Music in motion

Sheetal

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Monsoon and music have a connection. To welcome the season that denotes resurgence, Elsewhere recently hosted The Tapi Project.

Held at the auditorium of the Government Museum and Art Gallery, Sector 10, Chandigarh, the four members of the band — Yogendra Saniyawala, Swati Minaxi, Gaurav Kapadia and Biju Nambiar — told their stories through sounds and rhythms.

Formed in 2014, the name of the band is derived from the river Tapi that flows through Yogendra’s home state of Gujarat.

Current favourite song on playlist

• Yogi: Sparrow by Big Thief
• Swati: Nothing Like a Friend by Richard Hawley
• Gaurav: Daydreaming by Radiohead
• Biju: Odori, an album by Hiroshima and Radicalfashion

How we unwind

• Yogi: Do nothing
• Swati: Paint and making diy fashion
• Gaurav: Watching documentaries
• Biju: Videography

Said Yogendra, “We find ourselves immersed in the music that is born organically, devoid of any external pressure or effort to create a sound. The Tapi Project carries the flavour of individual and also our collective selves, our travels and astute observations of the world around.”

Tapi’s music is a continuous revival and re-telling of stories and themes that make up modern India, held together by compelling songwriting and compositions that are simple and accessible.

Following the release of their eponymous album in 2016, The Tapi Project, the band did its debut tour in Europe in 2016, and three more tours followed, covering over 30 countries across the UK and Europe and parts of South-East Asia. “It’s after Covid 19 that we travelled in and around the cities of India. Our favourite cities to perform at are Kolkata, Bangalore and Ahmedabad, in the same order,” said Swati.

This resulted in band’s India tour in 2022, playing at major festivals and venues such as the Mahindra Kabira Festival, SOWS Festival, World Sacred Music Festival, Gujarat Literature Festival, MTV Sessions, Abhivyakti Festival and the prestigious Mahindra Independence Rock Festival.

They dropped their latest single Varsaad in Chandigarh. Talking about it, Yogendra shared, “It’s a song on the monsoon. We were in Japan and basically bored of performing on same songs and while jamming. Swati came up with this song. Soon, it found place in our hearts to make it a single.”