Celtic Connections Festival: Ahead of their performance, The Tapi Project talk about their musical journey

(From left) Swati Minaxi, Gaurav Kapadia, Yogendra Saniyawala and Biju Nambiar of the folk band The Tapi Project in a moment from the music video of their new single Varsaad. Pic Courtesy/Youtube

Rooted is an oft-misused word in the business of writing. From films to personalities, themes and subjects, the adjective is latched on to describe anything remotely connected to artworks that uphold simple, native vibes. One could never ascribe it to The Tapi Project. While every sound produced by the band emerges from a long tradition of folk music, philosophy and poetry, the Surat-based collective is constantly reinventing themselves through their sound and journeys. As founder and songwriter Yogendra Saniyawala points out during our conversation, "Music is a constantly moving medium, not a stagnant one."

True to their word, the quartet of Saniyawala, vocalist Swati Minaxi, percussionist Gaurav Kapadia and keyboardist Biju Nambiar are in preparation for their upcoming performance at Scotland's winter folk music festival, Celtic Connections. "Essentially, winter is not a time for big music festivals in the West. Although we have been touring Europe for the last six or seven years, it has mostly been in the summer," shares Saniyawala. On January 25, they will team up with Aziza Brahim, poet and singer, whose songs speak of the stories of the Saharawi people from the western part of the Sahara Desert.

The band in performance in Bengaluru. Pics Courtesy/Instagram

These journeys are an important part of their evolution, admits vocalist Swati Minaxi. "Our travels opened up many horizons that influenced the sounds we chose to develop as a band," says Minaxi, whose sensibilities of handicrafts also shape the band's look on stage. Saniyawala chimes in, saying, "We came out of Surat, a city of business, and quickly learned that the only way we could be different was to be ourselves. From Swati styling our outfits, to discovering and engaging in different art practices, it informs our music."

Their latest single, Varsaad, is an example. Created in collaboration with Raghu Dixit, the song was actually born during a jamming session between Saniyawala and Minaxi on tour in Japan. "Music for us is not a contrived effort. A song is essentially an expression, and will only come into existence if you are not married to the result," the vocalist states.

Swati Minaxi

Their determination to be recognised as a live band has also led them to embrace a life of being on the move. "I remember in 2022, we toured Belgium, Switzerland and Germany. Our tour manager was a Belgian man, who said this wonderful line: ‘Comfort is the beginning of the end'. I suppose we have embraced it. For us, the live performances are where our music comes to life," reveals Saniyawala.

Minaxi shares how the band shares a curiosity towards different art practices. "We just shifted to analogue cameras for recording our shoots and rehearsals. Also, we perform with IEM (In-Ear Monitors). But for Celtic, we will be performing without those. It will be akin to revisiting every song in a different way," the vocalist points out.

The band will also be revisiting their songs in another way. Saniyawala reveals that the collective is working on a larger project with a UK-based orchestra to create a larger soundscape for their existing works. "It is a 15-piece orchestra, and the vision is quite grand in terms of sound and scale. We will also have the conductor Shri Shriram travelling down to India later this year, and working on the project, before the first performance in the UK," he reveals. With a few more releases planned for later in the year, 2025 promises to be a highly productive one for The Tapi Project.

LOG ON TO The Tapi Project on Spotify
ON January 25; 7.30 pm
AT Òran Mór, Scotland.
LOG ON TO celticconnections.com

The Scottish winter celebration

Founded in 1994, Celtic Connections is widely considered as one of the largest winter music festivals in Scotland to celebrate folk, roots and world music. Held in Glasgow, the festival features over 300 international artistes, with workshops and sessions held between January 16 and February 2, 2025