Every few months there comes along a new artist who’s touted as the ‘Next Big Thing in Music’. Ashley Frangipane, better known by her stage name Halsey, is that and much more. When you listen to the young New Jersey-born musician, you can hear the grandiose statements it’s trying to make while still remaining incredibly personal.
With her debut album ‘Badlands’ out this week, here’s three reasons why she should be your favourite already:
Her musicianship:
The young 20 year old isn’t just masterful at writing heart-wrenching lyrics but also binds it up in haunting, subtle melodies around concepts that will make you change your perspective. Calling her a provocateur won’t be unfair since she proclaims herself as one. From the lyrics of her breakout single “Ghost” (I like the sad eyes, bad guys/ Mouth full of white lies/ Kiss me in the corridor/ But quick to tell me goodbye) to the less melodious, more conceptual sound of her latest release “Drive”, everything this aqua-haired woman does is bound to make people look up and pay attention. Billboard describes the vibe of her music as combining, “.. the synthy darkness of Lorde, the neon-pop chutzpah of Miley Cyrus and the flickering film noir of Lana Del Rey.”
Her fearlessness:
It takes guts to be a beginner in a cut-throat industry and proclaim yourself as ‘inconvenient’, but Halsey is abrasively real, if not anything else. She isn’t everyone’s dream version of the popstars we’re accustomed to- the much-adored, clean, easy to market over-the-top celebrities that media laps up nowadays. Halsey’s past has been shrouded with drug abuse and severe issues with her mental health, something she isn’t afraid to speak out about. She recently took on the New York Times for what she called a blatant misquote in her interview about “identifying as a tri-bi” (bisexual, biracial, suffering from Bipolar Disorder). The singer says that’s who she is, not something she ‘identifies’ as. It’s a strong statement to make against a giant publication, but not something she’s unused to.
Her debut album:
Badlands, that released on August 28, is one of those records that send you exactly to the mind-space it was meant to. Written as a concept record, ‘Badlands’, is a collective name of a fictional dystopian setting inspired by mega cities like Las Vegas and Tokyo- the hub of life but also power-structures and hedonism. If that doesn’t make you curious, the few songs already released as singles from the album- “Ghost”, “Hold Me Down”, “Drive” and “New Americana” should.
We’re midway through 2015 and it has proven to be a pretty good year for music with artists like Muse, Fall Out Boy and Kendrick Lamar releasing some great albums. We bring you the 5 albums we’re looking forward to in the second half of 2015:
1. Owl City- “Mobile Orchestra”
The electro-synthy-pop sounds of Vanilla Twilight and Fireflies made Adam Young’s musical project ‘Owl City’ a feature in most of the playlists around the world, though he had always enjoyed a popular presence on social media since he started posting songs online in 2007. ‘Mobile Orchestra’, his fifth studio album after a bunch of singles and EP releases, is set for release on July 10. The album will mostly remain true to the ear-pleasing electronica sounds that Owl City is known for but who’s to say that’s a bad thing?!
Image Credits- www.owlcitymusic.com
2. Halsey- “Badlands”
Ashley Frangipane, or Halsey, as she’s known by her stage name, is out earning plaudits as a powerful live performer and for her edgy, confessional lyrics. In the span of a year, she has been signed by a major record label, went on a tour with “The Kooks” and is now out again on tour with “Imagine Dragons”, promoting her album as she goes. Halsey proclaims herself to not be a particularly gifted vocalist but all of that takes a backseat when you are enveloped in the experience of her songs- they’re hauntingly beautiful with thoughtful lyrics and an entire concept around them. The same is expected out of ‘Badlands’, which the singer herself has described as “an angry, female pop record”.
Image Credits- wikimedia.com
3. Lana Del Rey- “Honeymoon”
She crept up on the music scene and made her way to the top before anyone could really figure out what was up. Ever since “Video Games”, Lana Del Rey- born Elizabeth Grant- has been a much-talked- about feature of the industry. From being praised for her melancholy songs, labelled an anti-feminist for the characters in her music and to serving up two huge albums- she has been there, done that. After being featured on ‘The Great Gatsby’s soundtrack with “Young and Beautiful” and 2014’s “Ultraviolence”, Lana is set to stir up another musical storm with her next album due later this year. Titled “Honeymoon”, it’s bound to be an interesting affair even if not anything else.
