GOING SOLO
THE CITY’S FLOURISHING MUSIC SCENE IS A BOON FOR SOLO GUITARISTS. THE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK TELL US WHY IT’S BETTER ALONE
The steadily booming music culture in Hyderabad is proving to be a great platform for upcoming musicians in the city. While bands and solo vocalists perform gigs and are already pretty established, a new breed of musicians have recently emerged — solo guitarists. Following the footsteps of legends like Joe Satriani and Michael Angelo Batio, our in-house guitarists, Joel Shastri, Akram Ul Haq, Vivek Venugopal and Akhil Kodamanchili are stirring up quite a scene, just with their strings.
Joel Shastri plays rock and is a session artist. Coming from a humble background where his father was a classical musician, Joel was not sure whether he could make money out of his passion. But, it was his mother who encouraged him. He now has 15,000 records to his name and has played for many Tollywood songs. He still chooses to play gigs at cafes and restro-bars. “I play for movies to sustain myself and what I play there is not my story. Going solo allows me to express myself, without any filters,” he says.
Another solo guitarist who is quite popular in the music circles is Akram Ul Haq, who started playing when he was 18. “I started learning classical guitar after finishing my Masters. I started writing my own compositions and adding percussions with the sound board,” he says. For him too, initially, making money was tough, so he took to teaching music. But now, he has been performing at many gigs. He says, “In a band, there may be creative clashes, but I get to do exactly what I want.”
For Akhil Kodamanchili, music came into his life when he was 15 when his father gifted him a guitar. Akhil and Akram agree that with a band, there is a sense of security. “If you mess up a little, the others can cover up,” says Akram, while Akhil says, “It is challenging for one person to balance all the elements. When you’re playing solo, it’s all on you.”
Vinay Venugopal adds, “I take various traditions and genres of music, and put them together in solo arrangements.” About how often he gets to perform, his views are in line with those of Joel’s. “Not many are interested in picking up a solo act like mine. The gigs are few and far. People tend to prefer cover gigs, and if it’s original music, it’s usually bands or a singer-songwriter that works better for them,” he says. But Akhil adds, “It is easier to get booked for a solo gig, because it’s cheaper for the venue to pay one person.”
Most of these artists swear by YouTube to get their music out there, and to get noticed, and many of them also have released their own albums.