SREYOSHI GUHA THAKURTA
TWO'S COMPANY,
THREE'S A CROWD
When I think of Simon and Garfunkel,
or Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it
is always the chemistry in the music
that hits me the most. Music duos have
always had the balancing act in their
pockets. For many, such a symbiotic
relationship might not have been a
successful enterprise, but the results
have often been brilliant- I can never
stop listening to Simon and Garfunkel!
India’s music scene, which has mostly
been monopolized by Bollywood, has
seen some of the greatest music duos
in terms of music production-
Jatin-Lalit, Laxmikant-
Pyarelal, Sajid-Wajid.
But thanks to the
innumerable music
festivals and platforms
for non-Bollywood
artists popping up- we
are finally witnessing
independent artists
showing us the kind of
change we need.
These terrific duos
are creating a ripple
throughout the evolving
indie scene in the
country and you would
not want to miss them!
1. Hari-Sukhmani
This Chandigarh based
duo aims to revive fading
folk songs from Punjab with
Sukhmani’s powerful voice and
Hari’s uniquely complimenting
ambient electronic beats.
Sukhmani Malik is a highly
trained classical singer belonging
to the Rampur Gharana and Hari
Singh Jaaj is the producer and
backing vocalist. They have been
a Coke Studio favorite for many
fans, for their refreshing take on
fusion music.
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2. Sulk Station
This Bengaluru based duo defines
their music as “mellowdramatic
pop”- incorporating the richness of
Hindustani classical with electronic
music genres such as ambient, trip-hop
and post-dubstep. Tanvi Rao with her
distinguished sultry voice and Rahul
Giri’s hypnotic, dream-pop like synth
beats creates a unique flavor that has
you listening to them on a loop.
3. Paloma-Adil
Paloma Majumdar, an award-winning
Bengali playback singer, and Adil
Rashid, the terrific guitarist from
Underground Authority came together
in 2016. Their genre can be termed as
“electronic mood music”- a mix of jazzy
vocal melodies and electronic music
with live guitars. Their style brings
forth their own thoughts and feelings in
the most poetic way and it sure to strike
a chord with you.
4. Maati Baani
Kartik Shah and Nirali Kartik’s
Maati Baani began its journey as an
experimental YouTube video back
in 2012. This wonderful duo has been
described as “nomads of music”- as
they have incorporated diverse
styles and techniques in their music
from all around the globe. They have
collaborated with more than 70 artists
across 30 countries.
5. Seedhe Maut
This rap duo- Encore ABJ and MC Calm,
is best known for their fiery, bilingual
rap. They sing about the struggles of
raging poverty, political violence and
unemployment they witness around
them- giving a voice to the marginalized
and inspiring other artists to speak up.
Being a regular at music festivals, this
duo has successfully defined rap on
their own terms and they are doing an
incredible job at it.