Extended interview with Funkadesi

Q&A with the musical group Funkadesi appeared in the September 15 issue of the S&B. Below is the full article and interview by Rebecca Park and Bethany Prosseda.

Wonderfully bold and refreshing, Funkadesi offers music that is colorful, fun and straight-up funky. Funkadesi incorporates the musical tastes of every member of its 10-person band. The upbeat, reggae-type band manages to draw on the diversity of its members to create smooth and distinct masterpieces. With flavors of Indian-American, Jamaican, African-American, European-American and Latino music, it is no surprise that the Grinnell Multicultural Alliance (GMA) picked this unique and stylistically versatile band to perform for the New Orleans benefit concert at Harris Concert Hall this weekend. The event is free and non-alcoholic, and GMA will collect donations for relief organizations.

According to Leslie Turner ’07, GMA co-leader, the group chose to invite Funkadesi because of the band’s dedication to New Orleans relief. “The band is very socially aware,” she said. She also cited the band’s diversity. “Funkadesi plays a little bit of everything,” she said. “We're trying not to exclude people.”

Q&A with Rahul Sharma (bass guitar, sitar, tabla, acoustic guitar, and vocal bols).

How would you describe your music to an unfamiliar listener?
To those who aren't familiar with our music, I would describe it as the typical garage band. No, I'm joking. But it is the American garage band of the 21st century, with people and sounds from all over the world. The music is best described as East Indian music fused with reggae, funk, and Afro-Caribbean groove.

How did the band get started?
The idea started almost ten years ago when I was in college at the University of Michigan. I went through my Alex Haley period, becoming interested in my cultural heritage. I'm of Punjabe descent, but my parents were born and raised in Kenya. About a hundred years ago Indian families migrated to that area to work on railroads for the British. That's my heritage, but I was raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan. When I was in the Indian Cultural Show in 1992 I had the opportunity to try out a song featuring that kind of music and I had a phenomenal response. Ever since, I've had Funkadesi on my mind. But it wasn't until I was in Chicago getting my doctorate in Clinical Psychology in December 1996 that I met the right people.

Your music is an eclectic mix of various genres. How do you combine these diverse influences into a coherent sound?
A couple of things-Indian folk rhythms, especially Punjabi folk rhythms, go really well, hand-in-hand with reggae, and I think that helps. We started out sounding pretty together, but by spending time together, playing together, and hanging out together we've found our sound, the pocket, when the drummer and bass player are playing in sync, tight. We found a really good pocket together; we found one where we're not sacrificing each other's cultural heritage. So three things: the music blends well, the people spend time together, and I don't really know-we're really always trying to deepen our sound.

What do you think of current trends in world music?
I love it. I think it's needed, and it needs to be mainstream-not the music, but the interest and appreciation for it. I think that's happening and that's cool.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your musical career?
Absolutely and by far, being able to get as close to these other people in the band. Because of the music, we get this family, this trans-Atlantic family. If it wasn't for the music, I wouldn't have this opportunity.