In September 2012, Only Much Louder (OML) announced at The Loudest Day, that multiple Grammy winning singer-songwriter Norah Jones would be visiting India in 2013 for the first time. This trip would include headlining A Summer’s Day 2013 and a few other shows in the country. Throughout her India tour, Jones was supported by Portland singer-songwriter M. Ward opening for her on all four occasions.

Norah Jones’ first gig in India was on the 3rd of March 2013, in Mumbai, India. On the 3rd of March 2013, Norah Jones headlined the first edition of, ‘A Summer’s Day‘ in Mumbai. The festival was the first festival curated by OML in Mumbai. The festival took place at the Royal Western India Turf Club in Mahalaxmi. The festival saw a two stage set up and the likes of Siddharth Basrur, Spud In The Box, Ankur & The Ghalat Family, Karsh Kale Collectiv and Nischay Parekh & Jivraj Singh were also on the bill. A Summer’s Day was headlined by Norah Jones and the singer-songwriter’s debut India gig was met with a number of happy festival attendees. Click here for the entire festival gallery.

Initially scheduled to play one show in the capital, fans were delighted when a second back-to-back date was announced in New Delhi. Norah Jones and M. Ward played two consecutive nights in front of a packed audience at the Siri Fort Auditorium, in the capital on the 5th and 6th of March, 2013. Click here for pictures from the 5th and 6th of March.

The debut Norah Jones India tour was concluded on the 8th of March, at the Manpho Convention Center in Bangalore. After successfully putting up four gigs in three cities, the Norah Jones India Tour 2013 was concluded. Click here for pictures from the Bangalore concert.

NH7 Festivapp is the definitive guide to festivals in India. It helps users to discover and navigate music, literary and cultural festivals across India.
Festivals are a growing trend in India, discovering and attending most festivals can be exhausting thanks to sketchy information. The NH7 Festivapp guides users by giving them all the relevant information at their finger tips. It also helps them discover people and places around the festival thus improving the overall experience of the festival.

Some of the features of the app include

i) Festival wall - The Festival wall is a real time feed of everything happening at the festival. The content on the wall can vary from syndicated content from twitter and instagram to user generated content from within the app to announcements from the organisers.

ii) Interactive schedule - The interactive schedule helps users plan their own festival schedule. It allows users to browse through various stages, the artists playing on each stage and it provides in-depth information about each artist. Users can build their own custom schedule and sync it with their calendar.

iii) Festival map - The Festival map is a interactive map of the festival which allows users to locate various amenities at the festivals. Users can geo-locate stages, bars, ambulances, toilets, ATM’s and even their friends at any festival.

iv) Photo Booth - Photo Booth is a fun feature which allows users to take photographs which are themed around the Festival. The Photo Booth allows users the ability to add fun virtual items which add a distinctive festive feel to these photographs. Users can cross post these photos to their favorite social network.

The product targets Festival goers across India.

NH7 Festivapp can be downloaded from http://nh7.in/festivapp

The newly formed Karsh Kale Collectiv on Coke Studio

Karsh Kale’s newly formed all-star band in India - Karsh Kale Collectiv - came together to record the six songs that make up his episode on Coke Studio. The Karsh Kale Collectiv features indie guitar hero Warren Mendonsa, master flautist Pt. Ajay Prassana, rising stars Apeksha Dandekar, Shilpa Rao, Monali Thakur and Shruti Pathak on vocals, whose diversity add a new range and feel to the tracks, extraordinary talent Jai Row Kavi on drums, dancefloor trailblazer Jayant Luthra on electronics, celebrated vocalist Benny Dayal, accomplished guitarist Gaurav Gupta and ingenious bassist Johan Pais. The all-star Collectiv was formed at the Bacardi NH7 Weekender 2011 and quickly went on to play a number of shows in India, including the sold-out album release of Cinema at Blue Frog and music festivals like York Live. Having his own band in India ensures that Karsh Kale will be regularly touring the country and working more with the local music scene. It was very important for Karsh that the band develops its own unique dynamic and rapport. Says Karsh, “I wanted there to be a chemistry within the band as well as the singers so we often spent time outside the studio just jamming and laughing till this group of individual artists started becoming a band, and that is what I am most excited about showcasing on Coke Studio.” From being an integral part of the Coke Studio episode to touring Karsh’s compositions throughout the country, this new band has become a crucial part of Karsh’s new chapter in India. The Collectiv are currently working on a live album, blending their diversity and unique harmony as a group.

Karsh Kale also worked with some amazing guest artists on the episode including prodigious Bollywood composer Salim Merchant on vocals and keyboards, impeccable Sabir Khan on the sarangi, son of the legendary saragi maestro, the late Ustaad Sultan Khan, fusion master Ravi Chari on the sitar and California-based MC Mandeep Sethi whose quickly growing popularity belies the short time he’s spent performing in India.

