The Tapi Project
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Surat-origin band, The Tapi Project, are closing out the year with two shows at Windmills in Bengaluru, on December 12 and 13. But first, guitarist Yogendra Saniyawala says they have another essential item to tick off their to-do list. “We are going to Vidyarthi Bhavan right after this for food, and coffee for sure,” Yogendra says over a call. He adds with a laugh, “I wish we could just settle there.”
Formed in 2014 and having covered 30 countries and hundreds of shows, the independent band has often been received warmly in Bengaluru. At the start of 2025, The Tapi Project performed at the Kantha Festival for BLR Hubba and also became part of the lineup at events such as Sunday Soul Sante and the Mango Tree Festival.
Now, they are returning to Windmills, having performed there in 2023 at the “artist-driven venue,” as the guitarist calls it. “We have performed so often in Bengaluru, we feel extremely welcomed. Every time we are here, we find new audiences who resonate with what we do. It is the most exciting place to come to in India.”
Listeners relate to The Tapi Project through their seemingly free-flowing journey which weaves between songs of deep introspection such as ‘Mehsoos’ and more recently, the adaptation of Kabir’s poetry to their new single ‘Ud Jayega’.
There is a power that Yogendra, vocalist Swati Minaxi, keyboardist and bassist, Biju Nambiar and drummer Gaurav Kapadia draw out which feels energetic and calming in turns. Yogendra explains that while they have lush songs like ‘Mehsoos’, there are also heavier, rock-oriented creations such as ‘Sub(urban) Zindagi’.
He adds,”Crafting songs which differ from each other is not intentional; each song takes us to a new world altogether. So in two years, we can safely say we have encountered many new worlds.”
Traveling to new countries is another way The Tapi Project have encountered new worlds. “Each concert for us is important, whether it’s small or big,” Yogendra notes.
Other new songs that will be part of their setlist at Windmills include ‘Firdos’ and ‘Gul Khile’.
A big milestone for the band was their chance to play at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow, at the beginning of 2025. In October, the band travelled to London to perform with the Third Orchestra as part of the Third-i initiative.
Yogendra fondly recalls working with ”top notch” musicians such as Peter Wiegold and Shri Sriram. Last week, The Tapi Project also performed with the Singapore skyline as a backdrop at the Esplanade, a performing arts centre there.
If there is one way to sum up the band’s demeanour on stage, it is fun. “I don’t want to call ourselves serious musicians. At the same time, while it is lot of fun to play, our music is quite compelling. It requires the audience to pay attention,” the guitarist says.
The challenge then, is in blurring the boundaries between intense elements and lighter moments. “Every performance and collaboration pushes us to to go nearer to the place where you are as light as feather, but at the same time, you are conveying a message.”
In 2026, one can expect more releases from The Tapi Project as they walk this fine line. Yogendra says though they have enough material for two albums, today’s social media age demands single releases.
“So we will release the songs; we have some more tours planned. That is a musician’s life. We keep travelling and performing, but we are hoping to do something which will put us more often on national and global stages.”
The Tapi Project performs at Windmills in Bengaluru on December 12 and 13, 2025. Tickets from ₹750 available on total-environment.com
Published – December 12, 2025 01:55 pm IST
