A Basquiat-esque touch pervades the work of world music band, AkashA (spelt with two capital A’s). The band, whose members cross several nationalities and ethnicities, was formed entirely by accident, upon receiving an invitation to perform at the famed Rainforest World Music Festival.
Their first appearance on stage blew listeners away, having integrated sounds and tones unheard of in Malaysian music and the global arena. Since then, the group’s innovations to the genre of world music are appreciated around the globe, receiving invitations to play in regional and international concerts (the band’s top ten tracks on Spotify have been collectively listened to over 1.5 million times, an immense feat for an eclectic local band).
While some might argue the comparison contentious, or illustrious, like Jean Michel Basquiat, the late neo-expressionist artist who became the face of an entire art movement in the 80s, a similar rebellious spirit of improvisation exists within the band’s oeuvre.
The group’s first album, 'Into... AkashA' pulls influences and rhythms from Malay folk music, African, Celtic, Carnatic, Hindustani, Chinese, and Latin beats. Tracks like Bourbon Lassi, Irish Joget for Sitar, Ganjeera and Tenor Ukulele, Brickfields Blues, and Ants in My Turban put on display the playful and expressive style the band carries. The album cemented their position as a leading Malaysian band.
The genius behind these tracks is the band’s composer and frontman Jamie Wilson Abdullah, an Australian born guitarist. In an interview with BFM, he explained the genesis of his inspiration and his early influences were musicians like Ravi Shankar and fusion band Shakti (made-up of John McLaughlin, L. Shankar and Zakir Hussein).
“I was at a time when I was playing a lot of pop music, and I was getting a bit bored of the repetitive nature of it. So, I just started listening to [world music] and just taking little bits of the characteristic aspects of it and mixing it with my own particular taste to make it some sort of a fusion that respected the elements of classical music but made it slightly more commercial maybe.”
The seven-piece band is made-up of Jamie Wilson Abdullah who operates the guitar, Nizam Azis on world percussions, Eric Li on the piano, Kumar Karthigesu on sitar, Greg Henderson on bass guitar, Vick Ramakrishnan on tabla, and Badar Ben Taleb on the rebana and percussions.
We caught up with AkashA’s resident sitarist, Kumar Karthigesu ahead of the band’s long anticipated return to stage on a conversation about the group’s origins, evolution and what’s next.
The Vibes: Let’s start from the beginning. How did all of you come to know each other?
Kumar Karthigesu: We were all freelance musicians in the industry already by 2008, and most of us knew each other and had played with each other for various one-off projects. Jamie and I had performed for Inside Out, a music and dance production by The Temple of Fine Arts' Inner Space Performing Arts Company, which went on to win multiple awards. Vick and I knew each other from very young, back at The Temple of Fine Arts Penang in the eighties. I did some production work with Greg – things like this. The new ones (for me) at the time were Eric and Nizam, who were sourced by Jamie and Sivabalan, our mridangam player back then.
TV: What was the inspiration behind AkashA? How did the band find its start?
KK: Siva had received a proposition to put a band together for the Rainforest World Music Festival in Sarawak in 2008. Both him and Jamie were part of Prana, by then a defunct band, and the organisers had wanted something similar. So, Siva put this small team together, and Jamie pulled in Eric, Badar and Nizam for what was to be a one-off show at RWMF.
But our performance proved to be so popular and the audience there were clamouring for our CD's, which we did not have at the time. When we returned, we realised that we had the makings of a potentially iconic Malaysian World Music Band, and set about working on new tracks, cutting an album, and doing our first album launch. The rest is history.
TV: What was the independent music scene in Malaysia like then? What made AkashA stand out?
KK: Well, the indie scene was just taking shape. Lots of small bands were establishing themselves in jazz clubs, and other smaller venues. AkashA made an impact because it was a wholly unique Malaysian band. The makeup of our band members were Malay, Chinese, Indian and 'lain-lain', which appealed to a broader audience. The type of music we played cuts across genres from jazz, blues, funk, African, Indian, Joget, Chinese, you name it, and this endeared us to the public. By the way, all these melodies were composed by Jamie. He is such a prolific and versatile composer.
TV: For the uninitiated, what is the first track they should listen to that defines your band’s music?
KK: This is hard to pin down. I guess Bourbon Lassi has been the most commonly known track and has little solo parts which highlight each instrument. But then again, we have different songs which bring out different reactions from different people. It is hard to narrow it down to one.
TV: AkashA branded itself as a fusion Malaysian band: how has Malaysian sounds changed since the band started? How has the local appetite evolved?
KK: Actually, I personally hate the word fusion, and we do not use it to define ourselves. It can be misused and misunderstood in so many ways. We call ourselves a World Music band – we play multiple genres of music, trying to be as authentic as possible, on acoustic instruments from various parts of the world.
It is in line with the globalisation happening everywhere. If you see an ethnic Chinese lady wearing a saree, it is not fusion – instead, it is sharing or participating in another's culture and tradition. That is pretty much what we do with AkashA's music.
Malaysian music also seems to have evolved, albeit slowly, in this direction. There are more experiments in mainstream music using other instruments, other genres, infusing other styles inside one's own.
As for appetite, I am not sure – we still have a solid fan base for the kind of music we produce. I am not sure if it has increased in terms of size, or not.
TV: What thematic interests or inspirations do you chase now?
KK: The compositions of AkashA have been entirely by Jamie. The rest of us play the music, and sometimes, we contribute during our own solo parts.
Thematically, it seems the same as before – Jamie excels in taking an authentic Chinese melody, arranging musical structures around it, and then composed rhythms and melodies for the instruments we use to suit the piece, and it comes out beautifully.
TV: Do you remember the band’s first track? What was the creative process like then and how has it evolved a decade later?
KK: (Laughs) The band's first track was called Bombay Bossanova – and it was something Jamie had composed previously for Prana, his earlier band. The rest of us had to simply learn the melody and play it. Jamie's intent was to throw in Indian konnukol (voice percussion) into a Latin Bossanova melody, along with some amazing solo lines from the sitar and guitar.
Their return to the halls of DFP with upcoming concert 'Spirit of AkashA' was originally scheduled for September 9, 2022, but due to technical circumstances, has been postponed to a later date that has yet to be announced. However, the band has exciting new tracks to unveil for the first time at the concert.
TV: What can the fans expect from the concert's repertoire?
KK: A lot of new songs which Jamie has composed, and we have been working on for the past few years; coupled with old favourite hits.
There is also an exciting new lineup in the band: Greg, our pioneer bass player, had to migrate back to Australia, and we have the dashing Gideon Yogan to take his place. For this show, Badar, one of our percussionists, was not able to participate due to work commitments so John Thomas, Asia's best drummer, will be on the drum kit.
We will also be joined by some fantastic guest artists, such as Sonia Croucher on the flute, Julie Chan, and Eddie Wen on the horns, and one of two more surprises.
It is shaping up to be a fantastic concert, with lots of virtuosic music, but infused with the AkashA’s brand of lightheartedness and fun. The DFP is a spectacular concert hall, and the acoustics are amazing. The proscenium seating and the surround sound makes it nicer to engage with audiences from the stage. – The Vibes, September 10, 2022
