "Jaan Pehechan Ho"inGumnaam(1965),Kishore Kumar's "O Saathi Re" inMuqaddar Ka Sikandar(1978), andAsha Bhoslesongs such as "Dum Maro Dum"inHare Rama Hare Krishna(1971), "Ae Naujawan Hai Sab" inApradh(1972), and "Yeh Mera Dil Pyar Ka Diwana" inDon(1978).

Indian influence on Western music

See also:Raga rock,Psychedelic rock,andThe Beatles in India

In the 1960s, renownedWesternacts such asThe Yardbirds,The Beatles,The Rolling Stones,The DoorsandThe Byrdswere notably influenced byIndian classical musicas a way of reinforcing thepsychedeliain their music. Whilejazzmusicians, notablyJohn Coltrane,had ventured into Indian music and spiritualism (seeIndo jazz,Sitar in jazz,andJazz in India), the influence of Indian classical music on 1960s rock began in earnest withGeorge Harrison'sRavi Shankarinspiredraga rocksong "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)"in 1965 and The Beatles' very public sojourn with theMaharishi Mahesh Yogiat hisashraminRishikeshin 1968, following the release ofSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Bandin 1967. Raga rock led to the development ofpsychedelic rock,which in turn laid the foundations forheavy metal music.

The Indian rock scene would later give rise to one of the world's most famous rock stars,Freddie Mercury,born Farrokh Bulsara. One of his formative musical influences was the Bollywood singerLata Mangeshkar.He began his music career as a teenager inBombaywith the rock band,The Hectics,which was founded in 1958 and often performedcover versionsof Westernrock and rollartists such asLittle RichardandCliff Richard.After leaving the band in 1962, he moved to England, where he later led the rock bandQueen(formed in 1971), which went on to become one of the world's most famous rock bands.

The Indian rock scene also gave rise to one of the pioneers ofdiscomusic,Biddu,who originally began his career in an Indian rock band called The Trojans. It was India's first English-speaking band,and found success producing cover versions ofThe Beatles,The Rolling Stones,Trini Lopez,and other Western hits of the day, in the clubs ofBangalore,Calcutta,and Bombay. After the band broke up, he moved in 1967 to England, where he later found breakthrough success after producing "Kung Fu Fighting"forCarl Douglas.

1980s and 1990s

While theorientalisttrend of the 60s and 70s was by the 80s and 90s largely over, India itself continued to produce bands in various styles of rock music, from softrock and rollandpop rock,tohard rockandmetal.In the early 1980s, however, rock was largely overshadowed bydisco,which dominatedIndian popmusic up until the mid-1980s.

With the arrival ofMTV,tastes rapidly changed, encouraging bands to harden their style and focus more on underground styles such asdeath metal,alternative metal,andprogressive rock.The 1990s saw the rise of a much larger following of various harder styles for this reason. Bands that had formed in the 80s, such as Rock Machine (who would later be known asIndus Creed) - (including Mahesh Tinnaikar, Uday Benegal, etc.)...altered their style with the influx of newer techniques and influences from the west. Notable suburban metal-blues bands with 1960s and 1970s metal influences included IIT Powaii based Axecalibre, fronted by Oliver Pinto, Prashant Nair and covered flamboyant guitar-based blues and hardcore metal including ballads. Contemporaries of the time were Easy Meat from Pune and Bands such as Holocaust, Morgue (fronted by vocalist Mrinal Das, Drummer Neeraj Kakoty, Ambar Das and Raju Seal on Twin Attack Guitars, Manas Chowdhury on Bass), Dorian Platonic from Guwahati, Assam, Grassroots Revival, Postmark, The Cannibals, Phoenix, Phynyx and Drixian Empire/Dark Crusader from Manipur.

Others formed in the 1990s with harder styles influenced by the growing split between popular rock, such asBritpop,alternative styles, such aspunk,and metal styles, such asthrash.The Indian subgenre of fusion, which encourages a similar blend of ancient Indian musical traditions with rock music toraga rock,was also carried forward, and is perhaps the most unusual Indian style of rock. It was during this time thatPalash Sen's Euphoria surfaced in the Indian scene as a straight ahead English rock band. The band later started writing in Hindi, and gave birth to what is now known as "Hindi Rock". Euphoria went on to become India's most popular, successful and commercially accepted Independent act. Other fusion bands like Indian Ocean and Mrigya also grew in popularity. As in decades before, university campuses and campus rock shows continued to be the driving force behind determining what kind of band would succeed and what kind of music young people liked.