Image Credits- noiseporn.com
4. Ariana Grande- “Moonlight”
Although her sophomore album “My Everything”- which spawned five hit singles- released just about a year ago, Ariana Grande is ready to serve up more music and might release an album in the later half of this year. The pop-princess who’s been reigning the charts and drawing comparisons to Mariah Carey for her soaring vocals has been dropping hints about her upcoming release, titled “Moonlight” on social media platforms. She even dropped a 9 second teaser of a new song that seemed to have captured people’s attention for sounding like a dance tune. Although a 2015 release hasn’t been confirmed with a date, it’s safe to say that the songstress will drop at least a few singles even if not the whole album before we’ve seen the end of this year.
Image Credits- musictimes.com
5. Kanye West- “SWISH”
Kanye West, forever embroiled in some controversy or another, is as strange a musician as he is a person. He is as critically acclaimed as a musician as he is often despised for his antics. 2014 was the only year after 2009 that Kanye West didn’t release any new albums- collaborations or solo. It’s only fair for there to be a lot of expectations of his possible 2015 release titled “SWISH”. This will also be his first album post his wildly-publicised wedding to Kim Kardashian the birth of his daughter North West, and it will be interesting to note the changes, if any, towards his approach to the album.
If you’re anything like a lot of people I know, you probably need music in your life like a good movie needs a soundtrack. Whether it’s to cut out the crowd around you in the Metro, or to give you company during work-outs or even just to sit and think, music makes for excellent company. The hunt for good new music is often overshadowed by the same Top 40 hits splashed everywhere, with only a few popular artists getting any attention.
The upcoming summer is the perfect opportunity to sift through some of the lesser known artists which will make you wonder why they aren’t more popular and why you didn’t tune in earlier. Here are our top 5 picks:
1. twenty øne piløts
twenty øne piløts for their new album ‘Blurryface’ Image Credits: warnermusic.de
This duo based in Ohio have got a cult following of sorts, with their fans called ‘The Skeleton Clique’, but are yet to be noticed by the mainstream media. Formed in 2009, the band consists of Tyler Joseph, who is the lyricist, lead singer and also plays the piano and ukulele, and Josh Dun, who takes the role of the drummer/percussionist. Their music is hard to define, going everywhere from hip-hop to raggae to alternative rock and Tyler Joseph switching between singing soulfully to rapping in a style that’s comparable to Eminem, only with no swear words and the lyrics a lot more poignant.
Their first album post their major-label signing, called ‘Vessel’, was an indie hit and has the most interesting bunch of songs that I’ve had the chance to hear in a while. With lyrics sure to get you thinking and Dun’s excellent drumming keeping time, twenty øne piløts are probably one of the most intriguing musical acts out there right now and their new album, ‘Blurryface’, released early last week, is out earning plaudits.
Start with: ‘Ode To Sleep’ (Vessel), ‘Stressed Out’ (Blurryface)
Ashley Frangipane, known by her stage name which is an anagram of her first name, is one of the most promising female voices to have hit the music scene in recent times. Halsey is known for being an excellent live performer and her Lana Del Ray-esque vibe. Her EP ‘Room 93’ has four songs which feature her hauntingly beautiful vocals and strong,empowering lyrics. She also has a very strong following on social media, owing to her strong views for feminism and body-positivity.
Her first full length album, called ‘Badlands’ will be out in August 2015 and has been described by her as an ‘angry feminist record’ which will feature songs that she has been performing live on tours and festivals. Give her a listen if you’re a little tired of sugary-sweet pop voices singing about the same old issues and are willing to try something that will challenge your musical pallete.
Start with: ‘Hurricane’, ‘Ghost’ (Room 93)
3. PVRIS
PVRIS Image Credits: stheart.com
Pronounced ‘Paris’, the alternative rock trio has just recently started making waves for their commendable music and for being one of the top female-fronted bands. Signed to Rise Records, their debut album ‘White Noise’ was released late last year and garnered positive responses and also comparisons with ‘Paramore’- a female led trio in the rock scene with similar sounds. Buzzfeed called them Paramore’s “cool indie sister”. In fact, for a better understanding of their music, think a mixture of Paramore and Evanescence.
