On her debut trip to India, Australia's aboriginal vocalist, Emma Donovan is unexpectedly delighted by the immense variety in Indian music.
"To be honest I wasn't sure what to expect on my maiden trip to India but after performing for the children here, I would surely spend some time to explore the (Indian) music, it has that pleasant vibe in it. I might miss out on other things but will surely listen to more Indian music," Donovan said.
Donovan, today was joined by Melbourne-based band, 'The Putbacks' who jammed with young music enthusiasts of the Salaam Baalak Trust at the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation's children's home here.
The musicians are officially in India to perform at the Australian Indigenous Creativity Showcase tomorrow.
Donovan said that they felt the need to utilise the time and know more India and its people.
"We had a spare morning and we thought it's best to utilise the time and play for the children here," she said.
Carrying on the legacy of the renowned Donovan family, Emma is famed for singing in almost 15 aboriginal languages.
"There are almost 500 aboriginal languages and I feel privileged to be able to sing in some of those. The music here has the similar vibe that we get in Australia and it's a pleasure being here, the children are full of life," she said.
The jam session at the children's home witnessed performances by children who sang retro Bollywood classics like 'Dum Maaro Dum,' which interestingly turned out to be the favourite of the Australian musicians.
Despite a language barrier the children learned and later sang the chorus of a famous aboriginal song, 'Yil Lull' by Joe Geia. One of them also joined the musical trio and played the drums as they switched to singing Bollywood tracks.
The Melbourne-based funk and groove band, The Putbacks consisting of Michael Meagher and Tom Martin offer hard-hitting and heartfelt soulful music, a gritty and uniquely Australian sound that is both classic and contemporary.
Donovan has now started touring with the band collectively
as a musical trio to showcase Australian music around the globe.
Tom Martin, lead guitarist of the band is another admirer of the retro era of Bollywood to an extent that he is now part of another band called the 'Bombay Royale' with Andrew Williamson and two other Indian singers in Australia.
The Bombay Royale composes re-worked versions of retro Hindi songs but with an Aussie touch.
"A friend of mine got me into the retro stuff some five years back and I just got attached to the sound of it, that groovy feel just got to me and I love the energy that it has," says guitarist Tom Martin.
"Bombay Royale is about the music with the same groovy feel of retro Bollywood, we make songs fused with elements of Australian funk and soul," Martin said.
"We are already to come to India again and plan to stay for a longer while so that we can learn more about the music," he says.
Apart from their performance at the Australian High Commission event, Donovan and The Putbacks are scheduled to play at the Indian School of Music here.
