RISING DECIBELS

THE GOLDEN ERA OF INDIAN ROCK MUSIC (1980s-1990s)

- Aparajit Shastri

In India, rock culture is nothing new. Indian Rock, or Raga Rock, entered the scene in the 1960s when everyone was listening to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Raga Rock is a kind of Indian and Western music blended together.

WHERE IT BEGAN…

In the past, rock bands from India were referred to as beat ensembles. Bands like the Thunderbirds, Mystiks, Beat-X, and Flintstone made their mark in this genre in the 1960s and early 1970s. Singers with a reputation for covering songs include Ashwani Bali and Usha Uthup. It was at this period that well-known Western bands started releasing music heavily influenced by Indian classical music.

WHERE DID IT GO AFTER…

By the 1970s, rock music had made its way into Bollywood songs. This style was bravely attempted by composers, and the public enthusiastically accepted it. Still, only All India Radio played music; thus, the audience was minimal as well.

Indian musicians began producing independent rock songs and blending rock with traditional Indian music, although ‘filmi’ songs continued to dominate this genre. At this point, the independent Bengali band Moheener Ghoraguli from Kolkata began to play full-fledged rock music. Even though Moheener Ghoraguli only recorded in Bengali, they are perhaps the first rock band in India.

In 1984, a band known as Rock Machine became the first nonvernacular Indian rock band. Their debut album, Rock and Roll Renegade, hit the market in 1988, matching their inspiration from Def Leppard, Deep Purple, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, etc.

THE AMAZING ENCHANTMENT PERSISTED…