Purusha

...CBGB in the Bowery. It has probably been over two decades since I walked under the awning of this venerable underground rock & roll grotto. My passion is jazz, but in my youth I had an eclectic ear and our pack of Irish hipsters would travel to wherever the party was crowded, loud, and moist. CBGB's was the place to catch the new voices. It was and remains to be for music, what Sundance is to film.

At the urging of Pat O'Connell of Hitmanagement, IHM Publisher Lenny Gropper and I showed up to catch an act out of Montreal, Canada that is part of the Alberta Clipper of Canadian rock & roll that is sweeping into the States from our neighbors to the north. The band is called Purusha and they were great! Superb instrumentation and a lyric creativity that is truly rare these days. The guys played a driving half an hour set that had the crowd screaming for more. Purusha vocalist, Hanna Gargour, is actually the grandson of our own Dr. McCormick of Quogue. A great looking kid with fierce vocal and physical stage energy, who was backed by equally gifted musicians: Ossama Sarraf, Waleed Faza, Rob Vargas, and Wolf Hackel. This band is a poster child for world diversity, as their mixed ethnic backgrounds cover three continents. The members are Palestinian, Jordanian, Chilean, American and Canadian, and they and their lyrics reflect a call for peace, love, and harmony without getting dogmatic, preachy, or gushing.

This is a hard driving rock band with something to say, and they are saying it! I'm no Clive Davis, but I think Purusha is on the verge of making an international splash. If a CD isn't available soon, it should be. Are you listening Clive? Look for a feature spread on them in an upcoming IHM issue. - The Improper Hamptonian - March 2004

Purusha

Purusha. Heard that word yet? Well maybe soon, you will. If you don't already know what it means, it could be that the first time you hear it will be when you are introduced to a world famous band. But now you've heard it already. So what is it?

'Purusha' is the name chosen for a band of five talented young musicians, three of whom are Jordanians. Currently based in Montreal, Purusha is on its way to signing up with a major Entertainment Management company in the U.S., and is entertaining several distribution options worldwide.

Purusha means 'spirit' in Sanskrit, which is an ancient Hindu language. It derives from the belief in two fundamental elements of life: that which is tangible or material is called Prakriti, and that which is spiritual and relates to the consciousness is labelled
Purusha. The band's name was selected collectively to signify music as an intangible medium that has enormous power to affect one's mood and emotions.

Purusha is an established working band with diverse ethnic origins and musical influences resulting in a unique new sound. With a rich cultural background, Purusha's members originate from Jordan, Palestine, the U.S., Chile and Canada. It is this diversity that fuels the bands creative energy, resulting in a strikingly original sound. The lyrics generally tackle issues that range between spiritual unity and the frustrations of the modern world, promoting peace through personal triumphs.

[Article features scattered quotes]
"Wonderful! The energy that Purusha give out is amazing. The front man is excellent... great musicians, the band blends really well together... the arrangements are really neat. Nice blend of instruments, sound and harmony."

Borza Ghomeshi [Of Borza Production, Natural Source Studio's]


The Band

Purusha comprises the following musicians:

+ Hanna Gargour: Lead vocalist. Jordan/Palestine/U.S.
+ Waleed Faza. Lead guitar, Keyboards and vocals. Jordan/Palestine.
+ Ossama Sarraf. Guitar and vocals. Jordan/Palestine/Canada.
+ Roberto (Rob) Vargas. Bass guitar. Chile/Canada
+ Wolf Hackel. Drummer. Canada/U.S.


How it Started

It usually starts with a dream doesn't it? Well this dream started in many places, with several paths winding serendipitously to the same point. For Waleed, it began in kindergarten where, living in Kuwait, he met Ossama and from that point they dreamed of being in a band together. After the Gulf war in 1990, although Waleed moved to Jordan and Ossama to Cyprus then Egypt, the two kept in touch. In Amman, Waleed and Hanna attended the same high school where they met and started a band together called 'Faction' in 1994.
Faction performed in various venues around Amman at that time, including the
Royal Cultural Centre, "Jordanstock", the Skating Palace and other local festivals.

[More Quotes Scattered]
"Groovy! A truly original sound... great energy, cool band... children of the new era."

Nathalie Lacasse [Director of Morin Heights Studios and L'Equie Spectra]

After graduating from high school, Waleed and Hanna moved to North America
in 1996 to continue their education. Hanna headed to Boston to study Music
Management at Berkley College of Music, while Waleed studied Marketing at
Concordia in Montreal. That's where he was reunited with his childhood friend Ossama who was in the same city to study Mechanical Engineering at McGill. With Hanna commuting North on weekends, the three got together with two other musicians under the name of 'Silent Bystander' and recorded their debut album entitled 'Blunt', which was released in 1997. The album achieved major record label interest, which led to numerous recording sessions and several shows across the country.

In 2000, the make-up of the band changed to include Rob on bass guitar, and Wolf as drummer. This is when the name Purusha was adopted. The band then released their second full-length album entitled 'Unity' - a mixture of jazz fusion, funk, electronica and rock.

In 2001, some of Purusha's songs were played on Radio Jordan, including 'No Change', 'Snake Eyes' (from the Unity album), and 'Love & Landscapes' (unreleased). They did a radio interview in Lebanon with RML radio, in addition to a T.V. interview with MTV Lebanon in August of that year.

By this time, Purusha was beginning to slip its foot under the door of North America's music industry, and by playing regular gigs around Montreal they developed a strong following of local fans. However, after having invested seven years of time and money into the band without yet receiving any solid returns, it was time to be realistic. Purusha dis-banded in late 2002, with members Waleed and Hanna choosing to move back to Amman to begin more stable careers.

[Quote]
"Interesting new band, multi-ethnical backgrounds, interesting sound. It sounds like the band can really play, they're damn good musicians."

John Kennedy [International Rock DJ on RML Radio, Lebanon]


The Next Step

Perhaps it can be said that the best things in life crop up when you least expect them to. Well, at least this was the case for Purusha. Almost a year after the band broke up, Hanna was contacted by a major Entertainment Management company based in New York called Hit Management. Hit Management had come across some of Purusha's work, and they were interested. Very
exciting stuff. But it also meant taking the risk of abandoning the stable careers they had just started to return to the risky and very competitive
business of music. With a passion for music, an eagerness to perform and a
real chance at world-wide fame, which would you choose? It's quite simple,
isn't it.

Since regrouping in July 2003, Purusha have been working with manager
Patrick O'Connell, who has recently signed artist Chantal Doucette with Sony
and became partners with John Gore of the management team for Alicia Keys. Over the past six months Purusha have recorded ten new songs and are preparing to release a new pop/rock album soon. They have played at industry showcases in New York City, attracting major attention from movie producers,lawyers and record companies. Their first video documentary is due for nation-wide release in Canada on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) in January 2004. They are also due to sign a 3-year contract with Hit Management soon, and they now have lawyer Ed Kelman on board the team who will be marketing Purusha to the
major record labels.

Who knows what will happen next for Purusha, but chances certainly look
good. With their original and creative songwriting and high energy live performances being the basis for their success, Purusha are close to attaining their dreams. And all it took was an undying passion to succeed plus years of hard work and dedication. So now you know their secret. Keep your ears open for more news around town. With a little bit of luck (and, of course, plenty of talent) the story may be about to get better.


For more information on Purusha, visit their website of www.purushamusic.com
- Jordan Today - January 2004