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Prateek Kuhad Reflects on a Decade in Music Ahead of India Tour

Stressing that performing live has always promised a peculiar high, the singer-songwriter remembers his last long tour in India in the year 2022…writes Sukant Deepak

Believe it or not, this songwriter and singer who studied math and economics at New York University and created a stir with his first EP, the self-titled ‘Prateek Kuhad’, and  ‘Raat Raazi’ in 2013 never thought that music would be a full-time career for him.

He always conceived it as a passion and something he would indulge in as a hobby.

“Then one thing led to another, and the more I immersed myself in music and wrote songs, the more I realised how much I loved it. After finishing college, I decided to give it a shot in India, thinking I would give it a year and see how it goes. If things went well — I would keep doing it. And then… I never looked back,” Prateek Kuhad, best known for his album ‘Cold/Mess’ (2019) tells.

As he gets set to release his latest single ‘I’m Someone New’ and perform in 10 Indian cities, Kuhad, who learnt to play the guitar at age 16 and started writing songs soon, says that his latest single was written earlier this year over two different sessions in New York with producer and writer Greg Wattenberg.

“Working with Greg was an incredible experience. We wrote the song together and then produced it. It is about the transformative power of love and how it can intensely change a person. Considering it is a single, we wanted to create a different experience for our fans, other than the usual music video. So, we recently shot a live version of the song, and my entire band performed. We wanted to give a glimpse of the song at the tour this year, it is part of my setlist,” says the Jaipur-born Kuhad.

Ask him to rewind when his first album was released and compare it with current times, and the singer smiles that it has been a great decade of putting out music.

Recalling that when he started, the independent music culture in India was not this big, and even the concert culture was quite limited, he adds: “Today, an entire ecosystem thrives. The fact that I get to perform in countries across the globe, and the audience is always receptive is extremely rewarding. It has been a great decade of putting out and writing music, and I am honestly excited for the next decade now.”

Stressing that performing live has always promised a peculiar high, the singer-songwriter remembers his last long tour in India in the year 2022.

Adding that he is excited to get back and will be performing in several cities including Delhi, Bombay, Bangalore, Jaipur, Guwahati, Kolkata, Indore, Ahmedabad, and Pune this time.

He says: “It is always an enriching experience visiting different states and meeting people across India. There is so much to take away each time. Performing live, one is unfiltered, raw, and honest self to the audience. I believe the audience has also evolved over the past few years; they recognise the effort and reciprocate. The energy at my concerts is pure, and there is always warmth.”

The songwriter and singer who has also worked on film projects like ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’ and ‘Karwaan’ admits that right now, his focus is on his own projects.

“Frankly, it is never about the medium as I enjoy writing songs that are personal to me. I have enjoyed the movie projects I did and am happy to do more, but surely writing music for myself gets preference in the scheme of things.”

Giving ‘Cold/Mess’ one of his biggest hits a “fair amount” of credit to his popularity, he feels his career has been built over the years through diverse elements.

“A lot of touring, and different songs that, while maybe not as big as cold/mess have been important. Take for instance, ‘Tum Jab Paas’, ‘Tune Kaha’ and ‘Oh Love’ are tracks that built my community and fan base in small ways. But they did,” he stresses.

Currently in Los Angeles and working with musicians based here, he is trying to write songs to pick from for the next album and hopefully get it ready for release this year.

“But no promises — I’m still working on it, and we will see how it goes. Besides that, there’s ‘The Silhouettes Tour’ happening. This year is all about touring. The US and Canada are done. There is Australia, Europe, the UK, Singapore, Dubai, and then India,” concludes the first Indian artist to be signed by the American record label Elektra Records in 2020.

ALSO READ-Roshan: The Man Who Brought Classical Music to Bollywood

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Roshan: The Man Who Brought Classical Music to Bollywood

Roshan deservedly was deemed to be the foremost exponent of the filmi qawwali, but his oeuvre was not limited to this form – it appears in just half-a-dozen of his 67 films…reports Vikas Dutta

He may have ended up as a mere footnote in the annals of Hindi cinema with music for just one flop film to his account, had his indulgent mentor been a more money-minded man. In the process, connoisseurs would have been deprived of scores of exquisite qawwalis, elegant love songs, and aesthetic compositions showcasing the immortal words of Tulsidas and Meera.

