Delhi-Based Advaita to Perform at Varanasi’s Ghats
New Delhi-based electro-fusion band Advaita will perform at the upcoming 8th edition of the Mahindra Kabira Festival in Varanasi between the 13th and 15th of December. In addition to tunes from their catalogue, they will also perform a few new songs written for the gig, featuring Kabir’s poetry.
‘A’ means non, and ‘Advaita’ means dual. Thus, the band’s name means experiencing all as ‘One’. Formed in 2004, the band’s founding members are Abhishek Mathur on the guitar and Anindo Bose on the keyboard, who continue to be part of the band. Ujwal Nagar, on classical vocals, and Chayan Adhikari, on guitar and western vocals, joined soon after. Aman Singh on drums and Gaurav Chintamani on bass were the last to join the lineup, just before the band recorded their first album. Over the years, a few members left the band and were replaced by session musicians.
Delhi-Based Band Advaita, with founding members Abhishek Mathur on the guitar and Anindo Bose on Keyboard
The band released its first album, Grounded in Space, in 2009. Two years later, Advaita was featured on the Indian leg of Coke Studio and MTV Unplugged. Their second album, The Silent Sea, was released in 2012.
The following year, they released a compilation album, Drops of Earth. Talking about their unique fusion sound is a blend of all their influences, ranging from Hindustani classical music to pop. “We’ve never tried to emulate any specific sound, focusing instead on seamlessly merging these influences to best represent our musical direction and intentions,” Gaurav Chintamani told The Patriot.
This year, Advaita completed its 20th anniversary as a band. “Sticking together for two decades has been joyous, and we are grateful that we have been able to do this for so long. There are no lows when you get to do music as a part of your life!” said Chintamani.
Delhi is home to the band, the city where they belong. “We have been fortunate to have careers that allow everyone in the band to keep the city as our home base,” added Gaurav Chintamani. The band hopes to bring out some new releases with gigs to back them up in the coming year. We wish them the best!
Check out a past member of Advaita in a Gear and Tech special feature-