PVRIS’s music ranges from electro to alternative rock; Lynn Gunn’s voice has been described by The Huffington Post as “..a force that cannot be denied, redolently poignant in both her most excitable and serene vocalizations.”
Start with: ‘St. Patrick’, ‘Smoke’ (White Noise)
4. The 1975
The 1975 Image Credits: pixshark.com
Known for their indie-pop, ear-pleasing synthy sounds, the 1975’s music would make for the perfect setting for a summer that is equal parts laid-back and full of adventures. Their debut album, released in the later half of 2013 was heralded as the best indie record of the year and is a mix of sixteen songs which boast of influences from the 80s to glitchy pop and RnB Soul.
Matt Healy’s voice, heavy with the northern English accent, gives the songs a heady, intoxicating feel which makes the album a surpringly soothing listen. Given the length of the album, one would expect listeners to run out of patience and switch tracks but their music manages to hold listeners’ attention, which speaks a lot about their music.
Start with: ‘The City’, ‘She Way Out’ (The 1975)
5. As It Is
As It Is Image Credits: fearlessrecords.com
Widely being touted as the breakout band of 2015, the British pop-punk band is starting to go to places. The band-members’ ages, all just out of their teens, reflects in the music they create with prevalent themes of dealing with critics, growing up and a dreamers-against-the-big-bad-world vibe. Their music is the perfect soundtrack for a summer post gruelling exams where all you want to do is raise your middle finger to the rest of the world. They streamed their first album ‘Never Happy Ever After’ to a mostly positive response earlier this year, with some even calling it “everything a pop-punk record should be today”.
For a sense of their musical sensibilities, think ‘All Time Low’ mixed with early ‘Fall Out Boy’.
Each year comes and brings along with excellent music to listen to and associate it with. 2015 has been an especially great year for music, with major artists releasing music in the first half of the year and yet many more announcing the announcement of theirs. Two months shy of the halfway mark of 2015 and with a lot of options to choose from, here are our top three picks of the albums you should listen and celebrate your summer to:
American Beauty/American Psycho- Fall Out Boy
American Beauty/American Psycho- Fall Out Boy Image Credits: Fall Out Boy (official album cover)
If you love the sound of anthem songs that have choruses worth shouting and stomping your feet to, look no further than Fall Out Boy’s sixth studio album. The album was released fresh into the New Year on January 20, 2015.
After pulling off a reincarnation of sorts with 2013’s “Save Rock and Roll”, the Chicago-based rock-stars continue to step on, and even try and erase the line between what’s considered pop and rock music. While traditionally known for their “emo” music, with lyricist Pete Wentz’s introspective lyrics and Patrick Stump’s soaring musical arrangements and vocals, the band took a noticeable turn towards pop music in their latest albums. American Beauty/American Psycho (stylised AB/AP), is a pop record, too, but it is also much more than that.
The album is 11 songs long, starting off with blaring horns with the album opener – “Irresistible”, a song about falling in love with people you know will hurt you. The song is a perfect way to start off a record, drawing attention to Stump’s soaring vocals. The first half of the album is full of catchy choruses and psychedelic song you can dance to, including the multi-platinum hit- “Centuries”. It then hits a slight slump in the middle but picks right up, with “Immortals”, which was featured on Disney’s Academy Award Winning film “Big Hero 6”. The album ends with the track named “Twin Skeletons”, which is almost like a cliffhanger in terms of the music you’d expect the band to release next.
The variety of music on AB/AP is commendable, from the melancholic and soulful “Jet Pack Blues” to head-bang worthy anthems like the title track. Despite the variety, it still sounds cohesive as an album and not just a collection of singles, which is more than what can be said for a lot of records being released today.
Must Listens: Uma Thurman, Jet Pack Blues, Fourth of July
Kintsugi- Death Cab for Cutie
Kintsugi- Death Cab For Cutie Image Credits: songmeanings.com
Death Cab for Cutie has been a critically acclaimed band for as long as some of us have been alive. No, I’m not exaggerating. They’ve been around since 1997 and have found appreciation that started in the independent music industry and then led them to multiple Grammy nominations.
