About.
Kumar Shome is a well known and in demand session guitarist around Melbourne.
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Shome is heavily involved in the Jazz, RnB, Prog Rock and World music scenes in Melbourne and around Australia.
He started his performance career at the age of 15, having been heavily influenced by jazz and rock studies at high school, his cousin's African and Latin record collection and his Indian classical training studying sitar.
Over the years, he has worked with top artists including The Cat Empire, The Bamboos, Mulatu Astatke, Sampa the Great, The Vaudeville Smash, Sex On Toast, Baro Sura, Dub Fx, Maithili Thakur and Ajak Kwai, just to name a few.
He currently works with local original artists Ajak Kwai, PSIPHI, Mad Vantage, Brian El Dorado and Amadou Suso.
He is also a composer and leader of his own group, Kumar Shome & the Punkawallahs. A fiery Psych Jazz Funk Fusion band, the Punkawallahs are known for their intricate and energetic stylings, performing their brand of hypnotic, polyrhythmic and psychedelic fusion.
The Punkawallahs have released three albums. The most recent, ‘Kanya’, released in 2023, features a mix of psychedelic jazz fusion and soulful, contemplative songs. As well as being an electrifying listen, it tells Shome’s personal story through song, celebrating his Indian culture, experiences growing up in Australia and journey through Melbourne’s music scene.
