Making a Mark Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Veteran musician Ilaiyaraaja’s music has been an intrinsic part of Sai Santosh’s musical journey. So when this prominent guitarist from Hyderabad co-founded a music band with his childhood friend, percussion and rhythm player, Pendyala Bhargava in 2018, choosing the name of the band was easy. “Ilaiyaraaja Garu There is an ‘Ustad’ and we are ‘Ustad boys’,” says Santosh, a 90s child who grew up listening to Ilayaraja tunes in Kothagudam in Khammam, Telangana.
The four-member regional Telugu band, comprising Olozwar Siva Kumar (vocals) and Vuppala Gaurav (keyboards), has been making its mark in the city’s live music circuit for over six years.
motivational story
A weekend show in a pub Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Santosh moved to Hyderabad in 2013 to become a music teacher. A casual conversation with Bhargava at a music festival paved the way for the sudden formation of a band, at a time when there was no vibrant band culture in the city. The beginnings were humble, says Ishwar Gurram, the band’s manager. With some contacts, musicians approached pubs to showcase their talents, even offering to play for free. “People enjoyed our music, which helped us build a base,” says Santosh, who now runs his own music academy, Maestro Music Academy.In SR Nagar.
Mashups and more
Music binds them together. Photo Courtesy: Paul Guthikonda/Special Arrangement
Using the box-shaped wooden percussion instrument cajon as a drum kit, the band plays Telugu songs as well as Hindi film songs from different genres and eras. They add a creative touch through interludes, variations or mash-ups of hit songs of a particular singer, music director, actor or the same genre. “The sound of one song blends seamlessly into the next, maintaining continuity so that listeners don’t feel as if they are listening to two different songs,” explains Santosh. He adds, “We don’t distort the original song or make any mash-ups just for the sake of it.”
Some of his popular mash-ups include hit songs of Mahesh Babu, Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna and Surya, singer Karthik or composers Ilaiyaraaja and AR Rahman. “People expect one song to be played till the end, but when we play another song, it surprises the crowd and also adds to the vibe of the set,” says Ishwar.
Looking forward to launching an album, Santosh says, “The idea of Maestro Boys was to entertain with our music and we are happy that we have succeeded.”
published – January 10, 2025 12:10 PM IST