Kintsugi, the eighth studio album by the band, follows on the heels of the departure of Chris Walla, who was one of the band’s founding members, and the lead vocalist Ben Gibbard’s divorce with actress Zoey. Naturally, the main themes of the album revolve around love, heartbreak and melancholy.
The name of the album is from a Japanese art form involving the piecing together of broken pottery. The breaking and recreation of the ceramics are meant to become a part of the object’s story rather than simply a means of repair. The album is the band’s attempt at observing this philosophy musically and trying to incorporate it after painful losses.
The most striking feature of the album is that it can be listened to as passively or as actively as you want. If you’re focusing on reading and want something in the background or even if you want to wholeheartedly dissect the sound of the album, it is perfect for both. While generally labeled as an indie-pop record, which is what is DCFC’s main genre; it’s too homogenised to capture the sound of this record. The records range from the introspective, but upbeat “No Room in Frame”, to the slow ballad of “Hold No Guns”, and then to the more guitar-based sound of “Good Help (Is So Hard To Find)”.
This is the perfect album for an introspective, laid-back summer. I found it to be particularly amazing to write or read to.
Must Listens: No Room In Frame, Good Help (Is So Hard To Find), Binary Sea
Future Hearts- All Time Low
Future Hearts- All time Low Image Credits: rebloggy.com
All Time Low have understood and employed the formula for a pop-punk record time and again. Future Hearts is an extension, although a brilliant one, of the same process. It’s definitely the same band who busted out tunes like “Dear Maria, Count Me In” but the lyrics have matured and the albums are peppered with slower songs, as well.
What Future Hearts lacks in cohesiveness as an album. Though, it definitely makes up in terms of how catchy the majority of the songs are. You might not want to list to the entire album in a go, but you’ll definitely find yourself humming the hooks under your breath after listening to some of the songs. The album follows no one theme but has the general “this- town-is-so-small-let’s-get-away-we’ll-make-it” vibe of any quintessential pop-punk record. Alex Gaskarth’s voice is framed perfectly in the melodic arrangements which some may criticise as overproduced. The album also boasts of some fantastic guest appearances- Mark Hoppus from Blink-182 (Tidal Waves) and Joel Madden from Good Charlotte. The strongest tracks of the album are the starting few as it loses momentum, giving way to the generic and forgettable in the middle.
Listen to this album for the variety of moods it can support- scared about the vast possibilities of the future; protesting against something unfair; or feeling like nothing will be worth it again. This album has it all.
Must Listens: Something’s Gotta Give, Satellite, Cinderblock Garden
With an unwavering devotion to Old School Rock n Roll music and measureless energy which they offset at the stage with the purpose of making each and every person in the crowd jump out of their seats and rock with them, Delhi-based band Distortion of Mischief (DOM) proudly calls itself as ‘People’s Band’. Comprising of 5 members; Ashutosh as vocalist, Minaam as Lead Guitarist, Ishaan as Rhythm Guitarist, Guru on drums and Mahesh as Bassist, this band is a bunch of jumpy, high spirited and mischievous members which they all vow to be deeply embed in their personalities.
Here DU Beat gets in conversation with the band members and let’s see what they’ve got to say!
Q: When was your band formed? What is the genre of the music that you people usually play?
A: Distortion of Mischief was formed about 7 months ago in October 2013 after the breakdown of a previous band.
We’re into Rock n Roll and Classic Rock music.
Q: Where all has DOM performed till now? What response do you usually get from people after your performances? A: In the past 7 months we’ve played in about 17 places out of which 15 were college fests and Battles. Public response, well we can say they love us, at least our compositions, from the way they react when we’re off stage, congratulating and praising our most popular composition ‘Bombshell’.
Q: Which famous musician/artist/band does Distortion of Mischief usually take inspiration from?
A: We’re all hardcore ACDC fans. And owe them big time for what we are today. Every time we walk onstage to perform even one cover of them (which people say we do quite well), the crowd goes wild no matter where we are.
Q: How often and long do you people rehearse? What do you practice – exercises, new tunes, hard tunes, etc?
A: More than rehearsal, it’s the bonding we have between us, we do practice, but more than that hang around a lot which kind of helps us understand each other better, in turn helping us perform better. And when we’re practicing; we do more of new tunes that pops up every now and then when we jam together.
