For me – a Malayali by birth and a foodie by nature, 'avial' has always been a lip-smacking dish my mom made on special occasions. And then came a day, when a friend introduced me to an alternative rock band called Avial. A Malayali band? And that too, rock? The skeptic in me could not accept it. How could the long and 'not so friendly' Malayalam words blend into rock? With those apprehensions I looked them up on the net. The very first song I heard titled 'Nada Nada' got me to sit up and take them seriously. Catch 'Avial' live here.
After the introductory 'Nada Nada' came 'Chekele,' a song which is inspired by the rustic lifestyle of the state. By the time I reached their 'Njaan Ara', a soul-stirring ballad, I was impressed. 'Aadu Pambe' took me down memory lane and the fast-paced 'Aranda' got even me swaying to their rhythm – and I don't even dance. 'Ettam Pattu' had that touch of nostalgia to it. The ease with which the band handled the different numbers left me awestruck. It spoke of the band's versatility. And I was convinced that band sure had music running in their veins. With their rendition of 'Karukarakarmukil' penned by Kavalam Narayana Panicker, I was hooked. At office or at home, Avial was the one band I was listening to in an endless loop.
You can read more about the band, the many firsts they have to their credit, the band bio and more here.
Current Band members
Rex Vijayan (Lead guitar and Synthesizer)
Tony John (Vocals, Turntables and Synthesizer)
Mithun Puthenveetil (Drums)
Binny Isaac (Bass)
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[edit]Rex Vijayan
Rex Vijayan is an Ernakulam-based guitarist who began his musical career by mastering cover versions. He has some renowned performances in India and abroad to his name. He was part of a popular band Motherjane in the early '90s. He was also part of a novice German hip-hop band "Intensive Erfrischung(Intensive Refreshment)[2]" based in Munich and is also actively involved with Daksha Seth's Dance Company, concerned with performing on stage contemporary dance. Gibson Guitar Corporation, USA offered him to be their endorsee for the latest high end series guitar.
[edit]Mithun Puthenveetil
Mithun(called as Midhu by friends) is the drummer of Avial who hails from Kannur(North Kerala). Versatile on the tabla and a wide range of percussion, Mithun dabbled with pop music before finding his true calling in funk and rock. He has distinguished himself through a Heavy Metal band named Rage based in Trivandrum. Lesser known, he is the son of veteran politician and presently Cabinet Minister in Kerala government, Mr. Kadannappally Ramachandran.
[edit]Tony John
Tony is the band's current vocalist. He is also a gifted percussionist who mainly works his magic on turntables. His rise to fame came in the 90's while working for a band called Karizma. He has worked with the Daksha dance company.
[edit]Binny Isaac
Binny Isaac has currently replaced the former bass guitarist Naresh Kamath who was the only non-Malayali member of the band from Mumbai. His home town is Ernakulam. But he is a Trivandrum based guitarist.
Avial other wise is a dish I can't get enough of – for those who're wondering what goes into it, click here for the recipe
http://www.pachakam.com/recipe.asp?id=1205&RecipeName=Aviyal%20-%20Real%20Taste%20of%20Kerala
– and now it holds good for the band's songs, too. The next album is coming soon, says the lead singer, Tony John. Till then, there is 'Nada Nada' to keep me going.
PS:
For those who'd rather be guided step-by step with a Making Avial video tutorial, here's YouTube – again – to the rescue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dvf1xmu42ws&feature=player_embedded