And for 21st-century Bollywood fans, would Hrithik Roshan have emerged, had his grandfather, drawn to films after hearing a K.L. Saigal bhajan, abandoned his ambitions?

Roshan (1917-67), born Roshan Lal Nagrath on this day (July 14) in Gujranwala (undivided Punjab), spent just a third of his tragically short life in the film industry, but, in this span, he spun pure gold with his trademark classical music-based melodies. A leading music director, who also played a key role in his life, likened his music to honey dripping from a honeycomb.

Roshan deservedly was deemed to be the foremost exponent of the filmi qawwali, but his oeuvre was not limited to this form – it appears in just half-a-dozen of his 67 films.

On the other hand, there is “Khayalon mein kisi ke” (“Bawre Nain”, 1951), “Bade armanon se” (“Malhar”, 1951), “Main dil hoon ek armaan bhara” (“Anhonee”, 1952), “Salaam-e-hasrat qabool kar lo” (“Babar”, 1960), “Zindagi bhar nahi bhoolegi woh barsaat ki raat” (“Barsaat Ki Raat”, 1960). “Ab kya misaal doon main tumhare shabaab ki” (“Aarti”, 1962), “Laga chunri mein daag” (“Dil Hi To Hai”, 1963), “Jo vada kiya vo nibhana padega” (“Taj Mahal”, 1963), “Dil jo na keh saka” (“Bheegi Raat”, 1965), “Rahen na rahen ham” (“Mamta”, 1966) and “Hum intezar karenge” (“Bahu Begum”, 1967).

Above all, there is the Meera bhajan “Ae ri main to prem diwani” (“Naubahar”, 1952) and “Man re tu kaahe na dheer dhare” (“Chitralekha”, 1964), skillfully adapted by Sahir Ludhianvi from Tulsidas’ “Mana tu kahe na dheer dharat ab…” and rendered sublimely by Mohammad Rafi.

Then, gauge how Roshan imbued a spiritual feel to “Chhupa lo yun dil mein” from “Mamta”, aided by the dulcet tones of Hemant Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar, and Majrooh Sultanpuri’s poetry, while recalling his AIR days with the studio-based “Saari saari raat” (“Aji Bas Shukriya”, 1957).

But, as mentioned, all this would have never come to pass without the trust shown by legendary director, producer, lyricist and screenwriter KIdar Nath Sharma, who had spotted Roshan, then working with AIR Delhi as an esraj player, way back in 1945 and offered him a career in the film industry.

Roshan had refused then, but approached Sharma in 1949 when he moved to Bombay. Sharma offered him a chance to compose for his “Neki Aur Badi” (1949), convincing his own regular composer Snehal Bhatkar to sit it out and the latter obliged.

The film flopped and a distraught and disheartened Roshan told Sharma that he was no good and wanted to commit suicide. The filmmaker heard him patiently and asked him which Bombay beach he would prefer to do away with himself.

Then, on a serious note, he went on to say that if Roshan would defer his plans, he would offer him another chance in his forthcoming film.

This was not the end of the story.

During the film’s making, an influential distributor came to meet Sharma and in Roshan’s presence, promised him a large amount if only he would drop the music composer. Roshan went to another room and began sobbing, telling Sharma, who followed him, to accept the offer. Sharma, however, went back to his office and said no.

“Bawre Nain” (1951), with songs like “Teri duniya mein dil lagta nahi” and “Khayalon mein”, was a hit and started Roshan on his sparkling musical journey.

Sharma was more patient than Anil Biswas, who took direct action when Roshan began crying at his song recording, saying he would never be able to create such music. Biswas sought to calm him down, but when Roshan would not stop sobbing, he gave him a slap, wondering how he would succeed this way. It was Biswas only who likened his music to dripping honey.

Roshan, whose music reflected his classical training, also had a penchant for knowing when to let his tune yield to the lyrics or the singer. His — and Hindi cinema’s most famous qawwali — “Na to karvan ki talash hai” (“Barsaat ki Raat”) is a prime example and so is the same film’s “Maine shayad tumhe pehle bhi” where it just fills the gaps.

On the other hand, “Tum agar mujh ko na chaho” (“Dil Hi To Hai”) has a steady beat accompanying the singer.

There was much more music left in Roshan when he succumbed to a heart attack in 1967.