Q: What major awards, achievements has DOM bagged till now? A: Every prize we get is important in its own way…Okay that is a very old one to quote here!
But honestly it’s the crowd cheering for us that counts more than the prize. But if you insist (which you will), our first victory at Fortune Institute of International Business was the most important and memorable one.
And after that over a period of 7 months and in 15 competitions we’ve won around 11 of them.
Q: How do you see your rock band for English music fitting the culture of Indian music? What is the scope of rock music in our country? A: We’ve never felt that English was never supported in India, it always has been and we’ve been able to make many people like Distortion of Mischief and Rock n Roll too.
Q: Do you people write your own songs? What are the songs generally about? (Any specific themes) A: Yup, we write our own songs, we’ve got around 6-7 compositions in our list. The topics of our songs are mainly mischief, fun and well girls to be very honest.
Q: How do you justify the name of your band with the music that you play?
A: Distortion of Mischief is mainly all about fun and mischief. Being a band that plays Rock N Roll, we add fun and mischief to our music and performance, on stage and off stage too.
Q: Since everyone is a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands looking to get gigs and airplay some tips? A: It’s more about the music that you guys play. Stick to the genre that you’re playing and don’t think whether this genre is supported or not. If you like it, play it. Oh yeah… and don’t do drugs (laughs).
Q: Tell us one thing which you feel that sets you apart from various upcoming bands in the country.
A: We call ourselves the “People’s Band”, we’re more fun and crazy when it comes to performing. Plus we’ve got this mission to resurrect Classic Rock in this age of music, so that’s how we think we’re different.
One can find more about their upcoming gigs and music on their Facebook page.
The 80’s proved to be the golden era for both western and Indian music.The quality of music created then still stands higher than the quality of music created in the present era. With a downfall in record deals and a lesser scope in the industry for non-mainstream musicians, independent artists are finding a hard time pursuing their passion for music.The need to break away from the Bollywood hegemony and to give a boost to such musicians led to the formation of the Underground Music League, an organization devoted towards providing a platform for musically talented people from outside of the established culture,into the mainstream.
U.M.L gives an opportunity to gifted musicians and is trying to bridge the gap between the artist and their audience. Apart from the core team, the organization also inducts interns from various colleges in the University of Delhi and elsewhere. The interns who prove their worth get a stage to perform at various fests under the U.M.L banner. This exposure helps them gain experience and display their creation to the world.
U.M.L at Khalsa College earlier this year with The Swag Gang Crew
It is funny how Bollywood rules this world, when most of the singers composing these songs were once independent musicians themselves. With potentially no scope for new independent musicians and dancers to make a place in the charts, U.M.L was started, keeping such things in mind. It was created to evolve this industry and to provide a platform to splendid talents who have a passion for music, not just to express themselves but to voice the whole generation.
Siddesh Sharma founded U.M.L on 11th march 2012 , and since then they have performed at colleges like IIT Delhi, IGIT, DRC, S.G.T.B. Khalsa College, MAIT, Delhi Technological University, IP College, Shri Ram College of Commerce, Shaheed Sukhdev College Of Business Studies and at Public Locations like Star City Mall, Ice – Cube, JLN and many more. They were even asked to perform an additional day at Crossroads because of the good performance on the preceding day.
U.M.L currently supports variety of artists namely Donny J, an extremely talented vocalist whose YouTube Channel has received a staggering 567 subscriptions in 3 month, The Swag Gang Crew, street dancers who have received strong positive review for their complex choreography. They have a well mixed set of English – and Bollywood songs to back up their moves. Gaurav Thukral who is good at Krumping, The Quixotic, a singer as well who has received similar responses to Donny J and many more acts. A video that went viral on Youtube with 667 views, features Vijay Tiwari, aka Extreme, a beat boxer using his vocal chords to produce music that is so intense and engrossing. You can watch the video here.
The Quixotic in the midst of a performance
When asked about where they see themselves in the coming years, Siddesh says, “Well the opportunities and possibilities for U.M.L in the near future is Big. For the time being , U.M.L is trying to do what it was made to do first, that is connecting with people and forming a strong bond with them.The coming future cannot be predicted but there is one thing that we are sure of, we are going to have a pleasant ride and together we all will rise.”
