Ipshita Roy and Rythem Bansal, the duo behind Mrs Ippi, believe that jazz has been latent in film music, says Muskan Kathuria
Jazz washes away the dust of everyday life,” said Art Blakey, an American jazz drummer. Though this genre of music chants of the equality that the Afro-Americans were fighting for in the 1920s, it is perceived by many as America’s classical music. Characterised by improvisation and syncopation, it is sure to force you to tap your feet in ecstasy and emotion. The richness and beauty of jazz music, unfortunately, remained closeted in culture clubs of colonial indulgence, in parts of the then Bombay and Calcutta. It is only now that India’s urban young are reviving its appeal and have coalesced into a devoted tribe.
But then it is the exception which makes a mark. Mrs Ippi, the duo of Ipshita Roy and Rythem Bansal, is one such artiste that brings jazz music to the enthusiasts. Roy has been performing blues and jazz in India since 2009. She started her professional career with her band “Big Bang Blues” and now has moved on to create her own identity as “Mrs Ippi.”
Sharing the release of her first album, she says, “This was something that I wanted to do for a really long time. Rythem was there throughout the entire process to help me out. The launch of the album was a dream come true for me.” When asked about the thought behind her songs, she tells us how she likes to write about stuff that she intimately feels about. Most of her songs are inspired by her personal life rather than a larger perspective. That includes anything, from love to relationships and even feminist issues. In the past, she has written a lot of songs on women empowerment. “The micro things are what make the macro picture, don’t theyIJ I want to write about stuff that we all can relate to at some level. I mean, how many of us actually go back home and wish to listen to music that talks about politics or religion, rightIJ” she enquires.
While Big Bang Blues was a project which was close to Roy’s heart as she was with them for almost six years before going solo, she gradually got drawn to jazz. “I got an offer to teach vocals at the Global Music Institute and while I was there, I learnt jazz and contemporary music from visiting faculty. I somehow unconsciously latched on to appreciating artists like Melody Gardot, Gregory Porter and Jamie Cullum, all of whom are doing blue and jazz in a very pop format. So, it interests everyone, not just jazz listeners or the blues listeners. While at that point I felt that BBB was great, I wanted to find my own music. I even took it to the band, to see if they liked the idea but they weren’t in that musical zone. It was alright because it was a democratic band; some things got accepted, some rejected. This wasn’t really in sync with the rest of the band members but I didn’t want to let this go waste. So I started working with different musicians. I met Rythem, and it just clicked instantly with him.”
Roy also describes the birth of her stage name, Mrs Ippi. “If you go into the blues history, you’ll know that it sounds like the Mississippi delta region. So it is my personal tribute. I would like to travel to that area and work with the folk artists there who can be considered as the real acoustic delta blues artists. Or perhaps, just sit and listen to them. I am drawn to this.”
She doesn’t feel that the jazz tradition in India is exclusivist. “Jazz and blues have been a part of the Indian music industry since the 1940s and 50s. Whether it is Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo or Baar Baar Dekho, they have a jazz and blues base — except that the lyrics are in Hindi. More than 80 per cent of the music that Bollywood is making these days is also West-inspired,” she tell us. But the appeal of jazz remains restricted to big cities simply because Tier II towns host no international gigs. “When people start doing gigs, the awareness will grow and they can relate it to what they have heard and build a familiarity from there,” says Ipsita.
Her collaborator Rythem Bansal is a professional pianist and music educator based in New Delhi. He got drawn to jazz music because of its emphasis on improvisation, which he believes allows musicians to be more creative and expressive. He started with the keyboard which he taught himself while still in high school. later, he started learning formally with the late John Raphael, who was one of the seniormost western classical pianists in India. He swears by traditional artists like Miles Davis, Red Garland, Wynton Kelly and modern artists such as Brad Mehldau, Cory Henry, Robert Glasper, Peter Bernstein, to name a few.
Rythem remembers that there weren’t many music venues when he started learning piano. Says he, “The rock music scene was mostly restricted to Delhi in the past. Now there are many indie artists coming up and experimenting with genres.” He believes there is no particular criteria for appreciating jazz music. “Actually, the word jazz is quite ambiguous. A lot of people define it as a traditional form of music that has strictly trumpet or saxophone which I feel limiting. I believe that jazz is more than just a genre. It was never static. Rather it allowed artistic freedom and creativity. That big band era was just a phase of evolution and I believe jazz is not dead.”
On the popularity of jazz in India, he says, “There have been some music institutes that promote its learning and composition. Also, live acts have presented listeners an opportunity to experience something that contrasts with commercial music. Jazz festivals have also been happening to generate interest and curate fans.”
Rythem also shares his views on the youth of India being more inclined towards Bollywood or pop music than jazz or blues. He expresses his point of view, “First of all, we can’t deny the fact that Bollywood has been the most mainstream commercial music since quite a few decades. It is the pop music of India. I grew up with old Bollywood music and started playing those classic tunes on the keyboard. A lot of people have been listening to commercial music since the very beginning; hence they have developed an ear for it. I believe that it takes a bit of an open mind to accept new music forms and develop taste in a particular genre. One shouldn’t bind oneself, rather explore and appreciate the diversity of music.”