ALSO READ-Aftab Shivdasani Ventures into Musical Horror with ‘Kasoor’

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Aftab Shivdasani Ventures into Musical Horror with ‘Kasoor’

Aftab made his debut as a leading actor in 1999 with ‘Mast’, directed by Ram Gopal Varma. He subsequently appeared in films such as ‘Kasoor’, ‘Awara Paagal Deewana’, ‘Hungama’, and ‘Masti’…reports Asian Lite News

Actor Aftab Shivdasani will be starring in an upcoming film titled ‘Kasoor’, which is a “musical, romance, and horror genre.

Following the success and enthusiastic response to ‘Sirf Ek Bandaa Kafi Hai’, producer Asif Shaikh of Practical Productions has roped in Aftab for the musical horror film ‘Kasoor’, presented by Bablu Aziz.

Confirming the news, producer Asif said: “It’s a very unique concept — a musical romance horror. When Aftab heard the story, he was very excited about the subject. The audience will see Aftab Shivdasani in a very different role on the silver screen.”

“It’s an author-backed role, and we are in the process of finalising one female lead and another male lead alongside Aftab. The announcement for these roles will follow soon.”

Directed by Glen Barretto and written by Mudassar Aziz, the story revolves around three main characters.

The 45-year-old actor was first selected as the Farex baby at the age of 14 months. He was then seen in films such as ‘Mr. India’, ‘Shahenshah’, ‘ChaalBaaz’, ‘Awwal Number’, ‘C.I.D.’, and ‘Insaniyat’ as a child star.

Aftab made his debut as a leading actor in 1999 with ‘Mast’, directed by Ram Gopal Varma. He subsequently appeared in films such as ‘Kasoor’, ‘Awara Paagal Deewana’, ‘Hungama’, and ‘Masti’.

In 2018, Aftab made his debut in Tamil cinema with ‘Bhaskar Oru Rascal’ and in Kannada cinema with ‘Kotigobba 3’ in 2021.

The actor was last seen in Hindi cinema in the 2019 film ‘Setters’, a crime thriller directed by Ashwini Chaudhary. The film also stars Shreyas Talpade, Sonnalli Seygall, Vijay Raaz, Ishita Dutta, Pavan Malhotra, Jameel Khan, and Pankaj Jha.

It revolves around examination cheating rackets in India, showcasing an eponymous racket where brilliant students sit for exams in place of weaker students for money.

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World Music Day: Jasleen Royal’s Picks & Burrah’s Spiritual Anthem

‘Assi Sajna’ is sung by Aditya Sharma, INTENSE, and Jasleen…reports Asian Lite News

On the ‘World Music Day’, singers and songwriters Jasleen Royal and Jasdeep Singh aka Burrah, shared about the tracks that they are currently listening to on loop.

Jasleen, who is known for the track ‘Ranjha’ from the biographical war film ‘Shershaah’ starring Sidharth Malhotra said: “I am listening to ‘Assi Sajna’ and ‘Tum Se’ on loop right now. Both feel like the perfect mood for this weather and spark a subtle excitement making them feel like a warm hug.”

The song ‘Tum Se’ is sung by Raghav Chaitanya, Sachin-Jigar, and Varun Jain. It is from the science fiction romantic comedy movie ‘Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya’ starring Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon.

‘Assi Sajna’ is sung by Aditya Sharma, INTENSE, and Jasleen.

Burrah, who was a part of ‘MTV Hustle’ and ‘Coke Studio Bharat’, shared: “Currently I’m in a supremely creative space, been writing a lot of music, so I’ve been constantly listening and feeling my unreleased songs on loop to perfect them and bring them to truth. Beyond that, I’m constantly listening to ‘Chaupai Sahib’, it’s a hymn written by Guru Gobind Singh ji.”

“In Sikhism, it’s recited to gain spiritual safety and defence from external and internal enemies, worries and afflictions,” he said.

Burrah further added: “I’m working on a very special project.. deep inside I feel I’m in a sensitive and sacred space, like giving birth. This activity serves to protect my energy and keep me grounded while also connecting me to the divine. Also been listening to ‘Bajarang Baan’ a lot. On a secondary note, ‘Sajni’ sung by Arijit Singh is constantly playing on loop at my home, it’s quite therapeutic as well.”

