JOIN USPhoenix MarketCity came to life recently when popular singer Avril Q and African band ‘Roots of Rhythm’ took to the stage for a live performance. The crowd may not have been constant throughout; but for those who saw the two acts, it made for an evening of fun.
Avril Q, who is known her for energetic performances, sang for two hours in both English and Hindi. The former saw covers of yesteryear singers like Bryan Adams, Christina Aguilera, Kylie Minogue and ‘The Bangles’. But to keep the audience interested, the Hindi songs were much needed.
To keep the cheering crowds happy, she performed new hits and retro Bollywood songs, including item numbers like Munni Badnaam Hui, Anarkali Disco Chali, Fevicol Se and Halkat Jawani.
“I’ve chosen this kind of music because that’s the order of the day at the mall. You’re catering to men, women and children here. I’m glad that people enjoyed my original compositions like Paagal Baadal and Yeh Hi India Hai as well as the covers,” points out Avril, whose performance involved some matka jhatkas on stage too.
Sheeba, an audience member, was thrilled to be there. “She was really awesome. It’s the first time I’ve heard her but I’m already a fan of her voice. It’s a nice space to utilise for such performances,” she says, adding that she liked how Avril spanned different genres without the help of musical instruments.
Despite a short spell of rain, the spirits of music listeners at the mall were not dampened.
They patiently waited for an even more energetic set by ‘Roots of Rhythm’, the Bangalore-based African acoustic band that incorporated dance music and genres like reggae.
The band even played some surprise mixes of Bollywood songs like ‘I Am A Disco Dancer’, Chammak Challo and a reggae version of the popular Why This Kolaveri Di. They were also joined on stage by local percussionist Muthu, who played the tabla and djembe.
“We’ve played here before and people are always dancing. We chose the Bollywood songs to give world music a new meaning. You feel like you’re reaching out to the people better,” inform frontman Kem Brian.