East Band gets humming bird medal

And it was because of the group’s lifetime of achievements that it received the Hummingbird Gold Medal for music culture at this year’s Independence Day awards at President’s House.

The band reigned at a time when East Indians began to display renewed enthusiasm towards their culture and when chutney music started to evolve.

Formed in 1955 by Mr Sewak Gyan (now deceased), the band first played for weddings and other cultural events in its home town, Sangre Grande.

Then in 1975, under the leadership of the dynamic Teddy Krishna Bissambhar, the band began to experience immense popularity throughout Trinidad.

It was also during this year that they received sponsorship from the D Rampersad automotive company, which enabled the band to acquire modern equipment.

With the improved sound, they soon skyrocketed to the number one position in the local sphere of Indian cultural music.

Their string of major accomplishments started when they defeated 21 bands at the Saaj Sameelaan competition in 1988.

The next year, they performed at the Carnival Expo and Soca Village, alongside top soca bands.

For a number of years as well, they provided back-up music for the very popular Mastana Bahar and Indian Cultural Pageant shows.

They also provided music for the first ever National Chutney/Soca Monarch Competition, as well as numerous Indian singers including Usha Urtup, Anoop Jalota, Charanjit Singh, Kumar Sanu, Nitin Mukesh and actor Shah Rukh Khan.

Teddy Bissambhar eventually became a household name, at home and abroad and D Rampersad was contracted to perform at various events in the United States and Canada.

Bissambhar’s magical fingers, coupled with his limitless knowledge of the art form ensured the band’s top position, which he admits was difficult to maintain at times.

“Getting to the top is not hard, it’s staying there, because you have to keep inventing new ways to keep the fans satisfied,” he stated in an interview with Newsday.

It should be noted that the band’s musical repertoire is not limited to only Indian music, but includes other types as well.

Bissambhar boasted that the band has been able to establish a fully equipped state-of-the-art recording studio, out of their home in Sangre Grande, and that is where they do all their recordings. “We are also available for other artistes to record,” he said.

The renamed Indi-Art Orchestra is now in its third generation, with the versatile Akash Bissambhar (son of Teddy) at the helm.

“I felt the need to give the younger generation a chance, and since Akash expressed interest in leading the band, I stepped down, but I am still the manager,” Bissambhar admitted.

“Sometimes I play keyboard with them, but I prefer to take a backseat now.

“And nothing makes me more proud than having my two sons — including younger son Neval — in the frontline of what has become my family’s legacy.”

Both Bissambhar boys plan to further their knowledge in music, with 24-year-old Akash leaning towards sound engineering, while 19-year-old Neval admitted he loved the marketing aspect of the business.

They are also accomplished musicians, with Akash following in his father’s footsteps on the keyboard, while Neval strums away at the guitar.

The two admitted they are very pleased about the award.

“It proves that what we are doing is not in vain,” Akash said.

He explained, “People may think we have dropped out of the limelight, but in fact we are contracted for events almost every weekend.

“We have had as much as 14 jobs in one month.

“We have two full sets of equipment to facilitate this.

“And what we have been concentrating on is honing our skills, and trying to focus on presenting a top quality product, instead of taking on all these big shows and just playing party music.”

He revealed that the band is currently recording its new album, which should be completed around November, with the first track, “Channa Ve,” having been released about two months ago.

One complaint Bissambhar has concerns the issue of airplay for their music.

“When we released that song, we went to the East Indian radio stations and left copies for each of the DJs, but some of them only played the song for about two days and then dropped it. It is a very catchy tune and we have high hopes for it, but the DJs are not playing it.

“This is a very real issue that many artistes face and sometimes you might feel you should just give up,” Teddy said.

“But these two boys have no intention of doing that.

“They are focussed and committed to making their music.”

In addition to the two handsome young men, there are two other frontline vocalists, Nishard Mayrhoo (who is also a UWI student) and Kamini Prabhoo.

Other members include sound engineer Terry Beekhee (who has been with the band for over 15 years), bass guitarist Gavin Maharaj, drummer Vijay Bhola and Vishi Bissessar on digital drums.