U.M.L conducts hip hop sunday event at Zook Lounge in Saket which constitutes of rap battles, hip hop battles and beat boxing battlesl.U.M.L has also recently collaborated with desihiphop, the largest UK based website on the Indian scene.
To join U.M.L, interested people have to attend their meetings regularly, the dates of which are displayed on their facebook page. These meetings help each and every member to get to know each other, and accordingly the core members explain the newcomers about the group and the different departments. The core members also see if the newcomers are fit to join U.M.L or not.
For more information, visit U.M.L’s various social media pages:
The hip-swivelling goddess of pop hits, Shakira returned to American pop scene with her tenth self- titled album last week. The 37 year old songwriter and producer seems to be changing the course in her latest album after delivering some sensational hits like ‘Hips Don’t Lie’, ‘Whenever Wherever’ etc. The recent album boasts of collaborations with big names like Blake Shelton, Rihanna that makes the soundtrack interesting to look into.
The up-tempo lead single with Rihanna ‘Can’t Remember To Forget You’ might be perceived as a desperate attempt for a pop-hit and the duet with Blake Shelton ‘Medicine’ that works just fine. Dare (La La La) apparently the official 2014 World Cup Song is an outgoing song with a certain electro pop feel. It seems that Shakira tries to blend rock, reggae, pop, etc that signifies a sort of multiple influences that got into making this studio album from Shakira after four years.
The Columbian star does not put much ‘Latin-ness’ in the album but only two tracks in Spanish-‘Loca Por Ti’ and the Spanish version of ‘Can’t Remember To Forget You’. There are a lot of personal influences on the album with tracks like ‘23’ which she wrote for boyfriend Gerard Pique and ‘The One Thing’, the mid tempo pop track written for her son Milan. She also sings about spite in relationships in tracks like ‘You Don’t Care About Me’ and ‘Cut Me Deep’ featuring band Magic.
The Grammy winning Latin pop star falls short of fulfilling the expectations we had after her charismatic and edgy tracks but provides a sense of fulfilment when considered in the range and blend of different music genres. The lyrics lack emotion and depth and the album on the whole leaves us with ambivalent reactions and discontented with an album coming after four years.
Every year, societies from colleges across the campus compete neck to neck and put up spectacular performances during the fest season. This year too, saw certain teams shine a little brighter than the rest. We bring you a series with college societies that put their heart and soul into their respective fields and took home the top prizes at various cultural fests.
The best college society in each category was selected by creating a tally of the top 3 positions at competitive events held during 13 cultural fests of this season. Whenever a society won the first prize they were award 3 points, for the second position they received 2 points and for the third position, 1 point was added to their tally.
Our points tally for the bands of Delhi University ended up being a close one. With 9 points, Conundrum bagged the top spot. At a close 8 points, Andolan and Red Shorts take away the second place.
The Winning Band at a glance
Conundrum, P.G.D.A.V College
Conundrum, from P.G.D.A.V College with its original compositions like Temporal Drifts, Pretend and Bliss emerged victorious at fests like Crossroads and Confluence this fest season. Shiv, the band’s vocalist attributes their success to their perseverance. “We have been at it since the first year of college and it’s in the third year that we could come up to the level we aspired to be at. But obviously, there is always scope for improvement”, he went on to add.
Note: The thirteen fests included in our analysis for this series include SRCC’s Crossroads, Gargi College’s Reverie, Sri Venkateswara College’s Nexus, LSR’s Tarang, Hans Raj’s Confluence, I.P. College for Women’s Shruti, Daulat Ram College’s Manjari, Hindu College’s Mecca, Jesus and Mary College’s Montage, Miranda House’s Tempest, Kamala Nehru College’s Ullas, Kirori Mal College’s Renaissance, SGTB Khalsa’s Lashkara. Out of the fests listed, only 7 had conducted a competitive Battle of the Bands.]]>
Every year, societies from colleges across the campus compete neck to neck and put up spectacular performances during the fest season. This year too, saw certain teams shine a little brighter than the rest. We bring you a series with college societies that put their heart and soul into their respective fields and took home the top prizes at various cultural fests.
