Eastern Exposure: Manooghi Hi

Thanks to an influx of Washington's East Indian population, Seattle is becoming a hotbed of Eastern arts. As Indian expats share the dance, theater, film, music and literature traditions of their native country, our city reaps the rich cultural benefits

According to the U.S. Census, in the last two decades Washington’s East Indian population has multiplied by five—thanks largely to the high-tech jobs available at companies such as Microsoft, Amazon and Google. The population has seen such a spike, in fact, that last year outgoing Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon announced plans to open an Indian consulate in our area, perhaps in 2009 (possibly in Bellevue), which would be the fifth in the U.S. This influx of people has meant a local escalation in rich Indian culture (and thanks to Slumdog Millionaire, appetites for such culture have increased among non-Indians). From all-Hindi theater to Bhangra dance performances to a band that blends Bollywood and rock, Indian arts are on the rise in Seattle. And while the art is rooted in India, for the most part the audiences are a diverse mix of people—all eager to experience the colors, sounds, stories and traditions of the east.

Manooghi Hi {Rock Band}

It says something about the playful spirit of Seattle’s Indian fusion band Manooghi Hi that its name combines a misunderstood Indian word with a sprightly American greeting. Lead singer Mehnaz Hoosein was a pop music diva in India—famous for her hit “Banoongi Mein” (or, “Miss India”)—before coming to the United States in 2007 to pursue a lifelong dream of being in an American rock band. “Manooghi” was a friend’s mispronunciation of her Indian pop hit (though the word has come to mean “mojo”), and “Hi,” of course, is a greeting to new fans. “Our friends hated the name, so we knew we were on to something,” comments keyboardist Mark Nichols.

The six backing musicians—Nichols, Todd Fogelsonger, Jimmy Thomas, John Hollis, Jarrod Kaplan and Ava Chakravarti (whose father’s friendship with Hoosein’s father sparked the East/West connection)—have been in many different local bands, and they bring the cumulative effect of their various genres together in Manooghi Hi’s layering of Indian storytelling with driving guitar rhythms. But even the band members seem at a loss as to how to characterize a sound that does not fit neatly into any genre. While they have been described as “Bomba grunge,” the band cringes at the label (they feel “East meets West” is more accurate). “We like to be as heavy and as loud as we can get the guitars, while still keeping it melodic,” Nichols says.

The fusion process extends to their songwriting. Manooghi Hi begins with a concept (their song about the Hindu goddess Kali expresses what it means to be considered a dark force). Then they layer musical riffs until they arrive at the perfect blend of idea and sound. Hoosein’s ethereal voice floats above in her native Hindi (or Persian, Bengali, Urdu, Sanskrit and/or Mumbai slang). “It doesn’t matter if the songs are in a different language,” notes back-up vocalist and band manager Chakravarti. “People sing along; they pull out the feelings.”

The band’s complex layering of music and message has caught on beyond their wildest dreams. They released their first CD, Manooghi Hi, in March. They’ve reached an audience well beyond Indian ex-pats—playing at Bumbershoot, the Oregon Country Fair and South by Southwest—and are touring India in November. “I guess your science experiment was a success,” Chakravarti’s father commented recently. “Yes,” Hoosein responded. “We blew up the laboratory.”

::: How Manooghi Hi keeps on top of Indian cultural events in Seattle: Ragamala (ragamala.org), a nonprofit organization that brings traditional South Asian performing artists to the Seattle area

::: Favorite place to listen to Indian music: Darek Mazzone’s Wo’Pop radio show on KEXP FM 90.3, Tuesdays 6–9 p.m.

::: Best Indian food in Seattle: Qazis Indian Curry House in Fremont

See more articles on Seattle area East Indian artists:
Indu Sundaresan, Writer
Tasveer, Film Festival
Pratidhwani, Performing Arts Organization
Rhythms of India, Dance School