MUMBAI: The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi held Rockamania-a competition for the best Rock Band as part of its annual management festival Quo Vadis 2008.
The competition saw an impressive turnout with six bands vying for the top honours of the day. The winners were a band called The Secret Yakk Project…. The second prize was taken by a band called Fire Exit….
The evening saw an impressive turnout of rock lovers from colleges all over Delhi-be it B-schools, engineering colleges or even DU. Arjun Kaul, the lead singer of The Secret Yakk Project kept everybody engaged and entertained both with his powerful singing as well with his antics, as he got the audience to rock along.
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IIFT’s in-house band also kept the audience greatly entertained with cover versions of great rock numbers such as Pearl Jam’s Last Kiss…, Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here… and U2’s With or Without You….
The show was a great success. We launched it on a trial basis this year, but we were really impressed with the turnout both in terms of the number of people as well as the quality,… said IIFT’s cultural secretary Tarunesh Mathur.
THE SECRET YAKK PROJECT
The Secret Yakk Project is five people who’ve accomplished themselves in various fields of human endeavor and now renounce the world for musical ecstasy.
Although each one of them has a myriad of influences, the songwriting and music is very unique and truly weird. One of the most creative bands you’ll find, The Secret Yakk Project makes its own music and also has some well known and popular heavy rock covers under its belt.
The Secret covers bands like AC/DC, Rolling Stones, Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin, Lenny Kravitz, Queen, and KISS. Let’s meet the guys:
1.Norgais Konchok (guitar)
A doctor from MAMC, Norgais is an accomplished blues and classical guitar player. A native of Leh, Norgais draws much of his inspiration for his songwriting from the undulating peace and tranquility of his homeland which is in stark contrast to his current habitation. Norgais is also an exceptional artist
2.Vivek Nair (guitar)
Also a doctor from MAMC, Vivek is a guitar player who flourishes in heavy metal. Vivek’s style is instantly recognizable having a potent mix of smooth legato with visceral juicy riffs with a progressive melodic sensibility. Also, Vivek is an intense passionate singer with a wide vocal range. His vocal texture brings to mind Sam Cooke. He is also a trained Salsa dancer and state level cricket player.
3.Andrew Lallawmzuala (bass)
Andrew is a doctor. He’s also an MBA. He’s a good samaritan who plays for his church band & his holy associations have probably been the cause of his exceptional ears and keen sense of timing. Known to have played full gigs completely intoxicated to the point of not knowing which way the audience was. Called “Anthro” by his friends.
4.Bhim Kaul (drums)
A PEC graduate Bhim is an electrical engineer on normal days and a bat out of hell on stage. He is one hell of a drummer. Nowhere else on planet earth will you see such intensity and passion for music onstage. A veteran of the rock circuit being the drummer for PRITHVI, Bhim is a classic rock drummer with a penchant for shaking grooves you can hear a mile away.
5.Arjun Kaul (vocals)
A software engineer, Arjun is also a member of PRITHVI. A double threat, Arjun is a fine singer and a good guitar player as well. On a good day he’ll blow your socks off with a Vai song played up to speed and then dazzle you with a Freddie Mercury rendition. A born frontman, his varied influences bring in a lot variety to the bands vibe and sound.
So that’s the team. Buccaneers and cut throats every one of them! A band that with a strong melodic sense combined with all the swagger and musical ability of a generation of rockers when attitude was secondary to the music being made. An extremely entertaining band that will win ANY crowd!
