MUMBAI: Passionate but not trite, interesting but not reactionary, exciting and endlessly listen-worthy, this is what Banjo - the lead vocalist of Groove Yatra - is all about. German poet, Berthold Auerbach said, “Music is the only universal language which needs no translation.” The versatility of Groove Yatra when it comes to approaching the universality of music helps the multi-genre outfit tap that pervasive line.

One of the few multi-lingual cover bands in the country, the experimental band started as ‘Yatra’ and mutated to ‘Groove Yatra’ for more impact. The groove added the connotation of 'travel across cultures' to the title. The band’s philosophy - ‘Melody Rules All’ – concerns youth across various communities with pump and thump on one side and subtle melody on the other. From Bengali to Spanish, Groove Yatra does not restrict itself to any linguistic space, and its eight-year long journey has ensured that music always remained at the forefront.

Considering A R Rahman as one of the early influences in his life, Banjo believes that striking a chord with the audience is a primary plan and performing mainly for them makes ‘Groove Yatra’ an extraordinary ‘audience band’. Cultural differences do not influence creative decisions, he believes. Spectators dance and enjoy the music, irrespective of the language or lack of lyrical understanding. Language develops a cultural difference; the sound does not, he says.

The lead singer of the band laments the biggest challenge of the band - Hindi lyrics. Exploring regional languages through music also remains a big task for the band, he says. Banjo feels contemporary independent artistes are breaking the mould already, breaking the shackles by doing what they like to, newer platforms offering much needed opportunities.

Listeners' bias towards a particular genre concerns Banjo to the core. Vulnerability towards sound, whether classical or hip-hop need to opens up, he says. Consumers of music need to accept music from all genres, be it Bollywood or Western music, simply, because music in any form is worthy of a listen.