Pioneers of Bangla World Rock: An Interview with members of Krosswindz
Source: Facebook/KROSSWINDZ
In a wide-ranging conversation, bandmates Vikramjit ‘Tuki’ Banerjee and Chandrani Banerjee of Krosswindz spoke about the legendary band’s inception, the legacy of Bangla rock, secrets of their musical craft, and much more.
The Kolkata-based band Krosswindz is among the pioneers of Bangla rock music. Their sound is an amalgamation of rock and rock-fusion, resulting in their unique interpretation of world music. Over the years, Krosswindz has toured across different parts of the world, across the Indian sub-continent, Southeast Asia, the U.S., the U.K., and the Netherlands. They have also played alongside several legendary artists and musicians around the globe.
As one of the frontrunners of Bangla rock, Krosswindz have walked the path that was charted by Gautam Chattopadhyay and his 1975 band Moheener Ghoraguli (Moheen’s Horses). Over the decades, Krosswindz have released multiple albums and their music has been featured in many films, documentaries, and commercials. The band has won the Mirchi Music Awards twice (2012 and 2016). In 2020, they won two Grassroot Grammy Awards, making them the only band from Asia to do so.
Krosswindz’s founder, lead guitarist, and composer, Vikramjit ‘Tuki’ Banerjee has received multiple awards and honours, and is considered among the greatest guitarists in India. He is also the brand ambassador of Schecter Guitars and the Damien Elite Model Guitar as well. The lead singer-songwriter of Krosswindz, Chandrani Banerjee, is trained in Rabindra sangeet and folk music. She also happens to be the first female vocalist of a Bangla band. Chandrani has received several awards for her vocals including the Filmfare Award Bangla for the song, “Tomake Bujhina Priyo”, from the film Projapoti Biskut (2017). A published poet with two collections under her belt, Banerjee has also lent her voice to a song for a film directed by the British filmmaker, Allan Cubit.
The band also comprises of Andre Mark Sams (Drums) and Arijit Modak (Bass).
In a wide-ranging conversation, I spoke to Tuki and Chandrani about the inception of Krosswindz, the legacy of Bangla rock, secrets of their musical craft, and much more. Edited excerpts:
The Chakkar: First of all, congratulations to Krosswindz for completing 33 years. How did you realize that your calling was in music? Tell us about how Krosswindz was formed?
Tuki: I was always fascinated with music and since childhood. I have been an avid listener of music, and have a vast collection spanning classical to jazz to rock and world music. It was inevitable that I would become a musician, as I could never think of a life not involved with music on a very deep level. Therefore, while playing my instrument continually over several decades, it became a part of my soul, and the transition to a professional musician was seamless.
While studying at St Xavier’s College, we had the opportunity to participate in all the college fests around the region. At the IIT Kharagpur Spring Fest, the band that I had formed realized that this was indeed a much more serious endeavor. Krosswindz was born.
The Chakkar: Tell us a bit about the sound of Krosswindz, and the genre of music you play? What has been the most memorable gig of the band till now?
Tuki: The sound of Krosswindz is an amalgamation of world music, rock, pop, jazz, folk and classical, but performed and executed with the energy and commitment of a rock band. We call our genre world-rock.
The most memorable gig has to be at the Vietnam University, where we were appointed as Cultural Diplomats by the Indian Government and issued Diplomatic Passports to go to South East Asian countries to improve ties with countries in this region. We performed at the University in Hanoi and the University at Vinh Phuc in Vietnam, along with gigs at the Chamber of Commerce and the Embassy in Hanoi. [It was] a truly remarkable experience.
The Chakkar: During live gigs towards the end of most songs, there is a section where you jam a bit with the guitar and interact with the audience. Do you rehearse for it or do you improvise on the stage with the flow?
Tuki: The jamming at the end of some of our songs is always a spontaneous thing and it’s always a different version of the solos that I play at each gig. It’s never planned and that's what makes each gig of Krosswindz special.
The Chakkar: Chandrani, the quality of your vocals has always been incredible. It makes the songs even more magical. Please tell us about your musical influence. How important do you think riyaz (a systematic approach to voice training) is for vocalists—especially in a band?
