Karthik Sings Nagumomu

A kutthu garage rock remix of the White Stripes' classic "Seven Nation Army". Lyrics in collaboration with https://twitter.com/raghuthaatha written from the point of view of someone who ignores tradition and superstition only to face an anticlimactic response from the establishment at the end. 

I'm in a barbershop
Amavasai couldn't hold me back
I'm going to flag it off 
Middle of rahu kalam, that's my knack
And I'm sleeping in my bed at night 
While I'm facing north
I ask for kovil prasadam
left hand extending forth

And i dont give astrologers money, yezhara naattu sani

Don't wanna hear about it
Kili josyam’s got a story to tell
Everyone knows about it
Don’t need no drishtipottu as well
And if I touch it with my ecchai patthu
I'm gonna serve it to you
And that ain't what you want to hear
But that's what I'll do

And the message from my horoscope, it’s sevva dosham bro

Ava aappu vecchuta
Enters left leg first I swear
And when I’m going out
she always has to ask me where
And I'm sneezing, and she's sneezing, and we're sneezing
when there’s good news  
All my pages filled with real bad words
sri ramajayam's no use

And even then the message from my elders, is “nee pozhacchu po"

Lyrics explanation: For those not from South India, every line refers to a superstitious belief held strongly by many here, like 
* not visiting the barbershop on auspicious days (like Amavasai - new moon day)
* Avoiding kicking off things during Rahu kalam
* Head facing north while sleeping
* Sneezing when good news is announced

The title is a reference to an astrological belief that the 7.5 years of Saturn transiting through the 8th house from the moon in one's horoscope. 

The guitar parts were recorded on an Ibanez SA-120 through a Boss ME-25 FX processor and an amplified fuzz effect was used on the vocals to make it sound like Jack White's. 

The percussion and drums were sequenced & programmed

Seven and a Half Years Of Saturn

Vidya Sankaranarayanan (https://www.facebook.com/vidya.sankaranarayanan) is an extraordinarily talented Bharatanatyam dancer who trained under the legendary Thanjavur Kittappa Pillai (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._P._Kittappa_Pillai). She is, in the rich tradition of T Balasaraswathy, a gifted vocalist as well. 

She also happens to be my cousin so this is a family production of S Chidambaram's classic "Kanda naal mudhalaai" in Raga Madhuvanti. 

It's a trip hop version featuring violin, cello, keyboard and programming by me. The chords used are primarily variations of Gm, D and A 

Lyrics Translation

My love overflows my dear since seeing you, holding a spear (vEl) in your hand (kai), oh compassionate son of Shiva.

The people will come and sing (paaDum) songs (paNNisai) for you, Kandan (a name for Murugan) my child (baalan), to bring you happiness (sugam).

My heart has not forgotten (marakavillai) your blue (neela) peacock (mayil). I have not forgotten this love (nEsam) mixed with affection (paasam). Oh this sharp-eyed festive (kOla) prince (kumar) has been in the temple (kOvil) of my mind (mana). Showing a small smile (kurunagai), he placed (sooti) a fragrant flower (narumalar) of love within us. 

(source: http://www.karnatik.com/c1437.shtml)


Kanda Naal Mudhalaai

"Redefining the concept of Coalescence"

CREDITS :

Percussion - Raghav Viswanathan

Keyboards and Synth - Sooraj Kumar

Guitars - Sanjeev Krishna Ganesh

Bass Guitar - Murali Dhananjey

Vocals - Sudharshan Ashok

Violin - Shravan Sridhar

Drums - Prakash Thanigaivel / Vignesh Ashok

Sound Engineer - Navneeth Balachanderan

Lyrics - Shruthi Vishwanath

Recorded,Mixed and Mastered @ " The Red Pencil Company " , Chennai

Creative Designs and Artwork - Harini Venkataraman

A Sarvam Production ©

The Journey

Someone New

A moderately Chennai tamil revolutionary adaptation of Nirvana's Smells like Teen Spirit 

Lyrics: Raghuthaatha (https://twitter.com/raghuthaatha) & @krishashok
Drums & percussion sequencing: @mediumcoffee & @krishashok
Violin, guitars, bass, vocals: @krishashok

Ration arisi, queue la ninnu (Ration rice, we stand in a queue)
Vaangarom, vera vazhi illa (to buy, we have no choice)
Fulla Kushtu, black la ticket (fully drunk, tickets in black)
eduthu, padam paatha (we buy & when we watch the movie...)

