Elio Dana Interviewed :: 26/11/2004 :: by Auntie Ji
Auntie Ji: What is your Link with Shiva Soundsystem?
Elio: I do a lot of production work with Chani (one half of production team Protein) and Dhar (aka Nu-Trix, the other half of Protein).
Dhar introduced me to Shiva Soundsystem, and I’ve been working with them ever since to bring more live elements to their nights with my band.
Auntie Ji: And what sort of music is it you make?
Elio: It’s difficult because I have three different projects. ‘Beyond Maya’ is rock oriented with Indian influences. Vimana is more chillout and Vimana Live draws more on the broken beats. Its funky, percussive, rhythmical dance music – but just good dance – and that’s the gig we are doing on December 19th at Supersonic Buddha for Shiva.
Auntie Ji: So tell us a bit about Vimana Live.
Elio: Well, Vimana means UFO in Hindi – it’s a sound from outer space.
We fuse the music of Indian culture with rock, funk and the blues. We’re also bringing Spanish and Italian vibes (where I come from) and an added electronic vibe from Stephano, who’s worked with people like Kruder & Dorfmeister.
So you get chillout mixed with Indian and jazz elements; Jackson on piano adds the jazz elements and Renu adds the Indian element on the tabla.
I play electric guitar, but I also play bass guitar and piano, and I’m planning to teach myself sitar, which I’m hoping to pick up in India.
We have one, two, three, minds working together. Then we have lots of different musicians and elements. It’s always me and Dhar or me and Stephano, so we come up with lots of ideas, which we bring all together with the musicians.
Auntie Ji: How has the Indian influence developed?
Elio: I don’t know! I came to London to set up a rock bank and I ended up setting up a fusion, space, dance funky band which varies all the time. In London there is such a huge Indian community. I just got hooked in when I came here.
It’s just being in England the past three years that has gotten me into it and my predisposition to India because of my uncle.
Auntie Ji: And how do the Indian and the Spanish influences work together?
Elio: They are very close. In fact a year ago I went to learn flamenco in Spain and I learnt that all the gypsy music actually comes from India. The gypsies, who traveled from India to Romania, developed Indian music into something that forms the current day flamenco. And when you examine it musically, the raags and modes of the scales in flamenco are the same as those you find in classical North Indian music.
In fact, the first music in the world comes from India so you could say that all music has an Indian influence.
I think Italian and Indians are very close culturally too, they have a lot to share - culturally and musically. Traditional Italian music, which comes from the south, (Naples and Sicily) is all influenced by Indians. Also the way they teach the music is very different from the west, where you have books and history. With Spanish and Italian music it is always taught from one person to the next, father to child; teacher to student, just like in India.
Auntie Ji: How did you get into music?
Elio: I started playing piano when I was five years old. My uncle was a famous musician in the seventies. His band was fusion rock of the seventies, space rock – Zakhir Hussain on the tablas and congas, Phil Collins playing percussion, Michael Waldon on drums, sax and flutes. My uncle’s name is Elio Danna, like me. He has been the greatest influence in my life and convinced me that it is possible to do what you love completely and enjoy what you’re doing and make other people enjoy it as well.
Auntie Ji: Who or what are your main musical influences?
Elio: Maha Visional Orchestra, John Mclaughin, and all the grunge rock and lately more electronic music. The Indian influences are artists such as Zakhir Hussain, Ustad Nishna Khan who plays sitar and Jan Garbarek, a sax player.
Auntie Ji: And has your uncle contributed to your work at all?
Elio: He hadn’t played the flute in fifteen years and I asked him to play on a track, that’s being released, called ‘In your eyes,’ and is being released in Feb.
Auntie Ji: How do you find working with someone who is a drum’n’bass producer?
Elio: It is interesting because Dhar and me have this relationship where he looks after the beats. He is really amazing with everything that has to do with drums. Chani looks after the engineering side. I take care of the musical side in terms of bringing elements that can work into pop music and rock. So we get the big sounds of drum’n’bass and interesting Indian beats but fused with nice melodies and something that can be catchy that is popular and accessible.
Auntie Ji: Who writes the songs?
Elio: Usually it’s Dhar and me. Other songs I write with Stephano and some I write on my own.
Auntie Ji: How does your music go down in Italy?
Elio: We’ve never played together in Italy but I play every summer, gigging all over the beaches of Italy.
Auntie Ji: Would you take the Indian collective to Italy?
Elio: It’s not that popular in Italy. Italy is a mirror of America; they want to have that American efficiency and want to look American, and the rock sounds ‘good’ if it sounds American.
Even when I was in America I was in Berkley at the college of music, which was one of the most prestigious musical colleges, and I remember that they had no Indian music training there at all.
Auntie Ji: Have u been to India?
Elio: No, but I am about to go in December. I’m so excited! I’m going soon to play some gigs and breathe the air over there, and buy tablas and a sitar. I’ll be with Nerm, Dhar and Sunil and I’ll be doing some live programming with my guitar and computer.
Auntie Ji: So what do you have planned next?
Elio: I’m releasing a CD, ‘Beyond Maya,’ the name of the rock band, which is being released globally with Amiata records.
Catch Vimana live at Supersonic Buddha on December 19th, at the Vibe bar, Brick Lane, E1.