2000s

The current Indian rock scene has a larger following than ever (although it is still marginalized compared to Indian film music, particularly thefilmisoundtracks ofBollywood) and may soon become recognized in the international arena, as various South American and Japanese bands have become. Recent entries into the rock music scene are increasingly becoming comparable in their production quality to Western bands, and have been compared favorably to other internationally recognized acts. Now digital technology is making it easier than ever for these bands to distribute and sell their music. Some British bands of South Asian origin, such asSwamihave, like theirhip-hopcounterparts, tried to enter the Indian market in addition to maintaining the traditional fanbase of non-resident Indians in United Kingdom,Canadaand theUnited States.Others, such asRudra,have emerged from Indian communities in other Asian countries. Progress is certain for the Indian rock scene with the advent of entities that support this genre.Rock Street Journaland Rolling Stone Indiaare the two major publications that have been promoting Indian rock bands. The scene has also been transformed by the online medium, and the subsequent rise of a number of online portals promoting Indian rock, most notably the indie music website NH7,Headbangers India,IndianMusicMug,Unholy Maunder, IndianMusicRevolution, Metalbase India,Indian Metal Scene,and Metal Spree.

Sub-genres

Raga rock

Main article:Raga rock

See also:Psychedelic rock

In the West, some groups, such asThe Beatles,traveled to India and incorporated aspects of Indian music, especially classical instruments such as thesitar,into their music, often as a way of conjuringpsychedelic'Eastern' feelings. The term for this wasraga rock,and examples of it areThe Beatles"Love You To","The Inner Light","Across the Universe","Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)","Tomorrow Never Knows","Strawberry Fields Forever"and"Within You Without You";The Rolling Stones' "Paint it, Black";The Kinks' "Fancy";The Doors' "The End"andThe Byrds' "Eight Miles High".A number of prolific Indian classical musicians such asRavi Shankaraligned themselves with this trend, collaborating with Western artists. Indian bands themselves mainly covered early rock songs by pioneers of rock and roll in the United Kingdom andAmerica,and only achieved recognition in popular culture by supporting film scores and Indian pop.

Indian fusion

Main article:Indian fusion

An Indian subgenre of rock exists that focuses on blending traditional Indian styles of music with rock music. The term for non-Indian bands using Indian instrumentals and vocal in rock israga rock.However, Indian fusion also encompasses attempts by Indian pop musicians and film composers to incorporate rock music into their work, starting in the 1970s with film scores like those of theAmitabh Bachchanclassics. TheBrown Indian Bandfeatures accomplished Indian classical musicians in concert with jazz virtuosos. More recently the multi-cultural British bandBotownhave taken elements of Bollywood and fused them with soul and funk to great success. The New Delhi Based Band 'Ojapali' is also doing many experiments with Electronica Fusion music and Folk music of the Assam Region.

The Kochi-based bandMotherjanetypifies bands producing this genre of music.MotherjaneguitaristBaiju Dharmajanis a pioneer of introducing the guitar music style known as carnatic shredding. Bangalore based carnatic rock bandAgamand fusion rock outfit Divine Raaga, Kaav, Veenar are other examples of mature songmakers in the country. Karnatriix is another band which has defined a new genre of fusion music labelled 'New-age World music'. Their ever-evolving sound today registers as ideally in sync with the 21st century's pan-cultural landscape. The name 'KARNATRIIX' which is a word play, meaning 'Aural Trickery', openly defines their music. Mellifluous melodies and sophisticated phrases deep-rooted in Blues music with an Indian Classical touch, combined with raw percussion and electronically produced subtle beats, voices and effects, form the core essence of the Karnatriix's musical nature. Indian GuitaristKapil Srivastavacomposed Rock and Raga Fusion music in his Indian Guitaroo Volume 1.

Indian funk

Indianfunkis a loose term describing the style of rock and roll which is sometimes blurred into the realms of pop and other genres. Whereas Indian fusion may only incorporate Indian styles into rock, or rock into Indian forms of music, Indian funk can be broadly defined as what rap-metal is to heavy metal - an infusion of elements from rap, reggae, pop and dance genres that some might consider to not be 'true' rock. Groups originating in South Asian communities in Western countries like Britain are noted for this style, with bands such asSwamiandAsian Dub Foundationusing elements ofUK garage,UK bhangraandhip-hop,such as synthesizers, rap vocals andturntables.Also based in the UK,Botowntake an approach inspired byFunkadelicwith a large lineup of live musicians to blend Bollywood music withsoulandfunk.Few rock bands such as Silent Echo (Delhi) and Psycho Frequency (Delhi) use a wide range of samples and mechanically evolved sounds.

