This story is from December 13, 2017

My aim is to introduce ‘the Italian of the east’ to the Western audience

My aim is to introduce ‘the Italian of the east’ to the Western audience
"I've got absolutely no idea what the hell he's saying, but... this music has got the feel factor. Love it!”; “Even though I don’t understand the lyrics I can feel the music speaking to me loudly!?” — these are the kind of responses that come his way when lyricist and musician Alluri Shriram performs his unique brand of ‘Telugu rock’ to a Western audience. And yet, we can’t help but ask the London-based Hyderabadi boy, why ‘Telugu rock?’ “Music for me is a means to connect to my roots and I find Telugu to be the most spontaneous and natural medium to express my ideas, thoughts and passions,” says the 30-year-old, who started off with English songs, but is now seeking to emerge as the face of Telugu Rock genre worldwide.

The singer recently performed at the Trans Musicales 2017 at Rennes in France and Islington Festival in London, where he delighted an international audience with his passionate crooning of Emi Chestunamu (What Are We Doing?) and Evari Kosam (For Whose Sake) — his first Telugu song (released in 2016) — and his most recent Endukala (Lovers No More), which the singer describes as a “happy break-up song” for its cheerful and catchy musical tone contradicting the sadness of the lyrics. When asked about the reception he received, Alluri says, “Rock musicians are still in the process of finding an audience. But there is a great reception for our Rock among the Western audience, though they cannot exactly relate to Telugu or our culture. I was overjoyed by the response I got from the crowd at Rennes. Their generosity to appreciate a different genre of music in an alien language was praise worthy. It is a prestigious festival only for independent musicians and bands, and not even a single mainstream band is featured there,” he says, adding, “The West has a culture of listening to diverse music genres in weekend festivals; that’s something we lack. People in large numbers come together to savour something new and experimental. Their music industry is more developed and open compared to ours.”
Kicked about his homecoming
The musician, who confesses he couldn’t sleep for days as he was busy preparing for his ongoing India tour, is thrilled about giving Hyderabadis a taste of Telugu rock. “Hyderabad is where I belong. I am excited about performing in in the city today, after a gap of nearly one year,” says Alluri, who was born and brought up in the city. He has vivid memories of growing up in Hyderabad and his initiation into music here, before he went to Britain after completing his schooling. “I used to live with my family in Banjara Hills, Road No 10. When I was five years old, my father made me listen to Imagine by John Lennon. He read out the lyrics to me. It was a turning point in my life as I developed a keen taste for lyrics.”
But, the musician says, at that time he was just a kid and didn’t really think he would pursue music seriously. “I was forced to learn Western classical violin, when I wanted to play cricket with my school buddies. I left violin classes after two years. Then I was forced to learn piano; this time it was my teacher’s turn to quit, telling my father that I was not interested.
“But then, when I was 12, my cousin made me listen to Pink Floyd and Deep Purple and also asked my father to buy me a guitar. Since then I’ve been playing the guitar,” says the singer, who is inspired by bands like
Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, The Smiths, Morrissey, Radiohead and Joy Division.
My songs are universal
Given his cosmopolitan upbringing and firm grounding in English, it’s no surprise that the artiste’s first album, Man of Truth, was in English.“English had overtaken my life in every way then,” says Alluri about the album, which was a reflection of how the young artiste felt culturally alienated in Britain, while feeling equally isolated in India during the much-celebrated homecomings. It was this cultural disconnect he had experienced as an immigrant, which actually motivated him to come up with his second album, Tales of This Telugu Man, for which he teamed up with renowned producer Tommasso Colliva and Italian musician Massimo Martellotta, of popular band Calibro 35.
“As a songwriter, I can express myself in both English and Telugu. But I find myself at ease connecting with my roots in Telugu. The first song of this
album, Endukala (Lovers No More) was released last month, and has got a lot of love from both Telugus and Westerners alike. My aim now is to introduce the ‘Italian of the East’ — Telugu to the Western audience through my music,” Alluri says, adding, “My lyrics are universal and not limited by boundaries of language, race or culture. I talk to my audience at a personal level through my songs. For me a song is a first-hand reporting.”
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