Rock on!

What is your favorite genre of music?

As a kid, growing up in a small town of India, I had access to very li’l music, and that too came into being, only when we got our first car with the most amazing stereo (even the most expensive then). This is circa 2000. I coereced dad into getting casettes, with songs from a couple of then famous Bollywood movies. So my life literally revolved around Hindi love songs. I actually remember loving the songs from the movie “Taal”. The music, beats, lyrics, everything about those songs evoked a strange sense of passion in me. And even today, the songs from that movie are still so fresh. Well, so that was childhood, spent listening to romantic songs, romancing my inner thoughts and maybe even romancing and awaiting an unknown someone.

Another instance which comes to mind.. I was lucky enough to witness a live performance of the Indian rock band “Indian Ocean”. They’re known for their unique blend of Indian classical music with rock, jazz and several other genres.

I really started understanding rock music only circa 2012. That’s when I had gotten into the pubbing scene of Bangalore, and back then these pubs played the best of old school rock music. So while my introduction to rock had already happened around 8 years back, it’s only then that it crept into my bloodstream and literally became a part of my DNA. And when one has had serious heartbreaks and failures in life, the rock genre hits different. I remember listening to the song “Nobody’s Fool” (by Cinderella) on loop, an entire day, while sulking in bed but at the end of the day I felt like a different person, numb but different! The number of times I’ve danced to “Walk of Life” by Dire Straits. And how the melodiously perfect “Piano Man” by Billy Joel has made me smile every single time.

Although, it’s also true that the kind of music I listen to depends on my mood. On the slower days, I enjoy Indian ghazals and absolutely love them. Of late, I’ve even been experimenting with the latest pops, and some of them are darn good. But I always will return to the rock genre, in some form or the other. As of this moment, while writing, “The Night we Met” by Lord Huron has been playing on loop. My mood you ask – I’m missing my husband who has been away for 3 days. I’m missing him but I’m also cross with him for several reasons. In real dire situations I always ask myself whether it’s karma playing a role and maybe that’s why the bad times. Well, this song fits the mood perfectly, and it’s rock.