Date:03/03/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/03/03/stories/2009030357600200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

City bands for Jazz festival in Jakarta

Staff Reporter

The festival, largest of its kind, will feature some of the icons in the field

On cloud nine: Members of the Moon Arra.

BANGALORE: Three city-based bands will find themselves on the stage of an international music festival in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Java Jazz festival features Bangalore’s very own Thermal And A Quarter (TAAQ), Moon Arra, and Purple Circle, who will play at the festival between March 6 and March 8.

Billed as one of the largest jazz festivals in the world, the Java Jazz festival features well known international artists and bands from around the world, and this year’s line up includes musicians such as Jason Mraz, Peabo Bryson, and the Harvey Mason Quartet among many others.

TAAQ has been around for 12 years now, and continues to play music that has local flavour, but appeals to audiences worldwide. Bruce Lee Mani, Rajeev Rajagopal and Rzhude David have taken TAAQ around the globe and have an ardent fan following.

Moon Arra (three streams) is something of a musical journey where musicians from different styles and approaches meet to explore sounds and influences from jazz to Indian Classical with a strong leaning towards melody and a jazz-like improvisation in its compositions and interpretations of other songs and tunes.

The band was founded by Jagadeesh M.R. and Madhuri and its other members are Prakash Sontakke and Karthik Mani.

Comprising Mili, Keith Peters, Sumith Ramachandran, Ravichandra Kulur, and Hamesh, Purple Circle is another true-blue Bangalore band. Members of the band have been accompanists for some acclaimed musicians such as Ravi Shankar, Anoushka Shankar, Zakir Hussain and A.R. Rahman.