Sharif Rangnekar's band Friends of linger is the proverbial bard, hoping to highlight social issues. By Jigyasu Joshi
Bringing together professional and amateur singers/musicians on one stage for creating great music with a sense of joy and purpose, new band Friends of linger is well on its way to making a difference. The Delhi-based band recently released a single, Miss You, which is about two men who are madly in love, while the majority of Indian society is yet to accept homosexuality. “The song is purely about love and nothing more. It is a truth I lived with and it is a truth we have shared in the simplest possible way. The story-telling is essentially the work of Manav Singh Malvai whereas the music was a combined effort of Smiti Malik, Adhir Ghosh and myself. And I wrote this song at a time when I missed the presence of someone, not a specific person though,” said the band’s frontman Sharif Rangnekar.
Also the founder of the band, Sharif was, however, not happy with the censor board’s decision to give the music video an “A” certificate. “The board has asked us to remove ten seconds of the video. They’ve termed those ten seconds as intimate. Funnily, the ten seconds question is a scene of separation and not of love-making or hugging or kissing. And even if we remove this, the board clearly says we would be awarded a U/A certificate, not a U. That speaks volumes of the fairness with which this video is being treated,” he said.
Sharing about their journey as a band, Sharif said, “Our story began over a round of drinks at a South Delhi karaoke bar where one of our friends, Deepak Sharma, hosted an event night. On one such slightly drunken night, I proposed the idea of performing live with real music. This led me to call Adhir Ghosh, a noted guitarist who is a session artist, and also the lead guitarist of Five8. He brought together some of Delhi’s finest musicians for different gigs or for our recordings in studio.”
The members of the band, who are also engaged in different professions, enjoy the music they produce. Often performing gigs at the restaurants in the city, Sharif said, “It is a fun experience putting these together and yes we have more in the making covering different themes. We may get you on the dance-floor or humming once again.” The band does not like sticking to any particular genre while making music. “However, the influence of rock, blues and jazz can be felt in what we do,” added the lead vocalist.
Speaking about the scenario of lGBT rights in the country, Sharif believes that there is still a long way to go. “So many of us are technically criminals every time we make love or have sex. This is how bad it is. Even if and when the Supreme Court takes a positive view (we hope), we would still have society to deal with but will surely be far more free.” However, still hopeful, he added, “Hope lies in the courts and in the growing awareness and openness that colleges and universities have been showing.”
Talking about the band’s future projects, Sharif said, “We are toying with the idea of an album or an EP but surely of a new single or two. Again, it will involve Smiti Malik, Adhir Ghosh, Steve Peters and my writings. The songs move the dark truth of how women are treated in our male-dominated society.”