Auntie Ji: What is your Link with Shiva Soundsystem?
Elio: I do a lot of production work with Chani (one half of production team Protein) and Dhar (aka Nu-Trix, the other half of Protein).
Dhar introduced me to Shiva Soundsystem, and I’ve been working with them ever since to bring more live elements to their nights with my band.
Auntie Ji: And what sort of music is it you make?
Elio: It’s difficult because I have three different projects. ‘Beyond Maya’ is rock oriented with Indian influences. Vimana is more chillout and Vimana Live draws more on the broken beats. Its funky, percussive, rhythmical dance music – but just good dance – and that’s the gig we are doing on December 19th at Supersonic Buddha for Shiva.
Auntie Ji: So tell us a bit about Vimana Live.
Elio: Well, Vimana means UFO in Hindi – it’s a sound from outer space.
We fuse the music of Indian culture with rock, funk and the blues. We’re also bringing Spanish and Italian vibes (where I come from) and an added electronic vibe from Stephano, who’s worked with people like Kruder & Dorfmeister.
So you get chillout mixed with Indian and jazz elements; Jackson on piano adds the jazz elements and Renu adds the Indian element on the tabla.
I play electric guitar, but I also play bass guitar and piano, and I’m planning to teach myself sitar, which I’m hoping to pick up in India.
We have one, two, three, minds working together. Then we have lots of different musicians and elements. It’s always me and Dhar or me and Stephano, so we come up with lots of ideas, which we bring all together with the musicians.
Auntie Ji: How has the Indian influence developed?
Elio: I don’t know! I came to London to set up a rock bank and I ended up setting up a fusion, space, dance funky band which varies all the time. In London there is such a huge Indian community. I just got hooked in when I came here.
It’s just being in England the past three years that has gotten me into it and my predisposition to India because of my uncle.
Auntie Ji: And how do the Indian and the Spanish influences work together?
Elio: They are very close. In fact a year ago I went to learn flamenco in Spain and I learnt that all the gypsy music actually comes from India. The gypsies, who traveled from India to Romania, developed Indian music into something that forms the current day flamenco. And when you examine it musically, the raags and modes of the scales in flamenco are the same as those you find in classical North Indian music.
In fact, the first music in the world comes from India so you could say that all music has an Indian influence.
I think Italian and Indians are very close culturally too, they have a lot to share - culturally and musically. Traditional Italian music, which comes from the south, (Naples and Sicily) is all influenced by Indians. Also the way they teach the music is very different from the west, where you have books and history. With Spanish and Italian music it is always taught from one person to the next, father to child; teacher to student, just like in India.
Auntie Ji: How did you get into music?
Elio: I started playing piano when I was five years old. My uncle was a famous musician in the seventies. His band was fusion rock of the seventies, space rock – Zakhir Hussain on the tablas and congas, Phil Collins playing percussion, Michael Waldon on drums, sax and flutes. My uncle’s name is Elio Danna, like me. He has been the greatest influence in my life and convinced me that it is possible to do what you love completely and enjoy what you’re doing and make other people enjoy it as well.
Auntie Ji: Who or what are your main musical influences?
Elio: Maha Visional Orchestra, John Mclaughin, and all the grunge rock and lately more electronic music. The Indian influences are artists such as Zakhir Hussain, Ustad Nishna Khan who plays sitar and Jan Garbarek, a sax player.
Auntie Ji: And has your uncle contributed to your work at all?
Elio: He hadn’t played the flute in fifteen years and I asked him to play on a track, that’s being released, called ‘In your eyes,’ and is being released in Feb.
Auntie Ji: How do you find working with someone who is a drum’n’bass producer?
Elio: It is interesting because Dhar and me have this relationship where he looks after the beats. He is really amazing with everything that has to do with drums. Chani looks after the engineering side. I take care of the musical side in terms of bringing elements that can work into pop music and rock. So we get the big sounds of drum’n’bass and interesting Indian beats but fused with nice melodies and something that can be catchy that is popular and accessible.
Auntie Ji: Who writes the songs?
Elio: Usually it’s Dhar and me. Other songs I write with Stephano and some I write on my own.
Auntie Ji: How does your music go down in Italy?
Elio: We’ve never played together in Italy but I play every summer, gigging all over the beaches of Italy.
Auntie Ji: Would you take the Indian collective to Italy?
Elio: It’s not that popular in Italy. Italy is a mirror of America; they want to have that American efficiency and want to look American, and the rock sounds ‘good’ if it sounds American.
Even when I was in America I was in Berkley at the college of music, which was one of the most prestigious musical colleges, and I remember that they had no Indian music training there at all.
Auntie Ji: Have u been to India?
Elio: No, but I am about to go in December. I’m so excited! I’m going soon to play some gigs and breathe the air over there, and buy tablas and a sitar. I’ll be with Nerm, Dhar and Sunil and I’ll be doing some live programming with my guitar and computer.
Auntie Ji: So what do you have planned next?
Elio: I’m releasing a CD, ‘Beyond Maya,’ the name of the rock band, which is being released globally with Amiata records.
Catch Vimana live at Supersonic Buddha on December 19th, at the Vibe bar, Brick Lane, E1.
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