Biography
Arguably the most successful indie bands in India right now, Shaa’ir + func are certainly on their way to being the most prolific. Formed officially in 2007, Shaa’ir + func, commonly known as S&F, have already garnered recognition as VH1’s top emerging artists of 2007, best independent artists of 2008 (VH1), nominations from the AVIMA foundation as Best Dance Act in South-East Asia in 2009, and recognition from the Jack Daniel Rock Awards for best female front-woman of a band. Sidenote, their record release party for Mantis was labeled, “Gig of the year” by widely followed NH7 magazine, India’s first and only Indie Music Blog at the end of 2010. They were also named "India's Most Important Band" by the Sunday Guardian after completing their 2011 "I am, We are, You is…" tour in India.
In three years, whilst actively touring throughout India, the UK, and the East coast of the US, S&F wrote and released three successful albums, New Day: The Love Album, and Light Tribe and Mantis. Their music includes a heavy dose of experimentation within the popular and cutting edge genres of dance/funk/electronic/and rock music.
Their sound has taken them to play the Big Chill Festival UK/Goa, Glastonbury UK, NH7 Pune,India, Oya Festival Norway, Oslo World Music Festival, C/O Pop Germany, On The River Fest UK, India Festival Amsterdam and Nokia Music Festival, Dubai . Ambassador’s for what they call the 'New India', S&F’s music is as explosive and flavorsome, a suitable metaphor for the versatility of these punk, guru-esque, electro-folk, soul-funk, down and up-beat musicians of the world.
Press:
"Overall, in many ways, Shaa'ir and Func are the best thing to happen to Indian rock music in a while. And that's because they aren't Indian, nor are they rock. Their vibe is cosmopolitan and truly 'world' without the limitations of generic considerations cramping their style."
–SPLIT magazine
"Randolph Correia's guitar playing has shades of the best work of The Edge and Jeff Beck"
– SPLIT magazine
"Singer Monica Dogra reminds me of Alanis Morisette and Ani DiFranco with a Madonna-esque edge to her vocals. She has a breathy mid-range that makes the vocal lines passionate, with a refreshingly open sexuality that's more passionate than pornographic"
– SPLIT magazine
"Fusing a mélange of poetry, funk, R&B, electronica, and a healthy side of jazz, Shaa'ir and Func live to serve up the unexpected. Their bridging of the gaps between a plethora of genres is reflected in their first record, New Day: The Love Album."
–Nirali Magazine
"Between them, Correia and Dogra have enough written material for a whopping five albums!"
–Nirali Magazine
"They feed on each other's eclectic musings and present the world with some striking music"
– The Record
“They overwhelm you with their rich, frothy music; there's a flushed up energy exploding through every note. There's an underlying sensual pleasure that the electronic explorations bring you, and though you might be tempted to compare them to other international electronic acts, the chemistry that you can dig into while listening to Shaa'ir + Func is unique.”
–The Record
“As Monica freestyles, her long, wavy locks sway to Randolph's groovy rhythms. After playing their original set, Monica does Crazy by Gnarls Barkley; her insanely sensational vocals, minus any backing vocals, leave the crowd gasping for more”
– DNA News
"Her lyrical quirkiness and his equally wacky approach to music aiming to cut across the urban youth has caught on as a frenzy"
- DNA News
"This album is also proof of how Indian musicians are coming of age and how music and albums are not restricted to just one genre in India. A breath of fresh air compared to the gay pop and soundtracks of movies that have been coming out which stick to one formula only with the same vocals, tablas, and dholaks."
-SPLIT Magazine
"A promising new sound"
– Mumbai Mirror
"Given the number of people who turned up for their album launch, Shaa'ir and func are well on their way to capitalising on the trend that one of them (Correia) pioneered."
–Mumbai Mirror
"…the male gaze was glazing over with envy-either because most men can't do things that Randolph Correia does to a guitar or simply because, the band's vocalist from New York, Monica, was drop dead talented." – Mid-Day News, re. New Day: The Love Album launch party
"Shaa'ir and func is a band that is clearly changing how Indian music is perceived to be…" – Mid-Day News
"One of the best acts at the festival was Shaa'ir and func. Monica's mesmerizing voice and charismatic stage presence captured much of the audience's attention; full of innocence and sincerity, she had little conversations between songs with the audience about love, peace, and changing the world." – RAVE Magazine re. The Big Chill festival
"A very creative record…it's gonna be big!" - RAVE India re. New Day: The Love Album's 4 of 5 stars
"The undergrounds most promising collaboration…" – The Rock Street Journal aka RSJ
"As musicians, their art and soul are riding a wave of evolution and unity that's sweeping across the globe. It'll help them get closer to the eye of this storm – this process of contributing towards the future of sound – and they just want to keep taking it forward…" – The Rock Street Journal
"Shaa'ir and func's, Monica, is a magical being – both on and off stage. She's just this genuinely nice unaffected girl with beautiful thoughts and a great infectious vibe which radiates through each of her performances." - The Rock Street Journal
" is killing the cynics with hope, and she doesn't even know it." – The Rock Street Journal
“Watching the evolution of Shaa'ir + Func has been like watching two forces of nature come together from opposite ends of the universe to make a mighty sound…Great songwriting, fantastic production, a killer live show and a sexy-ass image have made these guys the face of the new rock/pop scene in India and soon the world…in the case of Shaa'ir + Func, their light is like a supernova exploding in the night sky.”
-Karsh Kale Rolling Stone Magazine 2010
“…the seductive face of a brashly, wildly, intoxicatingly new Indian Music Scene. Unmoored from geography, their influences bleed together and boundaries melt”
- MTV IGGY 2009
“ The result is instant applause and adoration amongst a growing live music audience. It’s easy to love them because they’re unlike alternative and more energetic than jazz. They’re the reflection of what we want our music scene to look like. “ – Mondomix.com
“Another ‘undiscovered’ gem…Hailing from Mumbai and New York City they fuse Indian-influenced rock with tight funky beats, extraordinary live musicians with incredibly well-produced backing tracks. And Shaair, the singer, is hot.”
- The Light Years.com Glastonbury Top 50 (S+F No. 23)
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