Karnataka index

last updated 27 February 2017

Flying cross logo

Karnataka are a wonderful melodic rock band, originally from Swansea though now based in London, founded and led by bassist and main songwriter Ian Jones (below, right) and fronted by superb vocalist Hayley Griffiths (left). Çağri Tozluoğlu plays the keyboards, Enrico Pinna (below left) guitar and Jimmy Pallagrosi drums.

In addition to sophisticated musicianship, sensuous playing, intelligent and varied songwriting and passionate feeling, their songs embody a unique South Welsh Celtic spirituality still touches my soul deeply.

Karnataka's latest CD, Secrets of Angels, the first studio album to make full advantage's of Hayley's superb talents and with Çağri at the keyboards, is a brilliant return to form with some catchy shorter songs - my personal favourites include Borderline, Because of You and Poison Ivy - and a classic epic title track.

Their original lineup included Rachel Jones (lead vocals), Jonathan Edwards (keyboards), Paul Davies (guitar), Anne-Marie Helder (vocals/multi-instumentalist) and Gavin Griffiths (drums). They left a magnificent legacy of recorded CDs and live performances captured on DVD, most of which are still available from their official website or through other outlets. Their live performances were brilliant too, and were captured superbly on their final, double live CD Strange Behaviour. They won a brace of Classic Rock Society awards, including Best Band 2003, Best Album 2003 for their magnificent third CD Delicate Flame of Desire, while Rachel won Best Female Vocalist consecutively from 1999 to 2003.

Their second CD The Storm was my favourite album of 2001. When I first saw them live, they made a great climax to their set with a song from this album called The Journey – one of the most joyful and uplifting pieces I have ever heard. Its sentiment was also poignantly apposite for where my own life was at the time and the effect was truly magical. It would still be an obligatory choice if I ever had to pick a 'desert island top ten'.

Subsequent lineups have included Lisa Fury, who featured on lead vocals from 2005-2010, co-wrote many of the songs on The Gathering Light and is singing the lead vocals on the forthcoming Chasing the Monsoon album; the talented Gonzalo Carrera tinkled the ivories, while Ian Harris, Louie Palmer and Matt McDonough powered the drumkit. Colin Mold also featured in the band's 2012 tour.

I have taken photos of Karnataka at

Monmouth Festival on 30/7/02 - seeing Karnataka for the first time was a great night out in the Welsh borders!
Derby Flowerpot on 20/3/03,
Derby Flowerpot on 8/11/03 - my friend Adam Richards, who tragically died in May 2004 well before his time, raved about this gig afterwards,
Rotherham on 15/5/04 - Anne-Marie added guitar to her repertoire, shown below (right) with accomplished guitarist Paul Davies,
Vibes from the Vines on 12/8/06 - storming comeback at this great Sussex festival,
Leicester Y Theatre on 30/3/07,
Bilston Robin 2 on 14/10/08,
Bilston Robin 2 on 19/2/12,
Bilston Robin 2 on 8/3/15 - great gig on the Secrets of Angels tour,
Leicester Y on 17/4/15 - a really storming gig later on the same tour, and
Bilston Robin 2 on 5/2/17.

Ian runs a great Karnataka website, a vibrant and colourful source of information regardind the band. They are also on MySpace, Facebook, and various other music and social media sites.

There is also a fantastic interview by Jon Hinchcliffe which gives a fabulous insight into their history and everything that goes on behind the scenes for bands such as themselves. Jon's site also has various sets of Karnataka photos.

Ian Jones also leads a separate venture called Chasing the Monsoon - "an imaginative, experimental project where sensual rhythms evolve into pulsating, tribal heartbeats and shimmering, organic soundscapes are intertwined with breathtaking, ethereal voices, creating a sound that transcends all boundaries, demographics, and genres."

Jonathan, Paul, Anne-Marie and Gavin have formed a new band Panic Room, together with bassist Alun Vaughan, and have now released their great new album Visionary Position. I have taken photos at their gig début at Lydney Town Hall on 11/4/08 and at Leicester Y Theatre on 17/11/12.

Rachel has now joined The Reasoning and features on their CDs The Awakening and Dark Angel. I took photos at The Peel in Kingston on 14/4/07 and Bilston Robin 2 on 20/1/08.

Anne-Marie also performs as a solo artist – see her website for further details. Her first EP, The Contact, is now available there.

Other sites with Karnataka info and/or photos include:

more interviews, and reviews of their recent albums, at Musical Discoveries; and
there are some photos taken at Crewe Limelight gigs on a site run by Martin Kessel.