Photos: Ranjit and the Ambassadors Take on Old School Rock n’ Roll in Mumbai

Ranjit Arapurakal, frontman of Ranjit and the Ambassadors. Photo: Bryan Daniel

New York City rock band Ranjit and the Ambassadors and Delhi-dance rockers Mosko both have an ability to bring to life past eras of music onstage, while maintaining their individual styles. This allowed for the collective display of the spectrum that rock and roll covers at the show at BlueFrog, Mumbai on Thursday night.

Kavya Trehan of Mosko. Photo: Bryan Daniel

It took just two power-packed songs for Mosko frontwoman Kavya Trehan to take charge and get everyone grooving. With a buzzing stage presence, her voice combines tones of Seventies rock and jazz. Guitarist Moses Koul proved he was one with the instrument, his tones effortlessly recreating the vibe of an old-school arcade game.Drummer Suyash Gabriel [of electro rock act Komorebi and hardcore band Grammy Winning Effort] and bassist Abhinav Chaudhary [from experimental rockers The Circus] are the backbone of Mosko, their energy and experience making for a band that never go out of sync at any point.

When New York City rock and rollers Ranjit and the Ambassadors [Ranjit Arapurakal on lead vocals, guitar, piano, Nevin DMello on lead guitar, Vivian D’Souza on bass, Jeffrey Kyle on the blues harp and Bobby Duggal on drums] took the stage, they started off mellow, drawing in a lot of the older crowd present. Arapurakal’s diverse vocal range and a singing style that rewinds the clock to the time of rock and roll were the highlight of the show, greatly complemented by DMello’s heartfelt guitar solos. The show also marked the return of drummer Duggal [formerly of rock veterans Indus Creed] to the music scene after spending nearly twenty years in retirement.

Photos: Bryan Daniel for Rolling Stone India

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