08 Sep 2018  |   06:02am IST

Saturdays and Mr Saxobeat!

From the concept of a Videotheque night, to its popular theme based nights, Taverna Panjim has always been a treat for music lovers with the variety of genres and styles they have to offer. This Saturday, they push the envelope and introduce a new concept: Saxobeat Saturday’s featuring Jarryd on his saxophone along with DJs Joel and Roydon. Café talks to Jarryd about this new idea

 

 

“You make me dance, bring me up, bring me down, play it

sweet. Make me move like a freak, Mr Saxobeat.”

When anyone hears the word ‘Saxobeat’, they recall the smash hit by Alexandra Stan. Now, there’s a new Saxobeat in town and starting this Saturday, Jarryd Rodrigues is going to show Goa a night they haven’t quite seen before and a night many are already looking forward to.

Unlike his past collaborations, this time he will have two great DJs – Joel and Roydon – for company as they look at introducing a new style for a Saturday night-out party at Taverna Panjim.

“It’s going to be exciting! I have jammed up with DJs before, on three occasions, and it’s a lot of fun. I am more used to playing with live musicians, whom I massively enjoy playing with. But I’ve always been open to explore and challenge myself to adapt and play in every scenario possible. So when I was told about this idea that they (Taverna) had in mind about having an orchestrated set with a DJ, it got me really intrigued and excited,” says Jarryd.

Responding to further queries, Jarryd explains that he will be performing a planned set, adding that he has been looking forward to working with DJ Joel, one of the top DJs in Goa. “Joel and I have been in touch and we’ve planned on how to go about the set,” says Jarryd, while adding that there will be a lot of improvisation during the performance.

What’s more interesting is the way Jarryd will be performing and moving around the space at Taverna with the crowd. “It’s nice to interact with the crowd... It makes them feel more involved with the music. Our satisfaction comes from the joy that they receive and from the fact that they’re having a good time,” adds Jarryd.

As a youngster, Jarryd’s taste of music is in sync with what the younger generation likes to listen to and he has, in the past, tried covers of songs that were the rage once and are still in demand. “I am part of the band called ‘The Coffee Cats’, where we take popular hits and do it in a jazz-funk style. We did our own take on David Guetta’s ‘Titanium’ and recently, we came out with a fusion take on ‘The Mission impossible’ theme song, featuring Mansoor Khan on sitar. It’s amazing to be a part of this super-talented setup where we have the freedom to explore our musical ideas as well as get today’s youth to listen to our stuff,” he says.

Coming from a family with a high musical background, Jarryd picked up the saxophone at the age of 13. He is the son of two musicians, Darryl and Sharon Rodrigues. His teacher and mentor is the legendary jazz saxophonist, Braz Gonsalves, who is also his grandfather. His grandmother is the famous jazz singer Yvonne Gonsalves and his great-grandfather is the legendary, Anthony Vaz aka Chic Chocolate. His parents, Darryl and Sharon, are also accomplished musicians and have played with artistes like The Colonial Cousins and Asha Bhonsle. Jarryd specialises in pure jazz and his repertoire consists mainly of jazz standards, which includes tracks from Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea and so on. These standards include different styles ranging from swing, blues, ballads, bossa novas to funk, bebop, sambas and so on.

Jarryd has been part of many jazz setups in Goa and has played alongside Goan musicians like Elvis Lobo, Bondo, Glen Pinto, Bosco D’Souza (keyboards), Bosco D’Souza (drums), Lester Godinho, Jason Quadros, Carlos Gonsalves, etc. He is also part of a jazz-funk setup called The Coffee Cats, which is a young and upcoming band. He has played at venues like Cavala, Le Meridien, The Grand Hyatt, The 248 Collective, Tito’s Courtyard, Kala Academy, Ravindra Bhavan, Zeebop, etc. Apart from playing the saxophone, Jarryd also sings and plays the piano/keyboards.

When pointed out that Goa has a rich musical legacy and has produced star saxophonists in the past, and asked how he plans to create his own niche, Jarryd gives a reply that resonates with some famous sayings from international renowned artistes: “According to me, the best way to set yourself apart from the rest is by just being yourself because only you can be you. So ultimately, for me, I just want to get my own sound as a musician, be the best version of myself and every day, push myself harder to be better than what I was the previous day.”