Some of the world’s most greatest percussion legends will come together for the debut edition of the Mahindra Percussion Festival at Jayamahal Palace Hotel in Bengaluru on Saturday.
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The festival, which will last a full day, will showcase a range of artists across styles, music cultures, and countries, making it a one-of-a-kind platform that traverses various music genres, all led by the beats of percussion.
The musical line up features some of the best-known names in the world of percussion, including composer and drummer Ranjit Barot, renowned percussionist A. Sivamani, kanjira exponent V. Selvaganesh, Armenian-origin American multi-instrumentalist Arto Tunçboyaciyan, and Spanish group Paquito Ensemble. In addition, drummers’ group Pulse Conversations, featuring Gino Banks, Vinayak Pol, and Jai Row Kavi, Mumbai-based konnakol ace Viveick Rajagopalan’s Ta Dhom Project, and Kerala’s Chemmeen Band, featuring Aattam Kalasamithi, will also perform.
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Ranjit Barot, the festival curator, expressed his delight about the upcoming event, saying: “It’s wonderful to be back in Bengaluru, a city we used to visit frequently until the crackdown on live music bands.” “We have a great line-up of renowned artists performing this time, creating a unique mix of rhythmic personalities. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
The festival’s aim is to celebrate timeless rhythms by infusing them with contemporary perspectives. The performances promise to cast a powerful and everlasting spell of percussion rhythm over the audience. Mr. Sivamani shared his excitement about performing with Mr. Barot, saying: “In the 70s, I first heard his album Sangam, and it really woke me up as a musician. It is from there that my journey with fusion style started.”
“It’s all about the drums, and you will even hear exotic percussion instruments like the kanjira, mridangam, and konnakol,” explained Mohini Dey. “I am playing with Pulse Conversation and in Ranjit uncle’s set and then with a flamenco guitar player; it will be a fusion of sorts,” added the electric bass player. “I believe it’s essential to have such festivals to keep everyone updated with the changing music scene. It’s a great platform for musicians to collaborate with each other, learn about different cultures and sounds,” she added.
For Armenian-origin American multi-instrumentalist Arto Tunçboyaciyan, the festival is an amalgamation of music from different cultures. “The stage becomes a canvas for artists from different countries to come together and create beautiful music, erasing borders in the process,” he said.