Come ‘Mestro Boys’ from Hyderabad here

Making a mark. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Experienced musician Ilaiyaraja’s music has been an internal part of Sai Santosh’s music journey. So when this Hyderabad-based lead guitarist co-established a music band with his childhood friend, perkuition and Rhythm Player, Pendila Bhargava in 2018, it was easy to choose the name of the band. “Ilaiyaraja Garu There is a ‘Mestro’ and we are ‘Mestro Boys, “the children of the 90s say Santosh, who grew up listening to the tune of Ilaiyaraja in the open cell.

The four -member regional Telugu band, including Olojwar Shiv Kumar (Vocals) and Vupala Gaurav (keyboard), has been making a mark in the city’s live music circuit for six years.

Inspirational story

A weekend show in a pub | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Santosh transferred to Hyderabad to become a music teacher in 2013. A casual conversation with Bhargava in a concert paved the way for the sudden formation of a band, at a time when the city did not have a lively band culture. The band’s manager Ashwar Guram says, the beginning was humble. With some contacts, musicians approached the pub to demonstrate their talent, even offered to play for free. Santosh says, “People enjoyed our music, which helped us to make a basis,”In SR Nagar.

Mashup and more

Music binds them together. Photo Credit: Paul Guthikonda/Special Arrangement

A kazon, using a box-shaped wooden bump equipment, as a drum kit, the band covers the Hindi film songs as well as the cover of Telugu songs from various styles and ages. They add a creative touch through the interlude, diversity or mash-up of hit songs within a special singer, music director, actor or the same style. Santosh explains, “The outspoken track of a song is originally mixed in the next, making sure that the audience feels that they are listening to two different songs.” He says, “We do not distort the original song nor make just a mash-up for it.”

Some of his popular mash-ups have been hit by Mahesh Babu, Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna and Surya, singers Karthik or musicians Ilaiyaraja and R Rahman. “People hope that a song will be played till the end, but when we lay down another song, it surprises the crowd and also adds vibrancy to the set,” says Ishwar.

Expecting to launch an album, Santosh says, “The idea of ​​Mestro Boys was to entertain with our music and we are happy that we have succeeded.”