About Jim

  1. Documentary Film Maker and Photographer, Bangalore, India.
  2. Director, Eastern Fare Music Foundation, Bangalore, India.
  3. Staff Member, International Press Association, Hazlet, NJ.
  4. Music Arranger and Producer, EFMF, Bangalore, India.
  5. Member of Voodoo Child (a rock 'n' roll band) Eastern Fare (an acoustic rock band), Veenar (a Fusion-Jazz band), India.
Jim Ankan Deka
Jim Ankan Deka is a musician, documentary film maker, an entrepreneur and a known face in the Music Scenario of Bangalore. This Guwahati-born is the son of noted Assamese Economist and Writer Late Bhabananda Deka and Assamese Poet Nalini Prava Deka.

Jim picked up the guitar at the nascent age of three and thus began his love affair with music. Right from his school days, Jim demonstrated an active interest in music and had performed with many popular artists as a bassist, pianist and lead guitarist. He also plays the organ, classical guitar, percussion instruments like Tabla, Drums, Congo, Zembe and folk instruments like Dhol, Khol, Khanjari, Do Tara etc.

Jim Ankan owes his recognition to his premiere Music Institute “Eastern Fare Music Foundation”, which today, is one of the premiere and most noted Music Schools in Bangalore. The institute was established in the year 2008, with the intent of imparting academic music knowledge to the people of Bangalore, however, over a period of two years Eastern Fare has branched into a Music Club, a welfare organization and a stockpile of information about the North East India. The acoustic rock band Eastern Fare is a by-product of this institute; the institute has also promoted bands like Veenar, Anarchy etc.

A graduate in Tourism Studies and a digital media enthusiast, Jim Ankan has combined the two interests spinning off the North-East India Page on Facebook. Maintained by the Eastern Fare group, the Facebook community page “North East India” is an incredible reservoir of information with the most unusual and fascinating facts, places, tourist information customs as well as people. The page aims to create a positive image for the understated North East India by mentioning all the notable facts and figures about the land, and with over 15000 followers, the page can be credited as successful in its endeavour.

Jim’s musical idols include revered musicians like Eric Johnson and Justin King. He also maintains Facebook and Twitter pages for both of them. Back home he idolizes Dr. Bhupen Hazarika for his excellence in song writing. Jim enjoys listening to Indian artists Remo Fernandez and Alisha Chinnoy. When he isn’t playing or teaching music, Jim fiddles with a video camera and some editing softwares.

Albums

*Timeless (Multilingual) (2012) 
*Tomaloi (Assamese) (2006)
*Goalporia Lokageet (Goalporia) (2005) 
*Friendship (English) (2001) 
*Mor Ei Dekh (Assamese) (2000) 
*Saayaan (Hindi) (1999) 
*Prahar - Tumi Kowa Kothabor (Assamese) (1998) 

Serials
Composed music for 2 Kannada, 1 Hindi and 1 Assamese serials.

Documentaries
*Shillong - a short documentary by Jim Ankan (2009)
*Nagaland - Journey Through the Choir of Clouds (2011)
*Composed music for 4 documentaries.

Single Compositions
*Aawaz - speak up against sexual violence (Hindi/Assamese) (2012)
*Kids Paradise (English) (Theme song for Kids Paradise) (2008)
*Aa Bhi Jaa (Hindi) (For the band - Paankh) (2009)
*Saviganasu (Kannada) (Composed only the Guitar part for the Theme song of a Kannada serial) (2010)
*Tere Hi Owr (Hindi) (Gospel) (2009)
*How Else Can We Sing This (English) (For the band - Eastern Fare) (2010)
*Samajavaragamana (Sanskrit) (For the band - Veenar) (2010)
*Eesha Ninna (Kannada) (For the band - Veenar) (2010)
*Independence Awakening (Instrumental) (On the occasion of Independence Day) (2011)
*Yes We Can (English) (Jingle for Filtrex) (2011).

Awards
YearAwarded byNominated workAward
2013Mumbai Shorts International Film FestivalAawaz - speak up against sexual violenceBest Music Video
2014Hollywood Shorts Reel-14Aawaz - speak up against sexual violenceBest Music Video
2014Noida International Film FestivalAawaz - speak up against sexual violenceBest Music / Best Music Video
2014Global Music Awards-14Aawaz - speak up against sexual violenceBronze Medal
2015SongdewIn recognition of outstanding contribution to indie musicRenault Free The Music Award

Popular posts from this blog

Chador-mekhela, drums, keyboard, guitar, cultural activists, bihu and Being Assamese

Image
Courtesy: Raul de la Nuez Recently, in one of the Bihu functions (April, 2015), one of the leading female singers of Assam was not allowed to sing for not wearing Chador Mekhela by the committee members. (Chador-mekhela is the traditional Assamese dress worn by women.) What I feel personally in that case, even the male singers, including Papon, Zubben, should be asked to wear Dhoti-Kurta or ban them too. Why this unfairly prejudiced view? And all the committee members also should be wearing Dhoti-Kurta or Chador-Mekhela all the time. Do they? Embarrassing moment for Assam and Assamese culture. This is not culture, This is not Bihu. I understand that cloths are integral part of any culture; but cloths alone can't defy culture. If one has to follow one of the cultural aspects with full devotion, he has to follow everything with complete honesty and sincerity. That means, if one has to wear mekhela-chador to defy bihu, she can't actually use keyboard, guitar or drums in bih
Read more

Dasara and merriment at Mysore Palace (travel photography)

Image
Dasara festival is the main attraction of Mysore and Mysore Palace or the Amba Vilas Palace. 2013 Dasara is the 403rd edition of the annual royal festive gala event. Dasara is a 10-day festival. The last day, known as Vijayadashami is considered the most auspicious day of the event. After Taj Mahal, Mysore Palace is the most visited tourist spots in India. Below are few photos of the palace, the Shweta Varahaswamy temple and surroundings and the city at night. Corner and day view of the Mysore Palace at the time of Dasara Festival (Photo - Jim Ankan Deka) | 2013 A bronze lion statue in front of Shweta Varahaswamy temple at Mysore Palace (Photo - Jim Ankan Deka) | 2013 The entrance door of Shweta Varahaswamy temple at Mysore Palace (Photo - Jim Ankan Deka) | 2013 Side view of Mysore Palace, India (Photo - Jim Ankan Deka) | 2013 Main entrance of Mysore Palace, Karnataka, India (Photo - Jim Ankan Deka) | 2013 Mysore city at night on the occasion of Dasara fest
Read more

Dehradun - places to visit in 24 hours | travelogue

Image
I was kind of little reluctant about my trip to Dehradun, because I had just over 24 hrs at hand. What could I have accomplished in one day, trying to travel the beautiful land of the Gharwalis on the foothills of the Himalayas. But being a travel addict, I had to give into my passion. So my travel partner Parmita and I booked the tickets from Bangalore and reached the Jolly Grant Airport on September 21, 2013. Though we went to Mussoorie before, we had little clue about Dehradun. And as this was more of an unplanned back-packing kind of visit, we did not even book the hotel in advance. So, after reaching the city, we looked around and checked into a neat hotel - Hotel Doon Castle . The hotel was clean and what we found out was that, the 'Queen rooms' are far better than the 'King rooms'. Clean toilet, decent food and less charges - 3 things a traveler looks for before choosing a hotel. Doon Castle did provide us with all of those. Though we would have loved to re
Read more