Think of the weekend and the first thing that comes to mind is music. And just like clockwork, a series of gigs line up the gig playlist for Bengaluru’s music lovers to choose from.
Top of the list is what promises to be India’s longest party marathon – the Baleno Wicked Weekends with the country’s premier rapper and hip hop artiste Brodha V on February 25.
The multi-city nightlife campaign, that aims to redefine and reinvigorate the club scene in India, will see Brodha offer a preview of his latest single and music video ‘Let ‘em talk’ at Glocal Junction. “The weekend sounds wicked enough,” he says with a laugh: “I have a brand new song. Although I’ll be releasing it next month, this is a special preview to music lovers at the show. I know for a fact that people will be blown away by it.”
He elaborates that the song is his take on the hip hop scene in India. “According to me, the hip hop we see in mainstream media is not up to the mark and not even original hip hop. It is a diluted, watered-down sound. So this is me taking on mainstream hip hop. I want to give people a feel of what real hip hop sounds like.” Since he started in 2008, Brodha aka Vignesh Shivanand has worked in nearly 40 films, including Bollywood projects. He works with Indian sounds and classical samples, such as the award-winning ‘Indian flava’ and hip-hop infused version of ‘Ayigiri Nandini.’ Brodha says: “Most people have not heard hip hop the way I make it. I bring an Indian touch with Carnatic and folk. I’m heralding a new dawn of fusion music which is younger and cooler. That’s what I’m bringing to the table and I think a lot of people will be going home wanting more.”
Future plans include “collaborating with international artistes. There is more Bollywood work as well. I’m going to try my hand at production in indie pop music. Hip hop is going to be right out there always. I’ve evolved as an artiste sonically and lyrically and that’s what I want to share with the audience.”
He confirms hip hop is going to become even more popular. “As a culture and genre in India, there is a huge boom with a lot of interest and curiosity. There are a still very few artistes doing it professionally. But it is way better than what it used to be couple of years ago. Rappers from India are headlining gigs. I think hip hop is going to be as big or even bigger than Bollywood in the next few years.”
(Catch Brodha V in action at Glocal Junction, Indiranagar, on February 25 from 9 pm onwards. Entry free. Club rules apply. Call 65604999.)
On the road
The ‘Broken Roads Tour - Gig Series’, featuring three bands that are everything The Broken Roads Tour stands for in promoting good indie music, is a gig to mark on your bucket list this weekend. On stage will be progressive melodic and highly acclaimed band Final Surrender, five-piece experimental/alternative nu-rock band Switcheroo and four-member rock band D’s Kitchen, all from Bengaluru.
Switcheroo guitarist Subhash Rao, who also manages D’s Kitchen and Final Surrender, says all three bands will be delivering an original set. “From Switcheroo, you can expect hard-hitting and very angry music. People bouncing off one another are what we’re expecting to witness when we perform. When it comes to D’s Kitchen, they stick to their usual, hard-hitting and very active live set that people are sure to groove and dance along with. They’re currently working on their second album, so there will be a lot of new material from them. Final Surrender will be playing a majority of songs from their new album as well as songs from their previous albums.” The biggest takeaway from this gig, Rao says, is the fact that these bands are putting out original music and playing their hearts out on stage. “That’s mainly what we as artistes want the crowds to see, hopefully enjoy and maybe from there take it into following these bands on a regular basis and going out to all their shows. For us, it’s all about building the fan base and getting support for our music.”
Catch The Broken Roads Tour - Gig Series, Bengaluru edition at The Humming Tree, Indiranagar, on February 24 from 9 pm onwards. Entry at Rs. 500. Call 7022359288
Dance away
It’s going to be an EDM night out with ABSOLUT House featuring DJs Milano, Fake Tattoos and CHALK at blueFROG, Church Street, on February 25 form 8 pm onwards. The three celebrated mixers will host a party of deep, tech and progressive house music. Call 69999549
For a cause
UTSAV 2017, the annual fundraising programme of the Association for the Mentally Challenged, an NGO dedicated to enhancing the lives of the mentally challenged in Karnataka, will close with a performance by local band B#Sharp and walking violinist Aneesh Vidyashankar. While B#Sharp will be playing their blend of modern taste and classical melodies with fleeting glimpses of rock, sufi, fusion and other genres, Vidyashankar will play his wide spectrum of stringed music. Catch them all at AMC Campus, Hosur Road, on February 25 from 6 pm onwards.
