Ninth Ward of New Orleans

Bul Bul Tarang Gang - Live @ Babeville (The 9th Ward) In Buffalo, NY (2012-07-27)

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• published: 26 Nov 2012
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Bul Bul Tarang Gang is a side project of multi-instrumentalist Ravi Padmanabha, featuring his brothers Aneal and Naryan on percussion, Bill Conroy on accompanying percussion, and Michael McNeill on harmonium. One of the group's regular players, Ed Klavoon, who plays upright acoustic bass, was unable to join the combo for this performance. This live show was presented as part of the 2012 Buffalo Infringement Festival at The Ninth Ward in Babeville (The Church) on July 27, 2012. The other acts for this evening's program were Clandestina y La Raza Cosmica ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YETYr7lMFss/ ) and Shubbaluliuma (a.k.a. Will Folk For Food) ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTXox5DSgdM/ ). ARTVOICE interview by Cory Perla ( http://artvoice.com/issues/v11n30/infringement_2012 ): "...Bul Bul Tarang Gang will perform live on Friday, July 27 at Babeville's Ninth Ward with After Hours and Will Folk for Food, and then again on Saturday, July 28 at the Vault with Pam Swarts and Sound Without. We spoke with Ravi Padmanabha about his new group. "Artvoice: Tell me a little bit about this project, Bul Bul Tarang Gang. "Ravi Padmanabha: This is a newer group. The instrument I play on stage is called a bul bul tarang. It's like an Indian banjo, so it is a totally different thing than the Sitar Jams. The group usually varies between five and six people. The full band can't make it but I have my brothers Aneal and Naryan, who are also in Sitar Jams with me, and then I have Michael McNeill on harmonium, Ed Klavoon on acoustic bass, and Bill Conroy on percussion. My brothers play percussion in this group as well, which is kind of a nice switch because in Sitar Jams they're the string players and I'm the drummer. It's like a role reversal. "AV: Do you like moving around on stage like that? What is your instrument of choice? "RP: Oh, my favorite instrument is always percussion. Even though in this Bul Bul Tarang group I play this stringed, Indian banjo-type of instrument, later in the set I always end up playing drums because I love the drums. I consider myself primarily a drummer. I think moving around on stage like that really keeps things fresh. Everyone can have a different perspective, especially when a string player starts playing percussion. They approach it differently than a drummer would. "AV: How does the music of Bul Bul Tarang Gang compare to your other group, Family Funktion and the Sitar Jams? "RP: We have different instruments so it's definitely not funky like Sitar Jams. It's more like ritual Indian folk music with some avant-garde elements added. We play traditional Indian tunes, but we do it a little differently by adding some experimental aspects in there. "AV: Why did you choose to do Bul Bul [Tarang Gang] instead of the Sitar Jams at this Infringement Festival? "RP: [Laughing] I was told that the Sitar Jams are not 'infringey enough.' This is something I've been doing for a little while but I don't usually get this group out too often and I thought that Infringement would be a good chance to get us out. "AV: What is your favorite part about the festival? "RP: I think the best thing is that pretty much anything goes, as far as music acts and installations. Anybody and everybody gets a chance to play and there are no rules or guidelines. To me that is the best part." Ravi Padmanabha's Home Website: http://www.ravipadman.com/ Ravi Padmanabha on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ravipadman22/ Ravi Padmanabha on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ravi.padmanabha/ Ravi Padmanabha on SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/ravipadmanabha/ Information on the Bulbul Tarang: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulbul_tarang/ http://www.bulbultarang.com/ http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/bulbul.html/ Buffalo Infringement Festival Home Website: http://infringebuffalo.org/ Buffalo Infringement Festival on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/infringebuffalo/ http://www.facebook.com/InfringeEveryDay/ http://www.facebook.com/groups/22033482171/ Buffalo Infringement Festival on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/BuffaloInfringement/ Babeville (The Ninth Ward): http://www.babevillebuffalo.com/events/