Blend of the old and new

Music lovers couldn’t have asked for a better evening as Kutle Khan and Talvin Singh enthralled them with an open-air performance. The musical treat, which was part of ‘Seagram’s 100 Pipers Bangalore Music Week’, was held at Geoffrey’s Lawns, The Royal Orchid Hotel recently.

Performer Kutle Khan, along with Aditya Bhasin who is from the band ‘Rajasthan Roots’, set the mood for the evening with typical Indian music. The opening act was followed by a performance by tabla maestro Talvin Singh.

Many sufi songs like Kesariya Balam and Dama Dam Mast Qalandar and several jugalbandis were performed. Talking about the performance, Aditya Bhasin said, “It was a wonderful concert. It was great to see a lot of people who have been following our music and journey all these years. In fact, we had performed for the festival six years ago. And it was good to see some known faces coming back again. It was great to have such a wonderful crowd.”

He added, “We actually cater to all age groups and musical tastes because the kind of music we try to create is a blend of ancient traditions of Rajasthan with an international touch. Fusion music is something everyone could relate to.”

Roshan Netalkar, managing director of Swordfish Events and Entertainment, said, “We wanted to create a music week with a unique line-up. All the artistes performing here have been handpicked keeping their genre of music and appeal
in mind.”

The eclectic mix among the audience enjoyed the heavy notes. While some chose to clap their hands and tap their feet to the music, others were seen dancing to the peppy numbers.

Said Arun Rao, an attendee, “It was such an energetic performance. I preferred the first part over the second. It was good to see such a large turnout. What surprised me was the enthusiasm among the foreigners who were singing along.”

Rajesh, another member of the audience, came for the performance by chance.

“I am here on a vacation. And being a huge fan of music, I thought I must make it to this event. I liked the mood of the evening. But even better than that was catching up with many of my friends in this wonderful ambience,” he said. His friend Aditi added, “I enjoy fusion music. Though I’m not the one to attend concerts, the music and line-up of artistes is what got me here.”