A new wave of indie artistes are eschewing coveted venues in big cities equipped with heavy duty music sets, spectacular lighting and aggressive promotions for performances in serene small towns with niche audiences.
Whether it’s Bollywood’s veteran composer Lesle Lewis, or blues band Kanchan Daniel and the Beards, or a boy band from Delhi, music makers in India across platforms are looking forward to strum it up in small towns ranging from Kokrajhar in Assam to picturesque Kasauli in the hills.
At the recently concluded 5th season of the Kasauli Rhythm and Blues festival, artistes across genres performed on a single stage taking back nothing but smiles and cheers from fans, even those coming from countries such as Sri Lanka, Switzerland and the UK.
“Honestly, I love playing in smaller town festivals because I feel people love you for your music, they are real fans,” says singer-composer Lesle Lewis, a pioneer of independent music in India.
Riding on similar lines is a Hindi-rock band, The Local Train, formed by musicians from Chandigarh and Haryana who grew up listening to Bollywood numbers. Songs like ‘ Baazigar ’ and ‘ Ole Ole ’ have influenced them to pen music in Hindi rock n roll with a desi touch.
The band is a regular at campus gigs and festivals, which are often considered best performance spaces for both established and upcoming performances. The band has been on constant tour for the past six months to places like Sonepat (Haryana), Kokrajhar (Assam), and Deogarh (Jharkhand) following the release of their debut album, ‘ Aalas Ka Pedh ’ last year.
Vocalist Raman Negi says, “We did not want to be a metro band when we started out. We wanted to really get to the two-tier cities and smaller towns because we knew that these people really need exposure. College festivals in the outskirts and away from the metros are important and through that I think we have reached to people who don’t have access to alternate, independent music. Mumbai-based Mihir Joshi Band, which likes to experiment with elements of blues and rock, has taken western flavours to places like Shirpur in Maharashtra and the Northeast. Front man and vocalist Mihir Joshi says, “I want to play in every small city concert and festival because I find that people are so much more receptive to good music. They are not bothered about star and celebrity value. People appreciate good music.” — PTI