Jasleen is known for tracks like ‘Peh Gaya Khalara’, ‘Raatein’, ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’, ‘Nachde Ne Saare’, ‘Udd Chaliyan’, and most recently ‘Heeriye’, which featured Dulquer Salmaan.

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Frankie Goes to Bollywood

A Bollywood musical is coming to Wolverhampton next month.

Brought to stage by Rifco Theatre Company, Frankie Goes to Bollywood is a spectacular all-singing-all-dancing tale of heroes and villains, with all the costumes and the spectacle of a Bollywood feature film. It tells the tale of being British in Bollywood and explores what it takes to get to the top.

Frankie never wanted to be a star, all she’s ever really wanted is a close and loving family – but after a chance encounter with an up-and-coming director, she finds herself transported to Bollywood, cast in a movie and thrust into the limelight. Might the Bollywood world provide her with the family and community she has always dreamed of? Suddenly Frankie is immersed in the world of fame and fortune but as she climbs the sparkling staircase of stardom, each step makes her question what she is willing to do, or be subjected to, for success.

Drawing inspiration from both traditional Bollywood music and the best of western musical theatre, the music for Frankie goes to Bollywood is a carefully integrated hybrid – designed to appeal to lovers of the Bollywood genre and also lovers of a good old West End extravaganza.

Bollywood as an industry generates over £2 billion a year, and globally the films have an audience of 1.3billion. In the UK a successful Bollywood film can be expected to take as much as £4 million – so it’s little wonder that the glamorous lure of Bollywood stardom appeals to many British-South Asian young people.

The musical, conceived by Artistic Director of Rifco Pravesh Kumar MBE, is inspired by those true stories of young men and women who make the journey to India to become Brits in Bollywood.

Pravesh says “A lot of the story is about a question of belonging. In some ways in the UK, British born South Asian people, will still forever be seen by many as immigrants, no matter how many generations their families have lived in Britain. So forging a career in Bollywood, be that in front of or behind the camera can be seen by those who go out there, as somewhat of a homecoming. But then, being British born, and new to a lot of the culture, many of the women who go to work in the industry become acutely aware of the deeply ingrained sexism, not just within the industry itself, but displayed on screen. And that’s something they have to address and decide how much of that disparity they can put up with.”

“I wanted to highlight this issue, because as the world fights the good fight for increased equality between genders, it’s men’s responsibility to shine a light on sexism, and to call it out when they see it – at work, amongst their friends, and in the wider world.

I love Bollywood fiercely and this musical is at heart, a celebration of the genre and the art and the people involved. But that doesn’t mean I’m not still hoping and pushing for change. So my hope is that is this work a celebration of Bollywood, but at the same time, a small catalyst for improved social standing for women in the industry, both behind-the-scenes, and how they are portrayed on the silver screen.”

Frankie Goes to Bollywood comes to Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from 11 – 15 June. For tickets and more information visit: FRANKIE GOES TO BOLLYWOOD | Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

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Remembering Shamshad Begum

Hindi films’ first female playback superstar, Shamshad Begum held her own against existing singers like the classically trained Ameerbai Karnataki and Zohrabai Ambalewali and singing actresses like Noor Jehan and Suraiya. In fact, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle, who were emerging then, were counselled to sing in her style…writes Vikas Datta

Her influence persists in Bollywood even after her name has faded from public memory, althrough remixes of her rollicking hits from the 1950s continue to be in circulation. Another, and not that well-known, legacy of Shamshad Begum, though, was initiating what later became “item numbers”, though her contributions were more perky than provocative, saucy than raunchy, and racy without being ribald.

And then, they were delivered in a robust voice, whose clarity was compared to a temple bell by composer O.P. Nayyar, with a full-blown gusto and sense of abandon.

“Udan khatole pe udh jaaun” (“Anmol Ghadi”, 1946), “Mere piya gaye Rangoon” (“Patanga”, 1949), “Kabhi aar kabhi paar” (“Aar Paar”, 1954), “Bisvi sadi hai ye bisvii sadi” (“Chaalis Baabaa Ek Chor”, 1954), “Leke pehla pehla pyar”, “Kahin pe nigahen kahin pe nishana”, and “Boojh mera kya naam re” (“CID”, 1956) are prime examples.

