Beta Version performing at 50th & France. Photos: Emma Cerqueira
Beta Version is a creative family band that lovingly integrates East and West.
“Somethin’ always happens whenever we’re together. We get a happy feelin’ when we’re singing a song.” —Partridge Family Theme Song
Nestled in the Interlachen community lives Edina’s very own Partridge family, minus the TV show, of course. And instead of singing mama, Shirley Partridge, we have singing papa bear, Gaurav Jain. And instead of David and Shaun Cassidy, meet Ratik and Kartik Jain.
So how did this musical family end up in our fair town?
I Heard You Singing Your Song
Gaurav grew up in a rich musical household in Jaipur, India, where he was surrounded by song. His mother and grandmother have music in their blood. It’s as integral to their lives as breathing. “My mom and grandmom, their side of the family, their kids, their grandkids, even today, everyone is passionate about music and is a good musician,” Gaurav says.
As a child, his mother taught him Hindi folksongs, classic Bollywood songs and more. He and his neighbors would put on cultural shows for the community. At school, he would sing and dance. But it wasn’t until his parents returned from a trip to Kolkata with a keyboard for him that his true musical genius shone through. “The first time I sat on the keyboard, I put my hands on the keys and I could play chords instinctively. It kept growing from there,” he says. His friend taught him how to play the guitar.
Gaurav Jain playing guitar and Ratik Jain singing.
Every trip to India to visit family is a musical reunion. “Nearly every evening when we’re back home in India, if somebody shows up at the house, it could be for 10 minutes, an hour, a couple of hours. Pretty much every day, there will be some form of music,” he says.
Gaurav ended up studying engineering at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. After marrying his wife, Sheetal Backliwal, they moved to the Twin Cities to work for Medtronic and settled in Edina.
There’s No Doubt In My Mind
Ratik was born in 2009 and says music is ingrained in his earliest memories. “I’ve always been singing, always playing music as far as I can remember. My first memory was in the backyard singing songs from The Sound of Music,” says Ratik, 16. He plays violin and sings, while his younger brother Kartik, 11, handles backup vocals, guitar and percussion. The trio can play by ear. Family jam sessions were always frequent, but two years ago, something clicked. “One evening, I was tired and Ratik said, ‘Let’s play music,’” Gaurav says. “We all went downstairs, and in about an hour and a half, we did four Beatles songs which we’d never played together before. Out of the blue, it just kind of happened. That day is when it felt like a band. We could take a song and just play it.”
Beta Version was born. The band’s name emerged during a family brainstorming session over dinner. Beta means “son” in Hindi. “And a beta version is a prototype,” Ratik says. “We’re never aiming for perfection. We’re always experimenting and jamming,” Gaurav says. That experimentation comes in the form of their signature style—song mashups. Their favorite is taking a classic Pop song and merging it with a Hindi song from a Bollywood film. Gaurav sings and plays guitar, Ratik plays violin and sings, while Kartik is on percussion. Car rides are prime time for mashup ideas, and their basement is a frequent jam zone. “We just love building off of each other’s ideas. All of our perspectives, ideas of song mashups and experimenting,” Ratik says.
Together We’re Better
“The sense of joy when we play together, it’s twice as much fun,” Gaurav says before turning to his sons. “Me being able to hear you and play together, the connection part of it. That is what makes it magical.”
Ratik agrees. “As long as we’re sharing the music and our passion and songs, that’s what matters.”
Beta Version is one of the musical acts during 50th & France’s Diwali Fest on October 10.
Beta Version at 50th & France Diwali Fest: All ages. Free. 6–8 p.m. October 10, Nolan Mains, 3945 Market St.; 50thandfrance.com and edinaasianamericanalliance.org
