To bridge the musical gap between the old and new worlds is a difficult aim indeed. For those two worlds seem steeped in different, often opposing, sensibilities and aesthetics. To this folk fusion band from Nagaland, India however, such acoustic alchemy comes naturally. Purple Fusion delves into and experiments with traditional Naga and other folk music, fusing them with modern Western blues, jazz, funk, reggae and rock to create a blend of music that is truly unique. And if the response to their debut radio single 'Ho Hey! You Came Along' is any indication, it may be precisely what modern audiences, fatigued by decades of electronic music, are seeking. Purple Fusion formed officially on August 28, 2012 with the aim of promoting the rich tradition and culture of Nagaland, India in the form of fusion music. In a one-year span of time, Purple Fusion has performed abroad and has toured major cities of India such as Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkota and nearly all of the northeastern states. They have performed with some of the biggest names in the international music industry as well as in India, such as John W. Schlitt (Grammy Award winner), Rahul Ram, Rabbi Shergill and others. Purple Fusion was the only band from Northeast India to have performed at IIFI (International Film Festival Of India). They worked with MTV India for a music program called MTV SoundTrippin S2 under Bollywood music producer, Sneha Khanwalker, in which lead singer Lamtsala was the main act for an entire episode. They have also recently contributed their music as the main sound score to a documentary film called ‘Songs of the Blue Hills’ by a national award-winning director, which has been selected for screening in Switzerland, Poland, Sweden, USA and Italy. Reporter Brandon Scott recently interviewed Purple Fusion to learn more about this exciting new group and what we can expect from them in the near future.

BRANDON: When When did you first discover your love of music?
PURPLE FUSION: Well we can’t really say when, but some of us started playing in a band since 1998. So basically it’s been a long time.

BRANDON: Your song 'Ho Hey! You Came Along' is receiving a positive listener response on radio. What was your initial reaction when you first heard your song playing on radio?
PURPLE FUSION: To be honest to be heard on radio is a dream come true. It’s really hard for a band from India in a small region of the North East. To get a breakthrough in t radio is virtually impossible. By God's grace we came across Akademia who made it all possible.

BRANDON: What was the inspiration behind your debut radio single?
PURPLE FUSION: We always knew that to be successful internationally we needed to get aired on radio in as many countries as possible and of late we had been trying a lot of different channels to get heard on the radio, and sadly none of them were successful. To be honest we did not expect to get radio time when we won the Best Folk Album in the Akademia Awards. So basically our efforts to get aired on the radio came from a much unexpected angle :)

BRANDON: Would you say that the mood of your other songs is in the same vein as your debut radio single?
PURPLE FUSION: Not really. We have experimented with a lot of genres in this album. We have some upbeat blues rock, a little jazz, then some funk blues, contemporary love ballads and so on. So technically you get to listen to a lot of variety of genres with different moods.

BRANDON: How would you characterize yourself as a musician? (ex. Down-to-earth, serious, fun-loving...)
PURPLE FUSION: Hmm well actually it’s really for others to judge us as individuals, but if we were to define ourselves, we are a fun-loving bunch who loves to travel and experience different culture and especially food. Since we have had our share of struggle, we aren't really fussy about the places we stay at, the venue we play at, or the not very good sound system we play in etc...In short we are a motley crew of fun-loving, food eating adjustable musicians. :)

BRANDON: Did you come from a musical background? Are there other musicians in your family?
PURPLE FUSION: Very interestingly none of us have musicians in our family lol. We are all self-taught musicians with no formal training.

BRANDON: What do you find most rewarding about being a musician? What do you find most challenging?
PURPLE FUSION: The most rewarding experience as musicians is when people sing along to our songs and enjoy our music. That kind of experience makes us forget all the hardship we have to endure and go through as musicians. Also when people come up to us and tell us that they were inspired either as musicians or just by our music, that's when we really feel blessed and realize our purpose in life.

BRANDON: Who are your role models in music?
PURPLE FUSION: Since the place where we come from (Nagaland) has always been a cover culture and a lot of terrific bands and musicians and fierce competitions, for most of us our inspirations were our senior musicians who were able to emulate and play as well as international artists. But times have changed and we are proud to say that Nagaland has some of the best musicians who play original music.

BRANDON: Describe your best or most memorable performance.
PURPLE FUSION: Playing in World Music Day with a sea of crowds in the street would be one of our most memorable performances.

BRANDON: Do you have a music video for your hit single? If so, what can you tell us about it?
PURPLE FUSION: Yes we do have a video for ‘Ho Hey! You Came Along.’ The video was shot in Nagaland, not a very high budget video since it was self-sponsored. It’s basically the story of our vocalist who in her younger days was not supported by her family to pursue music and after lying off for more than a decade; she comes back to the music scene and becomes one of the most successful female vocalists.

BRANDON: Thanks for taking time out to share your story with me. I wish you all good luck and continued success!

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