A 2026 CD release on France-based Castle Records, A Family Business by The Leemoo Gang features a wealth of progressive World Music with a decidedly Indian music flavor. Another joint effort from France’s fusion guitarist / composer Bernard Margarit and sitar master / composer Joyeeta Sanyal-Margarit, the 5-track EP clocks in at 25-minutes and features Bernard and Joyeeta supported by a range of musicians.

With Joyeeta and Bernard each writing and composing the music, the album also features Bernard’s children Tanya Margarit (vocals, keyboards, arrangements), Leo Margarit (drums) and Nayan Margarit (drums) in addition to several native Indian musicians on percussion.

Musically, A Family Business sounds like a natural follow up to the 2025 album, entitled Fifth Element, by Bernard and Joyeeta’s other band, Jee & Bee. Joyeeta’s sitar playing is consummate while Tanya Margarit’s wordless scat vocals and keyboard approach adds even more pleasure to the album while Leo Margarit’s powerhouse drumming is once again excellent.

A good example of the musical ESP in play on the CD can be appreciated on the track “Jeetu”, while the appropriately titled “Song For Tania” features guest artist Prabhu Edouard on tabla and other exotic Indian percussion. Bernard’s tasteful electric guitar and Tania’s vocals and keys seals the deal on this World Music song classic.

Another Indian musician, Manjunath B.C. adds in more exotic Indian instrumentation on the track “Ishwara”, a powerful track that also features Bernard’s second son Nayan Margarit on drums, with Leo Margarit supplying the mix.

In total, a stellar showcase for Joyeeta and Bernard and children, A Family Business lives up to its namesake on a thoroughly modern World Music masterpiece. For those that might appreciate a classic fusion album of Indian music performed by enthusiastic and expert musicians, The Leemoo Gang is well worth the time to track down and enjoy.

RMR Presents An Interview With THE LEEMOO GANG

RMR: I see you’ve been doing some concerts in France recently. Tell us about your live concerts. They must be pretty exciting. Have you played in other countries in Europe?

Joyeeta Sanyal-Margarit: After a concert in Senegal and a few in India, I will have the honor of playing live for "Radio France Culture" at the beginning of March, and I hope that the 2026 season will be prosperous in concert with our groups.

Bernard Margarit: Our concerts are going well, in France we are starting to have many "fans"... In Europe, we have had concerts in London, Joyeeta has done some concerts in Belgium, Spain, Italy, Ireland... We are having a great time on stage!

Tania Margarit: We'd love to tour with this family project this year, but it's very difficult without a booking agent or manager. Plus, Leo is in Sweden, Nayan is in Paris, the guest percussionists are in India... We're short on funds! Also, the arrangements are quite complex; we'd need at least four voices and two keyboards... But I think it would be an ideal repertoire for festivals! Playing with my family is one of my favorite things to do. Personally, I've played with other bands in Romania, Poland, Belgium, Spain, Taiwan, Morocco... But my brother Leo is the one who travels the most for Pain Of Salvation concerts; he's been to no fewer than 40 countries!

RMR: How did Joyeeta and Bernard met each other and when did you start making music together? I guess the mutual musical admiration was a great help in building the relationship? When did you start recording together and what was the first album you released and how many recordings have you released?

Joyeeta Sanyal-Margarit & Bernard Margarit: We met at a few concerts in France. I was already playing tabla with her brother, Debojyoti, who introduced me to Joyeeta. I was immediately impressed by her playing, and Joyeeta joined my band, Ganapati. After that, everything happened very quickly. We're now married and we work every day on our projects, especially for our family band, The Leemoo Gang.

Tania Margarit: My father has always been very drawn to Indian music; in his youth, he listened to Shakti, Ravi Shankar, Mahavishnu Orchestra and others. He began working with Indian musicians in the 2000s and met Joyeeta and her brother Debojyoti in 2014. It was the first time he had worked with a sitar player, and Joyeeta's virtuosity and musicality immediately inspired him. I think they have great respect for one another.

RMR: How is the Leemoo Gang album different from the Jee & Bee album from last year? A Family Business is a great title considering you have Bernard’s three children on it. Is sounds like there’s a kind of musical ESP on A Family Business. Is that a good way to describe the album and why do you call the band The Leemoo Gang? Is one big difference the appearance of drummer Leo Margarit? His powerful drumming certainly adds a harder edge. Also tell us about Nayan Margarit who appears here on drums as well. Who is older Leo or Nayan?

