Thaikkudam Bridge

Thaikkudam Bridge
Thaikkudam Bridge in 2022
Thaikkudam Bridge in 2022
Background information
OriginKochi, Kerala, India
Genres
Years active2013–present
Labels
  • Wonderwall Media
  • Independent
MembersFull list
Past members
Websitethaikkudambridge.com

Thaikkudam Bridge is a multi-genre Indian music band, originated from Kerala in 2013. The band achieved its first commercial success through the musical show Music Mojo, which used to telecast on Kappa TV[1] where they released their debut original composition, "Fish Rock," during the Kappa TV's "Music Mojo" session. The song is also popularly known by the lyrics "Ayela, mathi, choora, kaari...".[2] The track went viral on social media, getting them extensive fame.[3] The band has won numerous awards, and has performed at over more than 600 shows and 25 countries as of 2024.[4]

History

[edit]

The band was conceived by Siddharth Menon and Govind Vasantha in 2013. The band’s name, proposed by band member Piyush Kapoor (ex-member), is derived from a bridge located in Kochi, Kerala.[5] Prior to forming Thaikkudam Bridge, the members had individual careers as musical artists. The members of the band Siddharth Menon and Vian Fernandes were previously part of a band. Soon after, they formed as a band, beginning with performances in Music Mojo sessions in 2013.[3][6]

Following the band's commercial breakthrough and increased demand for live shows, members put their individual careers on hold and focused on the Thaikkudam Bridge.[7]

Career

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Formed in 2013, They began making songs with the music Television channel Kappa TV. Their first YouTube release was the cover for Michael Jackson's song "Beat It" which was performed by their former member Piyush Kapoor tribute to Michael Jackson's birthday. Later, Along with Kappa TV's Music Mojo, they released Nostalgia, featuring melodies of the popular 80s and 90s Malayalam Movie Songs "Mandara Cheppundo, "Panchakkarikkaaya Thattil", "Allimalarkavil", "Chinkarakinnaram". The track Nostalgia first went viral on social media.[8]

On 30 August 2013, Their debut original composition, "Fish Rock," was released on, during the Kappa TV's "Music Mojo" session. The song is also popularly known by the lyrics "Ayela, mathi, choora, kaari...".[2] The song gained significant popularity on social media, particularly on YouTube, which led to achieving their first commercial success. They were soon invited to perform at colleges and major events.[9]

Following the success, They released their first debut studio album Navarasam in 2015, featuring nine songs, on various themes such as political satire, social inequality and historic stories from the Mughal era. It is a multi-lingual studio album where the songs are in Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi languages.[10][11] The music videos for the tracks "Aarachar", "One", "Sulthan" and the title track "Navarasam" were released and became popular among audiences.[12][13] Before the release of their debut album, they released their first independent single "Chathe" after the Music Mojo sessions with Kappa TV. Later, It was included in the album Navarasam.[14]

Later in 2015, The band composed the song "Theevandi" to the soundtrack of the film "Haram". This marked their debut in composing music for a Fahadh Faasil starring feature film "Haram" which was released on 20 February 2015.[15]

In 2017, the band's co-founder, Siddharth Menon, took a hiatus from the group. This was followed by an official announcement of his departure to pursue a solo career.[16]

In March 2018, the band were invited to perform live at YouTube FanFest in Bangalore, an event featuring Indian YouTube creators hosted by YouTube, alongside Kappa TV.[17]

Following the success of their first album “Navarasam”, The band's second studio album, "Namah", was released in 2019. Recording began in 2017. "Namah" is a concept album conceived as a tribute to the various artists who influenced the band's music.[18] The album release coincided with the promotional concert from the band held at Forum Shantiniketan Mall in Bangalore.[19]

In late 2019, the band received the "Most Popular Musical Band" Award at the Behindwoods Gold Mic Music Awards. The band also included a live tribute performance by the band in honor of A. R. Rahman.[20]

The same year, They won the Best Band Award in the World Music Stage Category and Best Emerging Artiste at Summerfest 2019 Edition.[21][22]

Controversy

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The 2022 Kannada movie Kantara has a track named Varaha Roopam, which garnered a lot of publicity and popularity for its compelling music, visuals, and folk fusion. Social media users started noticing and pointing out this track had a resemblance to the 2017 track Navarasam.

