Varun Sunil
Varun Sunil (born 10 May 1987) is an Indian multi-percussionist, singer, music producer and founder of Masala Coffee, one of the popular contemporary folk bands in South India.
Occupation(s) Percussionist, singer, founder of Masala Coffee, music producer
Spouse(s) Neha Raghurajan
Parents Sunil Menon and Sujatha
Relatives Vishnu Sunil (brother)
Musical career
Genre(s) Jazz fusion, Folk music, World music and Lounge music
Labels Independent music, Sony Music
Early Life
Varun Sunil was born on 10 May 1987 to Sujatha and Sunil Menon in Kochi, Kerala. Varun has a younger brother named Vishnu, who is also a singer, composer and guitarist. He is married to Neha Raghurajan, a teacher.
Varun started playing Mridangam at the age of 4. While in school, he participated in various youth festivals and competitions, and bagged prizes. His music teachers at school were Renuka and Raj Mohan, and he trained under Pradeep to play Mridangam.
It was when he was pursuing Bachelor of Business Administration at Rajagiri College of Management and Applied Science in Kochi, he decided to pursue a career in music and left for Chennai. He started to perform with musicians and travelled across the world. During this period, he also produced advertising jingles, background music for corporate films and documentaries for South Indian-based brands.
Varun has also performed alongside the likes of Ustad Fazal Qureshi, Taufiq Qureshi, Astad Deboo, Hariharan (singer), Sridhar Parthasarathy, Ranjit Barot, Rizwan and Mauzam Fateh Ali Khan, Sabir Khan, Dilshad Khan, Shankar Tucker, George Brooks (musician), Swedish flautist and sopran saxophonist Anders Hagberg and the Grammy Award winners T. H. Vinayakram, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. Varun has worked with music composers Jerry Amaldev, Johnson (composer), Rajamani, M. Jayachandran, among others.
Later, he shifted base to Mumbai, where he composed jingles for many popular brands like Cadbury, Britannia Industries, Sundrop Oil, Castrol and Kurkure, among others.
Instruments
Varun Sunil plays a number of percussion instruments including Cajón, darbouka, ghatam, Kanjira and conga.
Career
Notable work
Varun Sunil was part of ‘The Killing of Dushasana,’ a pro-women play sponsored by UNESCO. The play, which was adapted by Spaniard Cesar Lorente Raton, was a fusion of Kathakali and Flamenco and was staged in various cities in India. It shone light on violence against women. Varun collaborated with Spanish artists and handled multiple percussion instruments.
Masala Coffee
In 2014, Varun Sunil and a few musician friends jammed together for Kappa TV’s Music Mojo. Their cover of A. R. Rahman’s Munbe Vaa and Snehithane became a hit with millions of views on YouTube. Following the success, Varun brought them together and formed the band Masala Coffee.
Today, Masala Coffee is one of the popular contemporary folk bands in South India. With over 300 concert performances in India and abroad, and two movie projects, the eight-member band has carved a niche for themselves in the music industry.
Discography
Kaantha – Masala Coffee, Uriyadi
Once Upon a Time – Masala Coffee
Aalayal Thara Venam – Masala Coffee, Solo movie
Naanam - Masala Coffee
Tamas- Masala Coffee
Varun Sunil scored the music for ‘Lullaby of Hope’ sung by renowned playback singer K. S. Chithra.
Upcoming projects
Varun Sunil’s first single ‘Whispering Hues’ in his upcoming album will feature Veena maestro Rajhesh Vaidhya.
He will debut as a music composer with Shane Nigam’s upcoming film Painkili.
References
https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/a-heady-blend-of-music/article6170037.ece
http://www.edexlive.com/happening/2017/oct/07/wake-up-and-smell-the-masala-coffee-1278.html
http://archive.asianage.com/life-and-style/when-kerala-meets-spain-565
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