And then, nearly forty years before Madhuri Dixit in “Tezaab” (1988), Shamshad Begum, who was born on this day (April 14) in 1919 and passed away days after her 94th birthday in 2013, had already made the nation count “Ek do teen…”, in Raj Kapoor’s “Awara” (1951).

However, she was not just the singer for these foot-tapping but peripheral songs, but also the voice of many heroines, as songs like “Mohan ki muraliya baaje” (“Mela”, 1948), “Milte hi aankhen dil hua deewana kisi ka” (“Babul”, 1950), “Saiyan dil mein aana re” (“Bahar”, 1951), “Door koi gaye dhun ye sunaye” (“Baiju Bawra”, 1952), and many more show.

Hindi films’ first female playback superstar, Shamshad Begum held her own against existing singers like the classically trained Ameerbai Karnataki and Zohrabai Ambalewali and singing actresses like Noor Jehan and Suraiya. In fact, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle, who were emerging then, were counselled to sing in her style.

Shamshad Begum’s musical abilities were recognised at school, where her principal made the five-year-old lead prayers. She sang at religious and family functions, though her conservative family was not very keen, given the prevailing norms, her daughter Usha Ratra had told IANS soon after her mother’s demise.

However, her father’s younger brother, who was fond of music, paved her way, taking her, aged 11, to an audition with Lahore-based music composer Ghulam Haider, who was so impressed with her that he signed her for a gramophone record. More importantly, her uncle also convinced her father to let her go ahead.

However, her father imposed two conditions – that she would be veiled while recording and never photographed and Shamshad Begum duly honoured them – for many decades later, there wasn’t a single photograph of her.

She came to public notice in 1937 when she was chosen to sing on All India Radio in Peshawar and Lahore. Legendary filmmaker Mehboob Khan was instrumental in beginning her film career, convincing her family, especially her father, to let her move to Bombay, offering to provide all facilities for her family.

She hit it big right with her first film – murder mystery “Khazanchi” (1941), and then “Taqdeer” (1943), the debut of Nargis. She was eagerly sought after and several composers including Naushad, Nayyar and S.D.Burman, owed their rise to her willingness to sing for them when they were trying to gain a foothold.

With no classical training, Shamshad Begum had no restrictions in singing full force but she never neglected rhythm and diction – take the famous “Kabhi aar kabhi paar”, where she speeds up her tempo in the antaras and slows down a shade to emphatically deliver the punch lines: “..Luta chain qarar”, “… Hothon par takrar” and finally “…Ab to ho gaya pyar”.

Then there is “Aana meri jaan Sunday ke Sunday” (“Shehnai”, 1947), where she provides the homespun voice to the mock Anglicised versions of C. Ramchandra and Meena Kapoor.

While she maintained her position amid the rise of Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, et al, the death of her husband Ganpat Lal Batto – whom she married in 1934 despite family opposition to the inter-faith marriage – in an accident in 1955, led her to withdraw from singing.

Naushad and Nayyar did manage to coax her back for songs like “Holi aayi re kanhaai” (“Mother India”, 1956), “Reshmi salwar kurta” (“Naya Daur”, 1957) and “Teri mehfil mein qismat” (“Mughal-e-Azam”, 1960), but then, she quit for good – only making a brief comeback to render “Kajra mohabbatwala” (“Kismat”, 1968), a duet where she proved her voice had not lost any vigour.

She spent the rest of her life with her daughter, coming back into the limelight in 2004 when there were reports that she had passed away.

Belated recognition followed as she was conferred the Padma Bhushan in 2009, and a special series of India Post stamps of 10 popular singers in 2016 had her as one of the only two women – along with Geeta Datt.

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‘Lyrics Are My Driving Force’

Fascinated by Sufi, the singer whose first experience of it was when she accompanied Abida Parveen during the debut edition of Jahan-e-Khusrau in the national capital recounts that while she was singing in multiple genres, there was ‘something amiss’…writes Sukant Deepak

Be it ‘Iktara’ (‘Wake Up Sid’), ‘Rangisari’ (‘Jugjugg Jiyo’) or ‘More Piya Mujse Bolat Na’ (‘Rajneeti’) among scores of others, what makes singer Kavita Seth accept any assignment is the quality of lyrics. The production house, budget or the scale of the film does not matter.