Rock and roll

Hundred Octane performing atHard Rock Cafein Mumbai

India has produced many rock bands, some of whom have made it into mainstream Indian music and achieved some international recognition. RLC66 one of the upcoming acts from Mumbai trying to combine various genres from western music. Their main influences are Porcupine Tree, Tool, Dream Theater. The song "Abrupt" is earning some good number of fans in Mumbai underground scene. Indian Guitar PlayerKapil Srivastavahas composed Rock and Roll fusion in his Indian Guitaroo Volume 2.

In September 2015, Mumbai based Rock & Roll BassistVivek Datereleased his Rock & Roll Album "Wrapping Paper"The album received a warm response from the audience and a good critique from the reviewers with some tipping it as a gift to the Rock & Roll scene of 2015 in India

Hard rock and heavy metal

Nicotineplaying at theHard Rock Cafe,in Hyderabad, India in 2016. The band is widely known for being the pioneers of Metal Music in Central India.

Vedic Metal

A new brand of metal has arisen in India called "Vedic metal", or "Hindu metal", which traces its origins to the heavy metal band M.A.I.D.S (Metal Aliens in Devil's Soul), which laid the foundation of heavy metal and rock in southern India in the early 1990s. The Singaporean bandRudrainitially got their worldwide push from major heavy metal label Sonic Wave International. With their style of 'Vedic metal' based around Hindu themes, the band have gained some fame in South East Asia, fusing heavy metal with Indian traditional music, in the vein of Brazil'sSepultura,although they do not use avant-garde instruments such as them. Many international critics from the United States, Germany, and other countries have given the band's albums rave reviews.

Since the genre was pioneered by Rudra in the late 1990s, it has grown in popularity. Bands like Wingz of Vayraag (India), Aryadeva (Ukraine), Symmetry (Indonesia), Warriors of Peace (India), Asura (India),Advaita(India), The Aryan March (India),Bhairav(India), Madhavas Rock Band (India), Narasimha (Singapore), Kaliyuga (Singapore), Azrael (Australia), Dying Out Flame (Nepal), Blue River (Sri Lanka), Punarjanma (India), and Kartikeya (Russia) have done pioneering work in the subgenre. Often, along with Vedic lyrics, the music has shades ofIndian classical music.With the introduction of new subgenre of heavy metal, the Vedic-core bands like, Antim-Yuddha,Roktobeejare contributing to the rising Indian underground rock culture. The definitive album of this genreRudra'sThe Aryan Crusade(2001). In addition, India has produced many heavy metal bands that combine ethnic-folk musicwith various forms of heavy metal to create otherfolk metalbands. Indian rock has been influenced by some notable cultural trends, and has in turn produced influences of its own. Indian musicians have also collaborated with other musicians from across the globe.

Heavy metal

Millennium was formed in 1988 as one of the first Indian metal bands, and it laid the foundation for the Indian heavy metal scene.Demonic Resurrectionlaid the foundation for Indian extreme metal early in 2000 when extreme metal in India was a scarce minority, since then it has garnered popularity especially in the underground scene and spawned many bands such as Corroded Dreams, Escher's Knot, Crypted, Bestial Murder, and some bands have adapted to black metal driven sound with a rawer sound andsataniclyrics. Bands such as Dark Desolation from Bengaluru andFortified Destructionfrom Chennai have gone down that path. Many prolific extreme metal bands have spawned from the Chennai local scenes like Siva from Crypted, Abhijit Rao from Escher's Knot, Vyas "Hex" Manalan from Fortified Destruction who are all frontmen of their respective bands and all known for their extreme vocal capabilities and the addition of guitar in the case of Hex. With many extreme metal bands from other countries, such as Behemoth, Gojira, and Cradle of Filth are setting foot on the India. Some of the most popular heavy metal bands in India areMidhaven,Zygnema, Bhayanak Maut, Albatros, Noiseware, Abraxas, Devoid, Sceptre, Kryptos, The Down Troddence, Crypted, Halakuah, Inner Sanctum, Scribe, and Cosmic Infusion. New emerging bands from India are now focused on spreading heavy metal and extreme metal music to the masses; there are frequent heavy metal gigs across India; though it is a niche in the genre, more and more people are becoming aware of the genre and bands like Orcus, Carnage INC, Primitiv, Eternal Returns, Kill chain, Emergency Trigger to name a few. From Central India,Nicotine,a band based inIndore,is widely credited of being one of the pioneers ofheavy metal musicin the region. In recent years, the a wave of Indian extreme metal bands are growing in popularity with bands likeBrazen Molok,being the flag bearer of this new wave.

