JOIN USMusical notes, beats and rhythms were in the air, across the city, this weekend as yet another season of ‘Fête de la Musique’, organised by Alliance Française de Bangalore (AFB), came to an end. A variety of genres fused and brought out the beauty of music just before the actual day, which falls on June 21.
The annual festival was bigger and better this year, with 200 artistes and bands performing across 21 location. Venues like Octavium, Church Street Social, Whitefield Social, Bangalore School of Music, Urban Solace, Goobe’s, Café Noir, blueFROG, Toit, Saiacs Ceo Center, The Paul, Numa, 1522, The Humming Tree, Hippocampus, Big Pitcher, Sancho’s, Rangoli Metro Art Center, Furtados and Take 5 hosted numerous tunes that didn’t seem to have a problem coming together. Whether it was Western classical melodies, fusion sounds, electronic beats, experimental music or metal throbs, it was all there. Not only did the event encourage Bengaluru-based musicians from different genres to perform for an audience, it also got listeners to open up to genres they weren’t familiar with.
Maitri Vasudev, a young professional, decided to attend the music festival for the first time because of her cousin, who was performing at the AFB premises on the first day. “My cousin is in a band called ‘Oogelaktik’; they play indie-rock. I hadn’t heard many of the genres that were showcased at the festival, which was fun. As a trained Hindustani classical musician, I enjoy listening to new genres, but I wasn’t aware that the city had so many talented bands,” she said.
Music enthusiasts had a difficult choice to make — ‘which venue do we head to when there’s such a good choice?’. The AFB auditorium itself was a hub for musicians and listeners to blend and talk to each other. Unlike other concerts, this had a more freeing atmosphere so there wasn’t much of a distinction between performer and audience. As soon as that gap was bridged, it made for a better experience.
Musicians like Rakshan Alberts, from the experimental band ‘Groove Tantriks’, said that they were really excited about the event. “The beauty of the event is that it’s not restricted to any particular genre, which means a lot of new stuff will be seen. We, as a band, were keen on offering something new to the scene. When musicians experiment, it’s always fascinating. It was also exciting to share the stage with friends,” he said.