Get a taste of ethnotronic music
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Dabbling in genres ranging from Carnatic fusion, Malayalam rock, Tamil and Hindi too, ethnotronic is how they choose to best describe themselves. Here’s how they got their band’s name “We remember having sent out a mail with a little poll sort of thing. We swear by filter coffee anyway. But when a friend suggested why not ‘Filter Coffee’, we knew that was it,” says Swarupa Ananth-Sawkar. Their live performances include a unique blend of Indian classical/folk, instruments and voices with electronic grooves.
The beginning
The band was formed in January 2012. It started out as a small all-girls’ band in the classrooms of Women’s Christian College, Chennai. The band’s line up kept changing but now they have managed to keep a steady line-up. Their current line-up includes Swarupa on the tabla and percussion, Shriram Sampat on flute and Jahnvi Shrimankar on vocals. Shriram and Swarupa produce music for the band as well. The idea of Filter Coffee is collaborations. This is the usual line up that they go with, though every gig features a new artiste.
Feathers in their cap
“We would not like to point out a single achievement but for us being able to quit our jobs and make Filter Coffee our full time career has been a great achievement. Another milestone has been doing successful tours in the UK for two consecutive years and now thrice since the band was formed. Collaborating with artistes from around the world has also been an achievement for us. From Australian producers Spoonbill & Sampology to traditional Rajasthani folk artists like Nek Mohammad Langa, from Indian Classical vocalists and instrumentalists to visual artists and rappers we have collaborated with a variety of great artistes,” proudly states Swarupa.
Influences
“Both of us (Swarupa and Shriram) are trained Indian classical musicians and that has been the strongest influence on our music. We draw inspiration from Tamil folk, Carnatic classical and similar genres,” informs Swarupa
Sound of music
Some of their most popular songs are Slow Down Kalander and Konna Cool. Slow Down Kalander is their interpretation of the classic Sufi song Dumadum Mast Kalander. Konna Cool is an upbeat number which includes a lot of vocal percussion called Konnakol in Carnatic Classical music.
Tonight’s gig
Filter Coffee will be performing for Dharavi Rocks a joint educational project between Acorn Foundation, an NGO and the Blue Frog working for the welfare of slum children and Waste collectors/rag-pickers.
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Transgenders can avail fellowships
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Transgenders can now avail of scholarships and
fellowship programmes following the recent release of a University
Grants Commission (UGC) notification that has classified them as the
third gender. The move follows the Supreme Court’s landmark April 13
ruling according them third gender status.
What notification says? The notification does not specifically mention the funds allocated to the third gender. However, a UGC official said that since transgenders come under the OBC quota, they will be given benefits accordingly. While most scholarships have no gender bar, the UGC reserves some schemes for female students. These include scholarships for women who are the only girl child of their parents. How do students react? Transgender students hailed the UGC decision. “We must understand that children with such physical traits are often discarded by their families, which compromises their lives for ever. That is why most transgenders don’t even reach the point of higher education,” said a final year MA student at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Deonar. An IIT Bombay student said, “The UGC’s move will help transgender students to overcome the social stigma attached to their gender and inspire them to pursue higher studies.” Why ‘third gender’? On April 13, the Supreme Court had created the ‘third gender’ status for hijras or transgenders to ensure they get equal opportunities in education and employment, which was being denied till now as they were forced to classify themselves as male or female. Who all will get benefits? The apex court had also directed the centre to treat transgenders as socially and economically backward and include them under OBCs. It had ruled that transgenders will be allowed admission in educational institutions and given employment on the basis of their third gender status. The benefits will be extended to people who have undergone surgical changes in terms of their sex. The court rule that those people will be entitled to the sex they choose and cannot be discriminated against. |