On November 30, Gayana Samaja would be packed with nearly 100 musicians, a majority being harmonica (mouth organ) players.
The city is set to host its second ‘Bangalore Harmonica & Reed Instrument Festival’, which will attract some of the best talent from the country. Saitejas Chandrashekar ( in pic ), Executive Committee Member, The Bangalore Harmonica Club, says, “Going beyond having a Harmonica Club that has professional, amateur, hobbyists and beginners, the city is home to harmonica players in several genres. We have formed a Children’s Harmonica Choir, ‘Hamsanada’, which is the first in the country.”
The harmonica is usually restricted to film numbers, but in Bangalore, which patronises all genres of music, it is a part of Carnatic, folk, Jazz, Blues and Country Music too, says Saitejas.
Last year, the fest focused on the harmonica.
But this year, organisers have included artistes from the reed instrument category too. So, you have people playing the piano, harmonium, saxophone, accordion and the free-reed Western instrument melodica (much like the keyboard played with a mouth piece) too.
“Our aim is to hear and experience all reed instruments, along with the harmonica, which are fading away as the sound is being created using digitised keyboards,” says Saitejas.