Ayyo Ayyo Ayyo ayyayo x 3
Ayyo Ayyo Ayyo

TASMAC kadaila, appan mabbu (Dad's drunk at the TASMAC bar)
Kelvi ketta, periya thappu (if we question, it's a problem)
Current cut, yeppo padippom (power outrage, when do we study?)
Kerosene light la padicchu mudippom (we will study in the light of a kerosene lamp)

Naanga ezhai (We are poor)
eppadi vaazha (How do we live)
Kelaya pudichu (holding on to a branch)
Yeri vaarom (we will rise up)
Yeah, hey, yay

College Saentu, edho padichi (we joined college, studied something)
kizhichi, kadla potu (hit on girls)
vela thedi, gaandayi, (searched for jobs, frustrated)
Ola cab ottina traffic jam (drove Ola cabs only to get stuck in traffic jams)

Ayyo Ayyo Ayyo ayyayo x 3
Ayyo Ayyo Ayyo

Nirutthi ottina, horn tholla (If we drive slowly, everyone honks)
rash-a ottna, mama tholla (if we drive rashly, the police trouble us)
adaki vaascha, pammureenga. (If we stay docile, we are oppressed)
nimundhu keta, amuthareenga (If we question that, we are oppressed)

road-u illa (there are few roads for us)
medu pallam (roads full of obstacles)
ellam thaandi (we will cross all those)
yeri vaarom (we will rise up)
Yeah, hey, yay

Mayila pudchu, kaala keela (if you catch a peacock)
odachu aada sonna (break its leg & ask it to dance)
Kuyila pudchu, goondla geendla (if you catch a songbird)
adachu, paada sonna (cage it and ask it to sing)

Ayyo Ayyo Ayyo ayyayo x 3
Ayyo Ayyo Ayyo


Aana ippo Murattu Kaala (But now we are raging bulls)
Seeri paanja, merusal aava (as we pounce, you will be dazed)
Cykil gap la, Auto pola (in a narrow gap for cycles, we will drive an auto)
nozhanju vaarom, odhungi nillu-a (and come through, give us way)

Vasadhi illa (We have no opportunities)
Asadhi illa (No laziness)
muyarchi senji (but we will try)
yeri vaarom (we will rise up)

Yeri Vaarom x 9 (we will rise up)

Smells Like Kerosene

Chandramouli - Krishna nee begane (carnatic fusion)

the ragam - Vaagadeeswari, Something which haunts without any reason . ;) !!


Relaxing with Vaagadeeshwari

Live recording of Maasila Nilave Nam from Ambigaapadhi performed on 22nd Sept 2012.

Keys: Krishnamurthy Kalvai & Nagaraj Varadarajan
Bass: Farhan Mohamed
Guitar and Keys: Jay Swami
Flute: Ashwin Krishnakumar
Percussion: Arun "caddy" Narasimhan & Raj Iyer
Male Vocals; Shesh
Females Vocals: Meera

Maasila Nilave Nam ( Live ) feat., Shesh- Fundraiser for Cancer Institute Foundation

Anbe Sugama - amazing composition of AR Rahman, soulfully sung by Srinivas sir and Sadhana Sargam.
Here’s a cover version by Sheik Meera and myself. Hope you all enjoy 🙂!

Anbe Sugama | Durai Srinivasan | Sheik Meera

One warm summer morning in a cafe in Guadalajara....

Next installment in the "Menusic" album by @onejubb, @arabjabam and myself. 

Credits:
Opening flamenco bit is from AR Rahman's "Jumbalaka jumbalaka" from the movie En Swaasa Kaatrey

Translation:
Good day, What would you like to eat? What dish would you recommend?

Lyrics:
Tortilla Fajita Sopa Flauta Salsa Guacamole
Tostada Chalupa Torta Quesadilla Margaritam (poetic licence to make it rhyme with mahnikam)
Burrito Torta Gordita Tequila Carne Guisada
Mojito Tamale Taco Poblano Pico de Gallo

Casa Venkatesa

I take the ridiculous and the sublime, add cellos, violins, guitars and random internet collaborators to make music of sorts

Seven and a Half Years Of Saturn

Krish Ashok