Regional music scenes

Many cities and regions have produced collections of bands large enough to be classified as a scene within Indian rock. Kolkata,Shillong,Chennai,MumbaiandBangalorehave long been the principal founts of Indian rock and continue to produce bands regularly.

Bangalore scene

Heavy Metal groupIron Maidenperforming live in Bangalore (top) andKryptosperforming at Harley Rock Riders Season III. (bottom)

The dominant music genres in urbanBangaloreare rock and metal music. All subgenres of rock, varying from classic rock n' roll to extreme metal can be heard inBangalore.The underground scenario in Bangalore is highly acclaimed, and though Shillong is called the Rock/Metal capital of India but that day is not far when Bangalore can take the fame away from Shillong. Notable bands from Bangalore includeManojGeorge4Strings,Raghu Dixit Project,Girish and The Chronicles(GATC),Kryptos,The Down troddence(TDT)(originally from Kannur, Kerala),Inner Sanctum,Agam,All the Fat Children,The Usual Suspects,Final SurrenderandSwarathma. Rock 'n India,Great Indian Rock and more recently Deccan Rock are the primitive rock festivals in India. Bangalore was also the first city in India where internationally popular rock groupsOpeth,Iron Maiden,The Rolling Stones,Bryan Adams,Scorpions,Sting,Aerosmith,Elton John,Deep Purple,Metallica,Slayer,Megadeth,among various other heavy metal groups performed live for the first time in India.

Recent restrictions on live music in Bangalore's bars has affected the rock music culture of the city but is slowly recovering with pubs like Kyra, B Flat and Legends of Rock hosting more live bands.Festivals likeRock 'n India,Rock Ethos, Great Indian Rock and more recently Wrath Fest at Raipur and Deccan Rock continue to take place in Bangalore, a popular destination for international acts likeIron Maiden,Lamb of God,Bryan Adams,Scorpions,Sting,Aerosmith,Megadeth,Elton John,MetallicaandDeep Purple.

Chennai scene

Another major Indian rock festival is the June Rock Out, organised by the Unwind Centre inAdyar,Chennai. There are also other smaller rock/metal festivals happening regularly in Bangalore and Chennai, like "Euphony", the "September Underground", "Last Band Standing", and the weekly "Live 101." The Bands Association of Chennai (BAC) is an organisation which actively promotes the cause of original music by Chennai bands such as Requiem Injustice, Grasshopper Green and Namma Ooru Boy Band (NOBB).

Delhi scene

Delhi's music circuit has seen its share of ups and downs, but has held on largely due to the local presence ofRock Street Journal.Delhi being the operational home of the Allahabad-based magazine, local bands have benefited by the proximity to India's first dedicated to stories and features based around rock and metal. The Great Indian Rock festival was mostly held in Delhi, now foraying intoKolkata,MumbaiandBangalore,North-East IndiaandPunehas exposed the upcoming musicians of India to a wider variety of musicians.Notable bands from Delhi includeIndian Ocean,Them Clones,Menwhopause,Bandish,Advaita,Midival Punditz,Mrigya,Guillotine.

Hyderabad scene

In Hyderabad bands like Sledge, Wreckage, Native Tongue has paved for upcoming bands by taking it to the nationals. They have won major rock and metal competitions such as campus rock idols 2004, 2005 and 2006 and headlining gigs across all major IT festivals in India taking charge of the Indian rock scene.

Indore scene

Nicotineplaying at 'Pedal to the Metal', TDS, Indore, India in 2014.

TheIndorescene (in Central India) initially ignored by the mainstream Rock/Metal fraternity has been emerging as the 'Dark Horse' of Indian Rock and Metal Scene since the mid-2000s. ThoughMetaldominates the scene, the city has produced bands from all kinds of the genre (Classic Rock, Alternative, Hard Rock, Death Metal).

Nicotinewhich was formed in December 2006, is widely credited for being the pioneers of Metal music, not just in the Indore but in Central India. Zero Gravity, another Metal band from the city, released their full-length album called 'Holocaust Awaits' in 2014.

