Splendid acts steal the show

There were 20 events, including quizzes, photography contests, a documentary-making competition as well as competitions on entrepreneurship, marketing, finance and HR, among others.

The students who participated said they were thrilled to be a part of the experience.

“The good thing about ‘Amaze’ was that they did not restrict registrations and participation, which allowed a lot of people to gain experience and receive valuable exposure,” said Sanket, a student of Jain University, who won the ‘Global Youth Debate Conclave Best Debater’ title.

The last day was reserved for bigger events. The evening began with ‘Haute Couture’, the fashion show, which was won by Baldwin Boys’ High School. This was followed by ‘Rhythms of the Soul’, the choreography contest, which saw the Baldwin boys win again. Finally, around 9 pm, Pakistani pop-rock duo ‘Strings’, the festival’s headlining act, took the stage.

The duo opened with the title track of their last album, Koi Aanay Wala Hai and took off from there playing all their popular numbers like Duur, Anjaane, Aakhri Alvida, Soniye, Zinda Hoon and many others. There was not a single moment when the crowd was not accompanying the duo belting out song after song.

“They are a fantastic band and were truly amazing on stage. Hearing their lyrics and vocals live makes one appreciate music more,” says Kartik Bhat, a member of the audience. One of the highlights of the show was Na Jaane Kyun, the song which was featured in the ‘Spiderman 2’ OST and performed beautifully by them with the stage lights off.

One could see only the light from mobile phones which audience members were holding up as they swayed. The grand finale, Dhaani, was as good to hear live as the recorded version and had everyone singing along with the two vocalists and the rest of the band.

Overall, their live act was quite impressive with guitar and drum solos being performed during the songs to increase the audience’s energy levels.

“It was a great experience — they connected really well with the audience and kept us engaged throughout. Each band member was special and talented in their own way,” said Aishwarya Mair, a member of the audience. Music had indeed transcended boundaries.