The best college society in each category was selected by creating a tally of the top 3 positions at competitive events held during 13 cultural fests of this season. Whenever a society won the first prize they were award 3 points, for the second position they received 2 points and for the third position, 1 point was added to their tally.
In the Western Music (Group) category, Lady Shri Ram College for Women’s Western Music Society leads the charts with 13 points in total. Sri Venkateswara College’s Crescendo follows a close second with 12 points, while Jesus and Mary College’s Echo stands third with 6 points.
The Winning Society at a glance
Western Music Society, Lady Shri Ram College for Women
Lady Shri Ram College’s Western Music society is well known for its acapella performances. Though they have covered a range of genres from Gospel to Indie music, their competitive piece is always a complex Jazz acapella arrangement. “We don’t practice for hours and hours every day. We just have a 1.5-2 hour practice session 5 days a week. But in that time, we make sure to channel our musical energies completely and make the most of our time. We are genuinely and truly fond of one another; we have the best times together as a society and as close friends. And coupled with our mutual love for music- it makes singing together a great experience”, shared the team.
Performing Team Members: Kamakshi Khanna (President and Conductor), Abhilasha Sinha (Vice-President), Nolina Mishra, Kimberley Rodigues, Michri Thejaseno, Cindy Z Tlau, Anna Charenamai, Nandini Singha, Rhea Mahanta, Bhavya Kulshreshtha, Glory Salam, Varnika Prakash, Uttara Thapa M, Saakshi V Lama, Geyir Sora, Ankita Naik, Sanchia Thimanna, Sharanya S, Satwiki Adla.
Note: The thirteen fests included in our analysis for this series include SRCC’s Crossroads, Gargi College’s Reverie, Sri Venkateswara College’s Nexus, LSR’s Tarang, Hans Raj’s Confluence, I.P. College for Women’s Shruti, Daulat Ram College’s Manjari, Hindu College’s Mecca, Jesus and Mary College’s Montage, Miranda House’s Tempest, Kamala Nehru College’s Ullas, Kirori Mal College’s Renaissance, SGTB Khalsa’s Lashkara. Out of the fests listed, only 8 had conducted a competitive Western Music (Group) competition.]]>
Every year, societies from colleges across the campus compete neck to neck and put up spectacular performances during the fest season. This year too, saw certain teams shine a little brighter than the rest. We bring you a series with college societies that put their heart and soul into their respective fields and took home the top prizes at various cultural fests.
The best college society in each category was selected by creating a tally of the top 3 positions at competitive events held during 13 cultural fests of this season. Whenever a society won the first prize they were award 3 points, for the second position they received 2 points and for the third position, 1 point was added to their tally.
With 19 points, Gargi College’s Samranjini emerged as the winner in the Indian Music (Group) category. Kamala Nehru College’s Sangeetika and Daulat Ram College’s Alahyaa follow next with 12 and 11 points respectively.
The Winning Society at a glance
Samranjini, Gargi College
Gargi College’s Indian Music Society, Samranjini, sang their original composition in fests like Mecca and Shruti this year. The song was based on two ragas, namely Puriyadhanashri and Shuddh Basant raga. When we asked this talented choir their secret to success, they said, “We swear by the saying ‘practice makes a man perfect’. It was passion towards music and the endeavour to give our best that drove us all the way.”
Names of the performing members: Aishwarya R, Vibhooshitha R, Ambika Srikrishnan, Mohima Chakraborty, J Subhadra, Arpita Sahai, Anjali Mehra, Ishita Mathur, Darsana Gogoi, Arundhati Ray, Yatika Sharma, Stuti Rai, Sahishnuta Barua, Needhi Roy.
Note: The thirteen fests included in our analysis for this series include SRCC’s Crossroads, Gargi College’s Reverie, Sri Venkateswara College’s Nexus, LSR’s Tarang, Hans Raj’s Confluence, I.P. College for Women’s Shruti, Daulat Ram College’s Manjari, Hindu College’s Mecca, Jesus and Mary College’s Montage, Miranda House’s Tempest, Kamala Nehru College’s Ullas, Kirori Mal College’s Renaissance, SGTB Khalsa’s Lashkara. Out of the fests listed, only 11 had conducted an Indian Music Group Competition.]]>
