Here come ‘Maestro Boys’ from Hyderabad

Hyderabad-based band Maestro Boys, inspired by Ilaiyaraaja, blends Telugu songs with creative mash-ups for vibrant performances.

Veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja’s music has been an intrinsic part of Sai Santosh’s musical journey. So when this Hyderabad-based lead guitarist co-founded a music band in 2018, with his childhood friend, percussion and rhythm player, Pendyala Bhargav, the band’s name was easy to choose. “Ilaiyaraaja garu is a ‘maestro’ and we are ‘Maestro Boys,” says Santosh, the ‘90s kid who grew up listening to Ilayaraaja’s melodies in Kothagudam in Khammam, Telangana.

The four-member regional Telugu band, which includes Olozwar Shiva Kumar (vocals) and Vuppala Gaurav (keyboard), has been making a mark in the city’s live music circuit for six years.

Santosh shifted to Hyderabad in 2013 to be a music teacher. A casual conversation with Bhargav at a concert paved the way to the sudden formation of a band, at a time when the city did not have a vibrant band culture. The beginnings were humble, says the band’s manager Eshwar Gurram. With few contacts, the musicians approached pubs to showcase their talent, even offering to play for free. “People enjoyed our music which helped us to build a base,” says Santosh, who now runs his own music academy, Maestro Music Academy,in SR Nagar.

Using a Cajon, a box-shaped wooden percussion instrument, as a drum kit, the band plays covers of Telugu songs from various genres and eras, as well as Hindi film songs. They add a creative touch through interludes, variations or mash-ups of hit songs by a particular singer, music director, actor or within same genre. “The vocal track of one song blends seamlessly into the next, ensuring the continuity is maintained so listeners do not feel they are listening to two different song,” explains Santosh. He adds, “We do not distort the original song nor create a mash-up just for the sake of it.”

Some of their popular mash-ups have been hit songs featuring Mahesh Babu, Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna and Surya, singer Karthik or composers Ilaiyaraaja and AR Rahman. “People expect a song to be played till the end but when we layer another song, it surprises the crowd and also adds vibrancy to the set,” says Eshwar.

Hoping to launch an album, Santosh says, “The idea of of Maestro Boys was to entertain with our music and we are glad we have succeeded.”