Striking a refreshing rhythm

Offbeat Act

I

f you think that a dose of offbeat entertainment is the perfect way to fight those Monday blues, then Kyra had the formula down pat. The screening of the film The Band’s Visit from UTV World Movies was followed by a live performance by the electronica/trip-hop duo, Tempo Tantrick, consisting of Priyanka and Arfaaz also popularly known as Blah and Fuzz.

The Band’s Visit was Israeli film-maker Eran Kolirin’s unassuming debut film that dispenses with culture critiques and ideologies, in lieu of a good-natured set of episodes about stilted romances and mediocre comic riffs. The plot revolves around the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra’s arrival in Israel to play at the opening of an Arab Cultural Centre. Dressed in full regalia, the band arrives at the airport with no one there to greet them. Stranded and unable to contact their Israeli hosts or the Egyptian consulate for help, Tewfiq, the stoic conductor decides that the orchestra will persevere with its assignment nonetheless.

Taking the bus to a small town called Hatikva by mistake, it soon becomes crushingly apparent that they are on the sunny side of nowhere. A local café owner, Dina, feeds the band and arranges for sleeping arrangements until the bus arrives the day after.The story then takes some twists and turns with measured doses of comedy, melodrama, pathos and romance finally ending on a poignant note of farewell between the band members and the inhabitants of this little town whose lives intertwined so briefly and memorably.

Next on was Blah and Fuzz, who could best be described as independent performers with an eclectic style all their own. “We don’t fit into most people’s conceptions of a band,” they say. “We are not disc jockeys and we don't perform with a whole entourage of musicians. Blah writes the lyrics and the melodies’ music and I produce the electronic sound that carries it away,” says Fuzz.

“There is a crying need for people to support independent artistes whether they are filmmakers who make good quality non-commercial films or performing artists who try to push the creative envelope,” says Blah.

The music of Tempo Tantrik was different and refreshingly so. Blah, with her petite frame and peppy body language, was the perfect foil for Fuzz’s cherubic charm. Their songs definitely had an appeal that ranged from the simple yet subtle lyrics to the funky sound with elements of punk, rock, jazz and everything in between.

For all those present, it was a musical experience that was different and definitely rewarding. “Come on Bangalore, encourage more independent performers and widen the cultural horizons of your City,” said the duo in parting.