Chandrani: My musical influences range from Bangla folk music to country music. I am particularly fond of singer/songwriters. Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan are favorites.
If you are a singer, riyaz is of utmost importance, because without riyaz you lose the finesse. Irrespective of whether you are a solo artist or singing in a band, riyaz is crucial. Practice is everything.
The Chakkar: You have written two books of poems, too. How do you maintain the balance of writing songs and poems?
Chandrani: I have been writing songs from a very young age, so songwriting and poetry come very naturally to me. During the pandemic, I decided to write my first poetry book Emerald Sunshine (2021). The response was good, so I decided to write another one, A Pocketful of Fireflies (2021). Through these books, I reached out to a new bunch of people some of whom had no idea about my music. After they read my books, they heard my music; this was something new and completely overwhelming.
“The sound of Krosswindz is an amalgamation of world music, rock, pop, jazz, folk and classical, but performed and executed with the energy and commitment of a rock band. We call our genre world-rock.”
The Chakkar: Tuki, you have always been a great admirer of Eric Johnson. Please tell us more about it and your experiences of meeting with EJ? Who are the other musical influences in your life?
Tuki: EJ has been a great influence on my life, I stumbled upon his music back in 1986 via the Guitar Player magazine, and was smitten by his guitar playing and his persona. In 2009, while Krosswindz was touring in the USA, we had an opportunity to perform at the renowned venue COPA in Austin City Texas. I sent over an invitation to EJ to attend our show as it was his hometown. As luck would have it, he was free and he landed up for our gig. During a break, I had a nice 45-minute interaction with him where we had a detailed conversation about music, culture, electronics and guitar equipment. A truly bucket list moment accomplished!
My other music influences: Pat Metheny, The Beatles, Al Di Meola, Brian Eno...
The Chakkar: How did Gautam Chattopadhyay’s Bangla rock anthem (if I may call it that) “Prithibi” become Krosswindz’s first Bangla song?
Tuki: In the early 90s, we would often get invited over to Gautam Chattopadhyay’s house for informal jam sessions and get-togethers. At one of these get-togethers, while jamming he started crooning this song and we all joined in and jammed. At the end, he announced that was his latest composition, titled “Prithibi,” and he wanted Krosswindz to perform it for his comeback Moheener Ghoraguli album (Abar Bochor Kuri Pore). At the recording, Krosswindz was given full freedom to re-interpret the song in a psychedelic rock genre that we were comfortable playing, and that’s how “Prithibi” came into existence.
It took the whole music industry by storm, as it was the first time that a Bengali song was presented in the rock idiom—thus paving the way for the Bangla rock genre to be born.
The Chakkar: Krosswindz’s first English-language album was One World (2002), with multiple singles like “Refrain”, “Love You Just The Same,” and other songs. Tell us how the idea of an English album first came up.
Tuki: We have been writing and composing songs over the years. Back in 2001, when Kosmic Music from Chennai offered us a recording contract, we finally got the opportunity to record these unfinished songs. One World was the newest of that bunch of compositions. It was a very honest artistic work from us, and till this day fans come up to us at concerts requesting for those tracks.
It was also the first time we delved into our world-rock format of music and sound design, which has gone on to fetch Krosswindz global recognition via awards and international concerts.
We are working on a new full-length English album.
The Chakkar: Chandrani, is there any particular ritual that you follow before going on stage?
Chandrani: Before going on stage, I try to give myself vocal rest for at least half an hour to 45 minutes. I try not to talk too much.
The Chakkar: You have also lent your voice to Bengali films as a playback singer, such as Chaya Manush, Projapoti Biskut, Abhinetri, to some documentary films, and a film by Allan Cubit as well. Tell us about your experiences. How different is playback singing from singing in a live gig?
Chandrani: The difference between recording your original song or going for a live show, and recording for a film or a film score, is that in a film song you follow whatever the director is wanting you to sing. It is as much a product of the vibe the director wants in a song, as what you are offering. Finally, it’s about the film, and not you. So, film songs are different.
The Chakkar: Tuki, you have collaborated with some greats such as Pandit Ramesh Mishra, Sky High, Herbie Handcock, Fred Hamilton, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal and many others. What has your experience been like in these collaborations?