Karsh Kale summarizes his experience on Coke Studio saying, “This was one of the best musical experiences for me mainly due to the great rapport with the musicians. It was a great pleasure to take my compositions and watch them grow and change in the room as everyone contributed on many levels.”

The music on the episode

1. Glorious - This drum n bass inspired celebration of diversity sees Punjabi style vocals mingle with Mandeep Sethi’s unique rap sensibilities and Benny Dayal’s transcontinental vocal style. The rhythms exchange seamlessly between Jayanth Luthra’s electronics and the live drumming dynamism of Jai Row Kavi. Pt. Ajay Prasanna also features with his signature bansuri playing.

2. Shedding Skin - This track, slow to start, builds to a grand crescendo where six voices and guitars swirl into a harmonic twister. Vocalists Shilpa Rao, Monali Thakur, Shruti Pathak, Apeksha Dandekar and Karsh Kale add layers and diversity to this track, which features soloists as well as a chorus.

3. Kajar Bina Kare - The track is a tribute to the late great sarangi maestro Ustaad Sultan Khan and features close friend and student of Khan sahib, Salim Merchant on vocals and keyboards. The track also features Khan Sahebs son and torchbearer to their tradition, Sabir Khan on the sarangi. The track is performed in the style made famous by Tabla Beat Science, which included Kale and Merchant as well as Khan sahib, Zakir Hussain and others. This version also features Kale on tabla, Jai Row Kavi on drums, Jayanth Luthra on electronics while Warren Mendonsa brings a classic Andy Sumner feel to this electro fusion tribute.

4. Dil Cheez - The song is a cover of the original track sung by Asha Boshle for the film Umrao Jaan. In this new version Monali Thakur takes on vocal duties and the song remains traditional with a twist at the end. The track also features Ravi Chari on sitar as well as Sabir Khan on sarangi and Pt. Ajay Prasanna on the flute.

5. Peekaboo - Originally from Kale’s fifth studio album Cinema, this version of the track takes a bluesy , trip-hop styled approach and also features Apeksha Dandekar and Benny Dayal on vocals, Ravi Chari on sitar and MC Mandeep Sethi.

6. Hallelujah - A cover of the Jeff Buckley/Leonard Cohen classic, Hallelujah is performed over the Blackstratblues song ‘Ode To A Sunny Day’ and marks Karsh’s first major contribution to a vocal track. Shilpa Rao joins Karsh Kale on vocal duties.

Karsh Kale’s episode of Coke Studio @ MTV airs on the 11th of August 2012.

Cinema gets a GIMA nod

Karsh Kale has been nominated for a Global Indian Music Academy award for his widely acclaimed album Cinema. Cinema is Kale’s fifth studio album, and has been nominated in the Best Fusion Album category. This is Karsh’s first GIMA nomination.

Karsh has performed Cinema live across the world including at the legendary Hollywood Bowl in L.A. where he opened for A.R. Rahman as well as sold-out club gigs at Blue Frog in India. Cinema has hit the no. 1 spot on iTunes World Music Charts in the US twice - the album first topped the charts the day that it was launched in the States as fans across the world eagerly downloaded an album they had been waiting for. Cinema’s second time on the iTunes no. 1 spot followed an interview with Karsh Kale on National Public Radio (NPR) in the United States. NPR runs some of the most popular radio programs across the country and reaches thousands of listeners. At the same time, the album hit #3 on Amazon International Bestsellers chars and #4 on Amazon Dance/DJ charts. The track Joy was featured on American radio channel KCRW, as their ‘Song of the Day’. KCRW is one of the top stations listened to across the world responsible for breaking artists as diverse as Coldplay, Sigur Ros, The Doves, Temper Trap and Mumford and Sons in the US. Joy was written after Karsh’s experience at Burning Man - an annual art event and temporary community that promotes radical self-expression in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. World-renowned Indian Classical musician, Pandit Ravi Shankar also included Avalanche from Cinema, in his playlist for UK’s Songlines Magazine. The playlist also featured artists like Anoushka Shankar, Nitin Sawhney and Philip Glass.

Cinema is Karsh’s most ambitious album to date. Despite the myriad of influences pulsating through him during the two years it took to produce Cinema, many of the compositions were written on an acoustic guitar or piano - often while Karsh was either on the road, or in a studio. But as the title Cinema suggests, the process of scoring films has had as much impact on this album’s sound as Kale’s usual palette of progressive electro-rock and fusion influences. Cinema is the aggregate of these diverse inspirations, experiences and musical expressions within one cohesive vision.

