A blend of old and new

Bangalore-based Hindi rock band ‘Aurko’ performed at Phoenix MarketCity recently as part of the ‘Alive India In Concert’.

The band performed different numbers with great energy on stage. The concert was divided into two parts — ‘Unforgettables’ and ‘Popular Originals’. The first section consisted of Bollywood classics like Phoolon Ke Rang Se, Bade Ache Lagte Hain, Hum Bewafa, Kya Ye Anth Hai, Zindagi Kaisi Ye Paheli, Neele Neele Ambar and Ek Ajnabee. The audience was filled with nostalgia on hearing these hit numbers from the past.
During the second part of the show, the band set the stage on fire with its original tracks like Nadiyaa, Raat Ke Kohre Me, Talash, ‘Come on Change’, Dholna and Lokhave. The band closed the performance with its own version of Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram and Vande Mataram.

Supratik Ghosh from Aurko said that this concert was very special to the group. “Most rock bands like to play original songs. We too were excited about that. But we also wanted the performance to be unique. A concert in an open space gives more exposure to the performers,” shared Supratik. He added that most youngsters today shy away from singing classics. “Our band wanted to bring Indian music to the crowd too. That’s why we had two sections of music, so that there was something for all,” he said.

The audience was overjoyed with the performance as it flashed its cellphone screens in appreciation and waved and applauded to the different numbers. Most people also sang along during the first part of the performance. Anirban Dutta, a member of the audience, said, “Thanks to the band, everyone had a great evening. We loved the special ‘Aurko’ touch to the RD Burman songs. It was so heartening to see my daughter enjoy the music as she clapped and cheered out loud.”

Amlan DG, another music connoisseur, said the show was great in every way. “Neele Neele Ambar, O Majhi Re and all the other numbers that were performed were fabulous. I enjoyed the performance a lot,” he said.