Tuki: It’s always a pleasure to collaborate with musicians from across the globe, as it presents an opportunity to learn and absorb more styles of music. It also helps in building long-term relationships which often blossom into lifelong friendships. One of the most challenging collaborations was the live on-stage jam with jazz legend Herbie Hancock from the U.S.A., who asked me to join him for an impromptu jazz-blues jam in the key of B Flat. [It was] quite challenging for a guitar player, but it turned out to be one of the most memorable moments of my life. At the end of my solo, he got up from his piano bench and applauded for me and then he asked the whole crowd to get up and applaud for me too. He was quite impressed!
The Chakkar: Please share with us about your experiences on recording sessions in your home studio, and the process of mastering and other post-production work before you release an album?
Tuki: I usually craft a skeleton form of the song in my home studio via MIDI Sequencing using computers, using software like Reaper. I incorporate hardware synths like my Roland MSE-1 String Ensemble synthesizer and Yamaha YS 200 FM Synth to create a backdrop for the rest of the live instruments to sit upon. Then, depending on the song (if I need live drums and bass) I get my band members to come in and dub their parts following the cues that I lay down on the MIDI Sequence. Once the vocals have been finished recording, I get into the mixing stage which is done listening on a pair of TANNOY REVEAL ACTIVE studio monitor speakers. And finally, I get into the mastering stage where I employ a smattering of various software packages and the occasional hardware external compressor or aural exciter.
The Chakkar: The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and the lockdowns which followed have been extremely challenging phase for the music industry. Tell us how you both have coped with it?
“A musical career can be very challenging sometimes, because shows are seasonal. But if you really love music, you should never give up because music saves you in ways that nothing else can. It is one of the most soulful experiences one can have in your life.”
Tuki: Yes, the pandemic has been challenging for musicians, but I put the time to use to go through my huge bank of unfinished songs that lay scattered over several hard drives and spread across several computers. I even found some old cassette tapes of sessions I had done while I was working in the analogue domain. It was a very eye-opening experience to listen to all the music I had already tracked to tape. In the lockdown, I got to finally release my ambient music which was culled into an album of 15 tracks, now available on Bandcamp (Ambient Safari).
A Facebook Live was requested by all our fans who couldn’t watch our live concerts anymore due to the pandemic. [It] was a gift of live music from a portion of the band to our ardent fans.
The Chakkar: Chandrani, you have been the first-ever female lead vocalist in a Bangla band and an inspiration to many female Bangla band vocalists. What suggestion do you have to offer to them?
Chandrani: It feels good that I have inspired a whole generation of women singers. I would like to say to aspiring singers that you need to carve your own path and be original. A musical career can be very challenging sometimes, because shows are seasonal. But if you really love music, you should never give up because music saves you in ways that nothing else can. It is one of the most soulful experiences one can have in your life.
The Chakkar: What are your favourite go-to songs on your playlist?
Chandrani: “Turn Turn Turn” (Pete Seeger), “Box of Rain” (The Grateful Dead), “Diamonds and Rust” (Joan Baez).
The Chakkar: Tell us something about the upcoming projects of the band?
Tuki: We are working on a full-length album, and it’s a very elaborate process. There are also some experimental tracks that defy any categorization that we are working on, along with live gigs.
The Chakkar: Tuki, you are among the greatest guitarists out of India. What advice do you have to offer about the dedication and discipline of practice to the young guitarists who idolize you?
Tuki: My advice to aspiring guitar players is to look for their own personal style. It is nice to copy the legends, but to truly stand out one must develop their own unique style. A balance of technical proficiency and artistic elan is a must. Developing tone, touch, and taste is of utmost importance and this will come from hours and hours of practice and study, both literal and aural.
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Ronald Tuhin D'Rozario studied at the St. Xavier's College, Kolkata. His articles, book reviews, essays, poems and short stories have been published in many national and international online journals and in print, including Cafe Dissensus Everyday, Narrow Road Literary Journal, Kitaab, The Pangolin Review, The Alipore Post, Alien Buddha Press and 'Zine, Grey Sparrow Press, and more. He writes from Kolkata, India. You can find him on Instagram: @ronaldtuhindrozario and Twitter: @RTDRozario.