Nicotine,Grim Reapers and Bliss are the only 3 bands to have qualified from the Central Zone of the 'Campus Rock Idols' Competition. Ceaseless Juncture and Perception as Reality are some of the existing active bands. There were bands like Avalanche, Auxiliary Triangle, Assault, Overdrive, Blindfolds which are now disbanded but won competitions outside the city. Though it is an independent scene, major bands from outside the city like BLAKC, Zygnema,Demonic Resurrection,Undying Inc, Albatross, etc. have performed in Indore.

Digvijay Bhonsale,arockandmetalvocalist, guitarist and songwriter fromIndorehas played several gigs in theUnited KingdomandZimbabwe.

Kerala scene

The state of Kerala gave India one of the first and successful rock bands ever -13 A.D. Kerala has produced some of the finest bands and musicians:Motherjane,Avial,The Down Troddence,Thaikkudam Bridge,Evergreen,ManojGeorge4Strings,Baiju DharmajanandRex Vijayan

Kolkata Scene

See also:Rock music of West Bengal

Moheener Ghoraguliin concert atRabindra Sadan,1979.

Bands from Kolkata that pioneered original music in English includeKrosswindz,Cassini's Division,Skinny Alley, The Supersonics,Five Little Indians,and Span. There is also a massive regional rock scene and also some bands formed locally with international views in Kolkata that includes bands likeFossils,Cactus,Chandrabindoo,Krosswindz,Bhoomi,andLakkhichhara.

InKolkata,the underground Metal Bands organise an Event called The Pit at Tapan Theatre in Kalighat. In 2009, three editions of The Pit were successfully organised. It is being seen now that more events are being organised, like the metal events held by KOSMA (Kolkata Old School Metal Association). Other fests include 'Abomination', 'Order of the Heretical Trident Festival', 'Kolkata Open Air'.Bengalimetal gigs attract huge crowds and are sponsored by various organisations. Kolkata also hosts an annual musical festival, The NH7 Weekender since 2013.

Moheener Ghoraguli,aBengaliindependent music group fromKolkata,is arguably India andBengal's first popular rock band.

Mumbai scene

Bhayanak Mautperforming at the 2010 Independence Rock XXV (top) andDemonic Resurrectionperforming live at Brutal Assault 2010. (bottom)

Some of the most notable contemporary rock bands from Mumbai arePentagram,Tough on Tobacco,Bhayanak Maut,Demonic Resurrection,Split, Sridhar/Thayil, Scribe, and Goddess Gagged. The recent reunion of Indian rock pioneersIndus Creedwas received with great enthusiasm,especially with regard to their plans to produce a new album in 2011.

Mumbai's longest-running festival has been theIndependence Rock Festival.2010 saw I-Rock, as it is popularly known, celebrate its 25th year. Independence Rock XXV paid tribute to the city that has hosted the festival by featuring a spate of local bands. The recently reunited Indus Creed headlined the festival, which included other local favourites like Bhayanak Maut, Scribe, Demonic Resurrection and Pralay, as well as stalwart musicians like Dhruv Ghanekar, Warren Mendonsa, Loy Mendonsa, Ehsaan Noorani, Farhad Wadia (the festival's founder and promoter), Ravi Iyer, Chandresh Kudwa, Shazneen Arethna and Sidd Coutto.

Pune scene

A relatively recent entry into the Indian Rock circuit is the city of Pune has been the home of bands over the years and off late there has been a new surge with notable genre-defining acts like Silver, Strange Brew, Jazz Mates, Nothing as Now and more. The live music scene of the twin cities Mumbai and Pune has been on a steep rise since 2005 with major International acts likeMeshuggah,Tesseract,Satyricon,Freak Kitchen,Sahg.Pune plays host to an annual musical festival, The NH7 Weekender, which takes place in the month of November and showcases international (mostly British) acts likeImogen Heap,The Magic Numbers,Asian Dub FoundationandReverend Soundsystemto name a few.

Ranchi scene

Highway 69's drummerreceiving the Best Drummer award fromUday Benegalat Hornbill International Rock Contest 2017 inNagaland.

