Highlighting Goa's iconic musicians, this edition features Kixmet(Rock band) who share with us their backstage moments and their climb to success.
How did Kixmet initially form and the year?
KIXMET (pronounced Kishmet) was formed in 2004 as a Hindi pop fusion band performing original compositions. We were then called Kismet. The name was chosen primarily because Kismet is a word in both English as well as Hindi. We won the third place at the 'Battle of the Bands' the following year. We were the only band that performed originals at the competition.
When we evolved from Hindi Pop to Progressive Metal we decided to drop replace the s with an x in our name which is now pronounced KISHMET which is the east European variant on Kismet. The letter X has a 'sh' sound in our own Konkani. It sounds mysterious, provokes questions not unlike the French metal band Gojira who get their name from the original Japanese name of 'Godzilla'.
Current Members of the band and the instruments they play?
The band comprises of
Dr. Lenin Vaz (Lead vocals and Bass)
Leo Gomes(Drums)
Bryson Goes (Electric Violin/percussion/backing vocals/rap)
Vijayan Almeida aka XXX (guitars, lyrics, composition)
Apart for playing in the band are the members dedicated to other professions?
Lenin Vaz is a practicing dentist.
He also performs in an acoustic duo at various starred hotels and has his own one man band (The Big Ben).
Leo Gomes is a drum instructor of repute. His student is currently the drummer for the Goan Pop Star Silvia Fernandes. He is a veteran drummer for tiatros and leads a popular party/wedding band called Music Mania(Drums and Vocals)
Bryson Goes is a keyboard/violin instructor,Choir Master and administrator of the St. Sebastian Music School in Margao.
Vijayan Almeida; a former dentist is a music instructor for guitar/trumpet/saxophone and flute.
As a band where do you get your inspiration from?
Indian folk and classical music, European Classical music, the Blues and bands like Rage Against the Machine ,Nightwish, Dream Theater, and Junoon are some of our numerous influences. Sepultura's album roots made use of native american percussion and we thought hey maybe we can fuse our own ethnic percussion and rhythms to create our own brand of metal.
Musically what’s distinct about the band Kixmet ?
How is Kixmet different? Well we're yet to perform a cover for starters. The rustic rhythms of the Goan dhol and taaso create a unique poly-rhythmic texture. The innovative use of the electric violin as a textural instrument adds that modern electro edge. The synth like solo on the track Heavy Metal and the Dj sounds are all produced by the electric violin. We've explored diverse vocal textures and song structures while maintaining that old school minimalist analogue guitar sound.
What’s the scope for a band like you down in Goa? And where does the band look forward to head off?
The world is our audience since we're not a cover band. I still vividly remember the finals of the Sprite Band of the Sand Competition at Calangute. We managed to get a seated audience on their feet and chanting Vande Mataram. We also won the second place at the competition. I'll never forget the audition for the Band of the Sand. The judges Parikrama were so impressed that Nitin Mallik (Lead vocals) came out of the audition room and gave me a big hug. They were awestruck seeing a Ghumat and taaso for the first time.
What’s the ideology behind the bands original album “ Vande Mataram” based upon?
Power of the people isn't a concept album. However we'd like to reclaim Vande Mataram from right wing fanatics who forget that India is about inclusion. The album cover with the power station in the backdrop made sense since metal has a masculine aesthetic. It is also a tip of the hat to Pandit Nehru's vision of technology as the temples of modern India. Our first prime minister also makes a guest appearance on the title track, LOL.
A sign off message from the band?
Indian folk and classical music, European Classical music, the Blues and bands like Rage Against the Machine ,Nightwish, Dream Theater, and Junoon are some of our numerous influences. Sepultura's album roots made use of native american percussion and we thought hey maybe we can fuse our own ethnic percussion and rhythms to create our own brand of metal.
Musically what’s distinct about the band Kixmet ?
How is Kixmet different? Well we're yet to perform a cover for starters. The rustic rhythms of the Goan dhol and taaso create a unique poly-rhythmic texture. The innovative use of the electric violin as a textural instrument adds that modern electro edge. The synth like solo on the track Heavy Metal and the Dj sounds are all produced by the electric violin. We've explored diverse vocal textures and song structures while maintaining that old school minimalist analogue guitar sound.
What’s the scope for a band like you down in Goa? And where does the band look forward to head off?
The world is our audience since we're not a cover band. I still vividly remember the finals of the Sprite Band of the Sand Competition at Calangute. We managed to get a seated audience on their feet and chanting Vande Mataram. We also won the second place at the competition. I'll never forget the audition for the Band of the Sand. The judges Parikrama were so impressed that Nitin Mallik (Lead vocals) came out of the audition room and gave me a big hug. They were awestruck seeing a Ghumat and taaso for the first time.
What’s the ideology behind the bands original album “ Vande Mataram” based upon?
Power of the people isn't a concept album. However we'd like to reclaim Vande Mataram from right wing fanatics who forget that India is about inclusion. The album cover with the power station in the backdrop made sense since metal has a masculine aesthetic. It is also a tip of the hat to Pandit Nehru's vision of technology as the temples of modern India. Our first prime minister also makes a guest appearance on the title track, LOL.
A sign off message from the band?
Our final message is that enduring African ideal of Ubuntu. According to the Zimbabwean historian Michael Onyebuchi Eze, “A person is a person through other people. It is an affirmation of one’s humanity through recognition of an ‘other’ in his or her uniqueness and difference. We create each other and need to sustain this otherness of others to be our true selves.
This sentiment is echoed in the Indian idea of Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam or as Benjamin Franklin succinctly put it 'We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately."
Why must love be restricted by borders?