The NH7.in store on Flipkart will be a game changer. Up until now, independent artists had limited avenues to retail their music to the ever-growing fan base for indie music. NH7.in has been one of the largest promoters of indie music both through its site and also through its highly acclaimed annual music festival, the Bacardi NH7 Weekender. The NH7.in community represents the largest group of indie music lovers in the nation. Now, along with promoting independent music, NH7.in creates an avenue for artists to sell music directly to their fans, which is the crucial next step for independent arts to grow. In addition to this, four million monthly users of Flipkart will have access to a wide selection of independent music from India and around the world at their fingertips.

Says Vijay Nair, CEO, Only Much Louder, “For almost a decade, we (OML) have been the most outspoken advocates of fans downloading music for free. Finally, we have a reason to change our stance because Nh7.in on Flyte is a platform which will bring together every independent artist in India across all genres under one platform; and Flipkart has made it easier than searching for the torrent of your favorite neighborhood artist. With this, we are inching closer to the goal of making Indian independent music heard to audiences worldwide. It’s revolutionary in every aspect, and this revolution is DRM free.”

Vishal Dadlani, of Mumbai-based electro rock band Pentagram, whose music will be sold via the store adds, “There’s nothing we want more than to make Pentagram’s music accessible to everyone who wants it. If, in the process, we get paid for it too, that’s even better. Until now, there were no widely accessible, artist-friendly digital platforms in India, with independent music as the primary ‘product’. This is something we’ve needed for a long time!!”

Fans looking to support artists, but plagued by lack of legal avenues to purchase music and often prohibitively expensive MRPs, will now have a way to buy DRM (Digital Rights Management)-free albums and singles of their favourite independent artists. The NH7.in section features artists across genres and languages. The store launches with 50 artists including Indian Ocean, Pentagram, The Raghu Dixit Project, Swarathma, Skyharbor, and will also have new releases from artists across the country. Customers will be able to purchase both albums and singles, and artists will be given the freedom to price their own albums.

Shreyas Srinivasan, co-founder NH7.in, comments on the launch of the new store, “NH7.in is the single largest community of loyal, dedicated fans of Indian independent music. The store not only represents an avenue where fans will be able to purchase music. Both the store on Flipkart and NH7.in will actively promote this music to the ever-growing community of indie fans in India and around the world. While piracy is a big problem for mainstream music, fans of independent music want to support the artists by buying their music. This will be the easiest way to do that!”

Sameer Nigam, VP, Digital, Flipkart adds, “Internationally, music sales are still a viable source of revenue for musicians, mostly due to the availability of various avenues to purchase music, which has been lacking in India. We’re really glad to help create a legal avenue to discover and support such artists on Flyte. We believe this would go a long way in making independent music more mainstream.”

As digital distribution channels continue to evolve, artists who had to contend with labels who put commercial interests ahead of those of the artists can now directly monetize their music. NH7.in aims to provide artists with these tools - from promotion to distribution, and the partnership with Flipkart is the first step in that direction.

To visit the NH7.in store on Flipkart, visit http://www.nh7.in/musicstore

Critically acclaimed music television show The Dewarists has won a bronze Lion at Cannes 2012. The Dewarists television series, part music documentary and part travelogue, featured collaborations between some of the most inspiring artists from distinct musical backgrounds, who created original tracks to reflect each other’s influences. The series also showcased the beautiful destinations they explored together, and the creative processes that saw the artists push the boundaries of experimentation. It featured fantastic talent from India and across the globe including Indian Ocean, Vishal Dadlani, Imogen Heap, Zeb and Haniya, Monica Dogra, Karsh Kale and Midival Punditz.

The Dewarists won its Lion in a the new Branded Content and Entertainment Lions category, under the sub-category Best Non-Fiction Program Series or Film where a client has successfully created a reality, documentary or light entertainment show around a product(s) or brand(s).The show was directed by ad-filmmaker and Scribe frontman Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy. It was produced by Babble Fish Productions with support from OML Entertainment and Design of Information. The show was aired on Star World.

The Dewarists proved to be immensely popular in its first season and was viewed nearly two million times on YouTube. Look out for season two of The Dewarists starting in the second half of 2012.

Promoter of music festivals achieves 30X ROI on Facebook advertising spend for Eristoff Invasion 2012. Read more here

CA Media has made this investment alongside Zodius, an investor and operator of digital media, commerce and services companies that develops market defining companies in the new digital India.

Only Much Louder operates at the intersection of three key elements - alternative culture, youth and brands. It focuses on reaching the youth market in India through high quality entertainment properties including music festivals, television and web-based content. OML started as an artist management firm in 2002 and has now expanded its operations to include a large-format music festivals division, a full-fledged production house, a digital wing and an expansive artist management and bookings enterprise. OML works with various brands in the country in conceptualising and executing their marketing and branding strategies aimed at the youth segment.