Hailing from a small place quite unknown to the rest of the country, the bands of Ranchi from Jharkhand state had to face discrimination and hardships. Over the years, this city has produced some of the finest rock and metal music bands but they have always gone unnoticed because of being from a small town. In the 1990s, bands like Genesis, Kaalmantra and Sparshhave been considered as the pioneers to rock and metal music in Jharkhand. The city has had various music festivals being organized since the 2000s and a few of them are still organized today with the biggest one beingThunderstrock Festivaland other notable festivals are like Rock Jatra and Rhapsody. The band Sparsh was aired live on CNN-IBNcheering up for theIndia national cricket teamduring the2011 Cricket World Cup.The band 4 Degrees of Freedomwere the finalists of Hornbill International Rock Contest 2013, followed byHighway 69being twice the finalists at Hornbill International Rock Contest for 2017, 2018 along with their drummer winning the best drummer award in 2017 and Vikrit and Existence also being the finalists in 2018. The bands of Ranchi have been touring and performing across the country with currentlyHighway 69being the most notable one as it has performed extensively all over the country and has evolved with a huge fan base, followed by other bands like Iris 13, Reciprocal, Existence, Vikrit etc.Other active and notable bands from the 2010s were Genesis, Kaalmantra, Sparsh, 4 Degrees of Freedom, Conflicting Resonance etc.

Independent record labels

Mainstream record labels in India often ignore rock, with a few exceptions. Album sales range between a few hundred copies to a few thousand. They are rarely, if at all, affiliated to the Indian music industry, and sales are not usually monitored. Songs of Bollywood usually gain more popularity as compared to the songs of bands. This is a huge set back. Bands also fail to sell their songs throughout the country even after making it available to major music stores, this is only due to lack of interest of people in rock bands. There are only a few bands that have become successful in selling their songs throughout the country. People who enjoy rock get the songs of their favorite bands, just by a click from any music website (sometimes their songs are uploaded by website administrators just after the day of release, this is illegal as per copyright law, but even then no action is taken). Hence, overall sales become less than expected. Bands in India mostly perform live shows with low priced tickets (as low as Rs. 100 or even less). Probably, the growing and the upcoming generation will have interest in Indian Rock and Metal. But care has to be taken to retain the copyright of the music.

The future looks encouraging thanks to entities such as Green Ozone, DogmaTone Records,CochymandEastern Fare Music Foundation,Infestdead Recordsthat are dedicated to promoting and supporting Indian rock.

Documentary on Indian rock

In 2004, filmmakerqaushiqmukherji, popular as Q, directed a rockumentary named 'le pocha'. In 2008, music journalist Abhimanyu Kukreja directed Rockumentary - Becoming of Indian rock that was produced by NewsX and had a national TV release. The documentary is arguably the first of its kind on Indian rock that showcases the evolution of rock music in India starting from the 1960s. The documentary features popular and classic Indian bands like The Great Bear, High, The Great Society, Shiva, Indus Creed, Millennium and Parikrama. The documentary is available for free viewing on YouTube.

Leaving Home – the Life & Music of Indian Ocean(2010) directed byJaideep Varmawas about fusion rock band,Indian Ocean.Thus it became the first band ever in India to be subject of a documentary.At the58th National Film Awards,the documentary went on to win theAward for Best Arts/Cultural Film.

In 2014, documentary filmmakerRaghav Bdirected a documentary onThe Big Bangalore Metal Project- contributing to the Indian Metal Music Scene features popular Indian Metal Bands likeKryptos (band),Dying Embrace, BevarSea, Eccentric Pendulum, Inner Sanctum, Shepherd. The documentary was to show the Metal culture and the evolution of its music in Bangalore. The documentary is on YouTube.

Issues faced

An all-girl rock bandPragash Bandfrom Srinagar, Kashmir decided to call it quits after constant hate mails and death threats on the Internet, apart from the severe criticism and opposition from the religious leaders of Kashmir and other hardliner political parties.

See also

• Asian Underground
• Atomic Forest
• Life in a... Metro
• Nicotine
• RegionalRock music of West Bengalpopularly known as Bangla rock
• Rock On!!
• Rusty Moe
• The Vinyl Records

References

• "KAAV-MyOPUSRADIO".Retrieved10 October2012.
• "KAAV-INDIAN EXPRESS".Retrieved10 October2012.
• "KAAV-INDIANROCKMP3".Retrieved10 October2012.
• Nagarajan, Saraswathy (17 August 2012)."KARNATRIIX-THE HINDU".The Hindu.Chennai, India.Retrieved10 October2012.
• "BAIJUDHARMAJAN-Timesofindia".Archived fromthe originalon 19 October 2012.Retrieved10 October2012.
• "BAIJUDHARMAJAN-THE HINDU".The Hindu.Chennai, India. 20 June 2012.Retrieved10 October2012.
• "BAIJUDHARMAJAN-ibnlive".Archived fromthe originalon 3 July 2012.Retrieved10 October2012.

External links

• Indian rockatCurlie

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• লে পচা,le pocha