Shaa’ir + Func
By Karsh Kale
Photograph by Colston Julian
Watching the evolution of Shaa’ir + Func has been like watching two forces of nature come together from opposite ends of the universe to make a mighty sound. The first time I heard about Shaa’ir + Func, I knew before hearing a note that this was going to be something explosive.
I knew Randolph Corriea (Func) as the guitarist of one of India’s most celebrated rock bands, Pentagram, and the Mumbai underground collective, Bombay Black, and later as whiz experimental electronica producer Func International. I used to spin his tracks as part of my set at my weekly NYC event called Kollektiv. Often, in the audience, along with a who’s who of the underground NY electronica scene was Monica Dogra (Shaa’ir). At the time she was an up-and-coming singer and student at New York University. I remember attending Monica’s graduation recital at NYU and it was there that I first saw her raw talent and ability to transcend as a vocalist. I was also friends with Randolph and would often get together with him and the rest of the Bombay Black crew to trade music etc while in Mumbai. It would be a few years later that the two would meet in Mumbai and set fire to each other’s universe. The result was Shaa’ir + Func.
Now, I have seen many artists that I have known come together to create great music but rarely does there come a meeting of two artists that take each others artistry to another level. This was the case with S+F. I first heard their work online and was tickled to see two talented friends of mine come together on many levels. Soon after I got to see them play live in NYC in a dingy underground pub. Though there were probably about ten people in the audience, these two came on the stage like it was Madison Square Garden and rocked us all like it was the last show on earth. I knew then that a new time had arrived for both of them and that Shaa’ir + Func would be the vehicle to their own musical revolution. Great songwriting, fantastic production, a killer live show and a sexy-ass image have made these guys the face of the new rock/pop scene in India and soon the world. It’s great to see friends shine their light as artists and in the case of Shaa’ir + Func, their light is like a supernova exploding in the night sky.
By Karsh Kale