Critics have referred to the musical and thematic similarities of the two tracks. Members of the band took notice as well, to quote one of the band members:
"Initially, we were okay with it as some songs do have similarities at times. However, the comments, messages and calls didn’t stop. In fact, thousands of comments were deleted on Varaha Roopam’s video. We still gave it time, listened to it a number of times and made sure of the similarities." [23]

They filed a legal copyright lawsuit against the makers of Kannada Film ‘Kantara’, Hombale Films, on the allegations of plagiarism against the song "Varaha Roopam". The band’s management claimed that Varaha Roopam had infringed copyright laws by copying tracks from their debut album Navarasam.[24] Later, The Kozhikode District court passed an injunction order against Hombale Films based on a suit filed by the band leading to prohibiting from playing its song Varaha Roopam in theaters, and on OTT and digital platforms.[25]

Band Members

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The Band has 15 members consists of musicians from various parts of India who contribute their own style and influences to the ensemble.[26][27]

Former Members

[edit]

Management

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The band is managed exclusively by Wonderwall Media Pvt. Ltd., a creative entity based in Cochin.[28] The band’s management team includes Sujith Unnithan, and Lakshmi Venugopal.[26]

Discography

[edit]

Albums

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Release Title Year No. Of Tracks
Navarasam 2015 9
Namah 2019 10

Singles

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Release Title Year Featuring
Giddh 2023
Mazhaye 2022 Govind Vasantha
Hello 2021 (Tribute to A.R. Rahman) 2021
Gokulam Kerala FC 2018
Chathe 2015
Theevandi (from "Haram") 2015
Fish Rock 2013

Major Performances

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They have performed live in over 25 countries and having played more than 600 shows as of 2024 as per the band's website.[29]

Event Name Year City Ref
Mahindra Independence Rock Festival 2022 Mumbai [30]
Summerfest 2023 Milwaukee [31]
Echoes of Earth 2023 Bangalore [32]
IIT Sarang Various Chennai [33]
Indiegaga Various Various [34]
Royal Enfield Rider Mania 2022 Goa [35]
South Side Stories Various Various [36]
Summerfest 2019 Milwaukee [37]
Kasauli Rhythm and Blues Festival 2019 Kasauli [38]
Visakha Utsav 2018 Visakhapatnam [39]
Mojo Rising by Kappa TV 2018 Kochi [40]
Pearl 2016 Hyderabad [41]
Red Bull Tour Bus 2016 Chennai [42]
NH7 Weekender Various Various [43]