Tania Margarit: The Leemoo Gang sounds much more organic, and the style is more fusion than electronic music. It's a blend of traditional Indian music and all sorts of styles I love: jazz, salsa, groove, rock... Our friend Jean-Pierre Llabador came up with the name "The Leemoo Gang" because we live in a small town in the south of France called Limoux! Léo brings virtuosity, rhythmic ideas, and a rock edge, which definitely makes the project more vibrant and groovy. He also handled the mixing and contributed significantly to the band's sound. He's the older of my two brothers; there are 20 years between Léo and Nayan, but Nayan also contributed to the album on an 11/4 time signature track. He was only 19 at the time of recording, and I think he did an excellent job —he's subtle and precise!

Joyeeta Sanyal-Margarit & Bernard Margarit: The two groups are different: with Jee and Bee, we use quite a bit of electronic music. On the other hand, The Leemoo Gang is played by musicians with whom we have a great rapport, since they're family!

RMR: Being that both Joyeeta and Bernard wrote music too, how would you contrast and compare their compositional styles? And can Joyeeta and Bernard say something their own respective instruments? What sitar was played on the album and how many sitars do you have and what guitars are played on the album?

Joyeeta Sanyal-Margarit: I love composing! I play some melodies for Bernard and we play the themes in unison, which is sometimes a challenge. I have three sitars: two acoustic and one electro- acoustic, which is more practical for transport.

Bernard Margarit: Much like Joyeeta, I compose melodies and each of us, on our own instrument, tries to play the same melody while respecting the style of our instrument. I've played several guitars, including a Stratocaster and a Gibson 175.

RMR: How long have you been professional musicians and when did you start playing your instruments?

Joyeeta Sanyal-Margarit: I turned professional in 2014 when I arrived in France with my brother. For the past 10 years, I have divided my time between composing and performing.

Bernard Margarit: For my part, I've been a professional musician for a long time. My career began in the 1980s; I had the chance to play with our "French rock star," Johnny Hallyday, and to meet my friend and excellent guitarist, Jean-Pierre Llabador, with whom I've continued to collaborate on projects, mostly in a jazz style. In the 2000s, I became interested in Indian music.

Tania Margarit: I started playing piano at age 7 and was already singing on stage at 14. I was lucky enough to grow up with a musician father who passed on his passion for music to my brothers and me. I've been performing as a professional singer and musician for over 30 years now.

RMR: Tell us about working with Tania Margarit on the album, what was Tania’s approach in making the track arrangements? She’s such a stimulating artist!

Joyeeta Sanyal-Margarit: Tania has a lot of talent and she arranged our music with a lot of energy and musicality; she had to learn Indian notes to sing them over our melodies, and she was able to harmonize our music with taste and efficiency.

Bernard Margarit: For my part, we've been making music with Tania since she was very young, and she's always loved Indian music. I've been playing with my three children since they were little. Tania has always had a knack for harmonizing compositions, both vocally and with keyboards, and she did a fantastic job on The Leemoo Gang album.

Tania Margarit: I've always loved world music, especially the blending of different styles. My father always played me traditional Indian music, but also fusion: I remember that concert by percussionist Trilok Gurtu where I was with my father and Léo at the JAM in Montpellier—we all loved it! When my father and Joyeeta asked me to record their compositions at my place and do the arrangements, I immediately accepted the challenge. For each track, I let myself be guided by the main theme and tried to bring a modern touch and the sounds I love—jazz, Latin, electro, rock, classical, etc... I embellished the tracks with keyboard parts, bass, and lots of vocals—I really enjoyed myself!

RMR: What plans do you have for 2026 as far as performing, writing and recording new music?

Joyeeta Sanyal-Margarit: 2026 is looking good, we regularly have some concerts in our region, and I am preparing a tour in Belgium as well as another in India in November.

Bernard Margarit: I love the stage and the audience. My dearest wish is to perform on stage. We are also preparing a tour in France for June with the Indian Kathak dancer Labonee Mohanta, who is currently in San Francisco.

Tania Margarit: I currently have a jazz quintet in which I pay tribute to the great jazz singers who influenced my musical development—from Ella Fitzgerald to Esperanza Spalding, including Tania Maria and Joni Mitchell. I'm also working on a solo album which I hope will be released before the end of 2026. Finally, I'm currently recording the music for an animated film with the vocal group "Les Grandes Gueules," which will be released later this year.