Music lovers in the city have a reason to cheer this season. With several artistes lining up to perform in the twin cities, most music enthusiasts have their diaries blocked. From international artiste Afrojack to Farhan Akhtar, Indian Ocean, Clinton Cerejo and Lesle Lewis there is plenty for the city to choose from in terms of live music. And with so many concerts lined up for the last couple of weeks and continuing well into December, the city is in for a truly musical treat.
What music enthusiasts in the city are really gung-ho about is the variety that is on offer. From EDM to jazz, classic rock, Sufi, Bollywood, Western and Indian classical, there is plenty of choice. Says Neethi Akkinepally, manager at a family firm and music enthusiast, “It’s great that we have so many concerts lined up this season. Hearing a band or an artiste perform live is way better than listening to their albums. For instance, I attended the Indian Ocean concert last weekend and it was a beautiful experience. I’ve always loved their music but their live performance was so much better.”
She adds, “The energy at concerts is so much better and it is fun to watch the artistes interact with the audience and share anecdotes. Also concert performances offer much more variety and this time round we have some very prestigious names making their presence felt in the city.”
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What really works for music lovers is the sheer variety they are being offered; there is Malcolm Braff’s jazz performance, the Windsong festival that will feature names like Farhan Akhtar, Lesle Lewis and Indian Ocean, Ruhaniyat that will bring Sufi music to the city and also a Lesle Lewis Live concert at Hard Rock soon.
Not to forget Afrojack’s concert that was held in the city last weekend as part of his India tour and the recently concluded November Fest by The Hindu which brought to the city artistes like Indian Ocean, Vidya Shah, Manganiyars and Clinton Cerejo.
Rohan Kumar, a student, is looking forward to the Windsong festival this weekend. “It’s a lot of big names coupled with regular bands under one roof and is bound to be a fun concert. It is going to be interesting to be at a venue where there will be artistes like Farhan Akhtar and Swarathama performing along side bands like Skrat and Kannan Gill’s NYEH among others.
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It’s great that Garage bands are getting equal footing along with bigger artistes and as a member of the audience I am looking forward to the variety that will be on offer over the weekend for me in terms of music.”
For Vrinda Shah, a banking professional, it is the forthcoming Ruhaniyat that holds interest. “I enjoy Sufi music and it is not often that one gets to enjoy live Sufi numbers. Ruhaniyat at Taramati Baradari seems like a great idea to me; it’s the perfect setting and I can’t wait to get my share of live music. Fortunately, I have a couple of friends who share my taste in music and we plan to make a night of it,” she says.