References

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  1. ^ "Music Mojo: Thaikkudam Bridge". The Hindu. 2014-10-25. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  2. ^ a b "A different kettle of fish". The Hindu. 2013-09-25. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  3. ^ a b "Thaikkudam Bridge Discusses The Band, Origin of the Celebrated 'Fish Rock' And Everything Musical". News18. 2023-09-15. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  4. ^ "Thaikkudam Bridge Official Website | #BeTheBridge". Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  5. ^ "Unity in diversity: How Cochin-based band Thaikkudam Bridge made it big". Hindustan Times. 2015-10-29. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  6. ^ Das, Brinda (2019-11-30). "Building bridges with genres". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  7. ^ "Let the music play". The Hindu. 2014-10-16. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  8. ^ James, Anu (2017-01-20). "AR Rahman, Kamal Haasan, other celebs all praise for Thaikkudam Bridge's new Navarasam video song". www.ibtimes.co.in. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  9. ^ "Listen: "Fish Rock" By Thaikkudam Bridge". Rolling Stone India. 2013-10-10. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  10. ^ "The big debut". The Hindu. 2015-10-08. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  11. ^ beehype; Mridul, Akshit (2017-03-23). "India: Thaikkudam Bridge - "Navarasam"". beehype – Best Music from Around the World. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  12. ^ "Thaikkudam Bridge's 'Aarachar' raises the bar for music videos". www.radioandmusic.com. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  13. ^ "Know your Track with Thaikkudam Bridge". Red Bull. 2016-10-19. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  14. ^ Paul, Chokita (2023-06-23). "From the hearts of Thaikkudam Bridge: Exploring discography, eclectic legacy, and unforgettable melodies". Indulgexpress. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  15. ^ "Siddharth Menon excited about Haram". The Times of India. 2017-01-16. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  16. ^ "Siddharth Menon of Thaikkudam Bridge plans to take a break from performing for a while!". The Times of India. 2017-02-26. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  17. ^ Thaikkudam Bridge with Kappa TV @ YouTube FanFest Showcase Bengaluru 2018, 17 July 2018, retrieved 2024-03-24
  18. ^ "Inside Thaikkudam Bridge's new album Namah, a collaboration-heavy tribute to their musical influences". Firstpost.
  19. ^ Shefeek, Afrin (2019-11-30). "Namah, saluting the luminary". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  20. ^ "Thaikkudam Bridge | Behindwoods Gold Mic Music Awards - Winners who bagged laurels!". Behindwoods. 2019-10-07. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  21. ^ "Forum Shantiniketan presents Thaikkudam Bridge who will be performing live and launching their new album "Namah" on 30th November 2019 at 7PM at Forum Shantiniketan Mall, Whitefield Bangalore". INDIAN NEWZ. 2019-11-22. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  22. ^ Ferreira, Verus. "Musicunplugged.in : interviews". www.musicunplugged.in. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  23. ^ Parekh, Aayushi (2022-10-31). "Kantara song row: Thaikkudam Bridge frontman speaks up". The Hindustan Times.
  24. ^ "'Kantara' makers face allegations of plagiarism, Kerala band Thaikkudam Bridge to sue for copyright infringement". The Hindu. 2022-10-25. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  25. ^ "Kerala court prohibits use of Varaha Roopam in theatres, digital streaming platforms". The Indian Express. 2023-04-14. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  26. ^ a b "Profiles – Thaikkudam Bridge". Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  27. ^ "Know Your Artists-Thaikkudam Bridge". KushLosh - Media & More. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  28. ^ "Artists". Wonderwall. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  29. ^ "Thaikkudam Bridge - Events". Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  30. ^ Britto, Anurag Tagat and David (2022-11-07). "11 Top Moments from Mahindra Independence Rock". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  31. ^ "Here's the Summerfest 2023 lineup and daily schedule". Radio Milwaukee. 2023-07-04. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  32. ^ "Echoes of Earth 2023 to have performances by Sid Sriram, Tinariwen and Thaikkudam Bridge. Details inside". mirchi.in. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  33. ^ "IIT Madras Students to Celebrate 50 years of Saarang". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  34. ^ "Thaikkudam Bridge". Indiegaga. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  35. ^ "Radio City Top Celebrity Interview: Movie Review | Web Series Review| Celebrity News". Radiocity. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  36. ^ "South Side Story". southsidestory.in. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  37. ^ "Thaikkudam Bridge slays it at Summerfest". The Times of India. 2019-07-20. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  38. ^ Xalxo, Jessica (2019-04-02). "Thaikkudam Bridge, Maati Baani and more Set for Kasauli Rhythm and Blues Festival". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  39. ^ Reporter, Staff (2018-12-28). "All set for Visakha Utsav today". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  40. ^ "Mojo Rising 2nd day: Cut-A-Vibe thrills music lovers". English Archives. 2018-02-11. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  41. ^ "Thaikkudam Bridge in Hyderabad, BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus". Whats Hot. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  42. ^ Service, Express News (2016-03-02). "Red Bull Tour Bus". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  43. ^ Rao, Shweta (2017-10-27). "Platforms like NH7 Can Play a Big Role in the Indian Rock Music Uprising : Thaikkudam Bridge - Roots and Leisure". rootsandleisure.com. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
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