The rebellious notes of Bhutanese band ZnG rocked the Purana Qila on the opening day of South Asian Bands Festival. Musicians spilled the beans as Karan Bhardwaj took notes
Those wandering around the green lawns of Purana Qila were in for a surprise treat. The lame afternoon on Friday were suddenly energised to life by the sounds of heavy metals, drumbeats, and soulful strings. Globally-acclaimed musical bands thronged the area one after the other as they geared for the seventh edition of South Asian Musical Festival that kicked off last evening.
Under a colourful canvass, that also shows flags of SAARC nations in background, we spotted Bhutan-based band ZnG during the sound-check. The band has five members, all from Thimpu, but they have been performing different sorts of music for years but in separate groups. It is just three months back that they got together and formed ZnG. For this concert, they jammed two hours every day for last three weeks. “I have come to India for the first time. It’s fun. We have prepared 7 Bhutanese numbers. We write songs that have meanings and make sense, not regular numbers like played in Bollywood,” said lead vocalist Zhaw, the main force behind the formation of band.
The 29-year-old is known for his rebellious music especially the controversial song called Jeddha Wai (F**K You) which he also played during the gig. “It's like we give a damn to you and what matters most to me is my life. When I wrote the song, everybody went crazy including my dad. But I am very stubborn,” he explained. The other tracks included Nim Zha Ge Mago and Ken Cho Sum. Nim Zha Ge Mago is his way of expressing his attitude. “In Bhutan, it has an auspicious reference when the Sun is surrounded by a rainbow. However, the song says that Sun was definitely not surrounded by rainbow when I was born,” he quipped. The surprise comes in with Ken Cho Sum, which is about praising the Almighty. On drums, Sajan created the magic while Ngawang’s guitar skills were impeccable. Jiten held the rhythm high but what stood out on stage was the vivacity of 26-year-old Tashi, the lead bassist, who also occasionally helped Zhaw in vocals. Tashi is in music for ten years and is also a member of Baby Boomers. “I am a big fan of Guns N’ Roses. Of late, I have also started listening to Mutemath. But our band plays western classics and bands from 60s like Beatles, The Cranberries and AC/DC,” he said.
The boys come from a place which has its own limitations. Said Zhaw, “There are not many platforms available. Population is too less. Whatever people want, they download it from Internet. There’s only one place called Mojo Park where musical eves take place.” Clubs prefer modern music and Bollywood tracks. Musicians such as lucky Ali and AR Rahman enjoy high popularity. But in Bhutan, one cannot survive on music only. “We are invited for performances but are not given any remuneration. I cannot imagine a living out of my music. There’s no dearth of talent in the country. There are many popular bands also but we lack appropriate patronage. Thank God, in India and other countries, you get paid,” said Tashi. Botg the guys are into hospitality and travel businesses.
They feel honoured to be in the company of renowned musicians and bands, like Strings, Susmit Sen Chronicles, Biuret and others. The festival, now a popular platform, has brought together musical genuises from countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri lanka and Maldives…nations which are into muscle-flexing otherwise for some reason or the other. That’s where the need of music arrives, said festival director Sanjeev Bhargava. “Religion and politics have divided nations. Music clubs them together. We have issues with all our neighbours but that is looked after from the corridors of powerful diplomats. An artist can contribute in bringing people closer,” he said.