CA Media CEO Paul Aiello said, “Our investment in OML represents one end of the spectrum of our investment plans in India – that of identifying and backing talented people in virgin domains, with sustainable as well as scalable business models. OML is in an exciting domain and we foresee great potential ahead.”

CA Media India CEO Rajesh Kamat commented, “OML operates in a category that’s nascent right now, but holds immense potential in time to come. With over 65% of Indian population under 35 years of age, we’re extremely bullish about the value that OML can unlock in this segment.” He added, “Our expertise in traditional media coupled with the Zodius team’s skills and experience in the digital space will drive OML’s future growth.”

Through this investment and management support, CA Media and Zodius plan to assist OML in scaling up its operations, to achieve true scale, over the next few years.

Neeraj Bhargava, Zodius, commented, “Vijay and his team at OML not only create exceptional media platforms for their clients but they also execute flawlessly. We are delighted to partner with the OML team and CA Media to build the market leading company targeting youth entertainment.”

Vijay Nair, Founder and CEO, OML Entertainment, commented, “Over the last decade, we have grown from being an artist management company to building several successful franchises across content platforms centred around live music and alternative culture. This investment marks a new phase in the evolution of OML where we will be focussing not only on live on-ground properties, but actively looking at amplifying them through television and digital media. CA Media and Zodius are the right partners to guide us and work with us on strategically scaling up OML and build it to its true potential.”

About The Chernin Group
The Chernin Group (TCG) is a privately held media holding company based in Los Angeles, CA founded by Peter Chernin. TCG has built, managed, operated and invested in businesses in the media, entertainment, and technology sectors around the world since 2010. TCG’s assets include Chernin Entertainment, which produces award-winning television programs and feature films; Hong Kong-based CA Media, which builds, manages, and operates media, entertainment, and technology businesses in Asia, particularly India, Indonesia, and China; and several strategic investments in technology and media companies in the U.S. including Pandora, Fullscreen, Tumblr and Flipboard.

About CA Media
Majority-owned by The Chernin Group, CA Media was founded in November 2010 with a mandate to build, manage, and operate media, entertainment, and technology businesses throughout Asia. Based in Hong Kong, CA Media is building a regional footprint primarily focused on India, Indonesia and China.
CA Media’s CEO is Paul Aiello formerly was the CEO of News Corp.’s Star TV Asia. Prior to that, he was the Head of TMT investment banking at Morgan Stanley for the Asia region.
CA Media India CEO is Rajesh Kamat was formerly COO of Viacom18 Group, CEO of Colors and set-up the Endemol operations in India as its Managing Director.

About Zodius
Zodius builds businesses in the “new” Digital India. Operational since 2011, Zodius partners with entrepreneurs to craft and build valuable, reputed and market-defining digital businesses. It typically develops one company every six months and works intensively with its portfolio company teams to “speed up” and “shape up” for exceptional growth and profitability. Zodius has been founded by Neeraj Bhargava, co-founder and ex-CEO of WNS (listed at NYSE). Prior to WNS, Neeraj was Managing Partner of eVentures India, where he was also the first investor in MakeMyTrip (listed at NASDAQ), NetMagic (sold to NTT), Customerasset (evolved into India-listed FirstSource) and Mentorix (sold to LionBridge), and a Partner at McKinsey & Company. The Zodius team is an experienced and cohesive team, which has worked together for several years in a combination of investing and operating roles.

About Only Much Louder
Only Much Louder operates at the intersection of three key elements - alternative culture, youth and brands. OML started in 2002 as an artist management and booking agency, which still remains its core business through its brand The Syndicate.
Only Much Louder’s music festival division promoted and executed the highly successful NH7 Weekender festival and Invasion festival properties between 2010-12. OML routinely tours leading international artists in India and have promoted artists such as David Guetta, Lady Gaga, Imogen Heap, Mumford & Sons, Jay Sean, Basement Jaxx, The Prodigy, Bobby Friction, Asian Dub Foundation, and Laura Marling in India.
Their technology business, OML Digital, focuses on brands and entertainers and runs the popular alternative culture portal NH7.in. OML also runs a video content production house, Babble Fish Productions, which develops and produces innovative content such as The Dewarists and MTV Sound Trippin’.
Only Much Louder was founded by Vijay Nair who is the CEO of the company. Girish Talwar is the co-founder of the company.

Though the exact date has not been confirmed, the episode will be aired in the first week of May on UTV Bindass. So stay tuned.

PS. Take a look at our nostalgia-inducing photo gallery of the Eristoff Invasion here - www.nh7.in/davidguettaindia

Bhasin joined the organization on March 1 and will be organizing this year’s Bacardi NH7 Weekender, Eristoff Invasion and other OML events.