“Unless the lyrics touch me inside, and offer a deeper meaning, the song is not for me, and I flatly refuse. Singing is more than a profession for me, it is part of my very being, and thus I can not do injustice to it. If you have listened to my songs, you will know what I mean,” Seth tells IANS.

Despite being a successful classical singer, it is live performances that give the singer high. Stressing that the energy a singer derives from a live audience is enigmatic, she adds: “I have been singing live ever since I was a child, it is only when I shifted base to Mumbai, that playback came into my life. During live, I sense the audience’s mood and even change the songs. Everything is spontaneous, thus more exciting as compared to playback where one is confined within a set structure.”

Fascinated by Sufi, the singer whose first experience of it was when she accompanied Abida Parveen during the debut edition of Jahan-e-Khusrau in the national capital recounts that while she was singing in multiple genres, there was ‘something amiss’.

“I did not know what it was, but that magical evening gave me the answer. I started reading about it and training myself. It is tough to define the divine energy that I connect to while singing Sufi, but the trance and high it always gives makes me grateful,” she smiles.

Seth who also has a successful band ‘Karwaan Group’ feels things have become much better for independent musicians and bands post Covid.

“There is now a huge market for independent music and we are witnessing several fantastic bands coming up. A lot of avenues have opened up.”

The singer, who will be performing at the Music Festival Kasauli – MKF 2024, curated by Naani Singh, that will be held on March 29 and 30 at Santa Roza is looking forward to the concert.

“It is not just the beautiful ambience, but also the development that many cultural events have started taking place in small towns. This concert is bound to attract people from Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana. Also, the metros are saturated,” she states.

Seth who sang and composed songs for Mira Nair’s ‘A Suitable Boy’ recalls working with her was exciting. “She came fully prepared and gave me absolute freedom. A thorough professional, I learnt so much from her.”

A Master’s degree holder in Music, who has also learnt from gurus belonging to different gharanas, Seth is still training with a guru.

“Learning cannot and should not stop. I thank my classical training base for my range,” concludes Seth whose two sons are also part of her band.

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Bhangra Nation: A Musical Celebration of Identity and Unity Takes Birmingham by Storm

When a huge row changes the team forever, students Mary and Preeti start on journeys of discovery into what they stand for and who they want to be…reports Asian Lite News

Bhangra Nation is an uplifting, moving and funny new musical about friendship, family, rivalry and identity, brought to life with boundless energy and joy, incredible dance moves and a truly bhangin’ soundtrack. Originally called Bhangin’ It, this musical was premiered in San Diego in 2022.

As the Uni Bhangra dance team wait nervously backstage to find out if they’ve made it to Nationals, the real showdown has already begun as team mates Preeti and Mary clash over what Bhangra really means to them. Whilst Preeti, who is 100% South Asian, believes that the team needs to stick to tradition, Mary, who is bi-racial, is passionate about shaking things up to belong to today.

When a huge row changes the team forever, students Mary and Preeti start on journeys of discovery into what they stand for and who they want to be.

By focusing on the two students and their different ideals of dance, Bhangra Nation explores how we see ourselves and how we view others.

At the core of this approximately 150-minute musical is a story about how you fit in, according to its Director, Stafford Arima. “I think, no matter if you are British, South Asian, Canadian or whatever, we all struggle on so many levels on how to fit into the world these days,” he added. Asked what excites him about this musical, “that we’re pulling from the community of Birmingham but also introducing to the community of Birmingham new faces and new voices. We’re making it a big kind of soup of different ingredients from different places.”

A house-full audience reflecting multicultural Birmingham, attendees included director Stafford Arima, media representatives including Indy Deol, Satnam Rana, Amit Roy and Boy Chana, relatives of the cast and TV personality Dr Ranj. At the end, the audience took to their feet to applaud the fabulous cast. After the show, VIP guests were treated to drinks and food, the latter provided by Dishoom. Hats off to The REP’s Communications Team, including Aaliyah Collins, Samantha Lyster as well as Nada Zakula.

Local lad’s dream role

For 22-year-old Ajay Sahota, pictured, this is his first time on a professional stage. Ajay, from Great Barr in Birmingham, plays student Gobind. He had never dreamed he would be on stage at The REP, and is enjoying the experience. “I’ve only done amateur musicals at university and at school but I’ve always loved musical theatre and this show is a combination of dancing, singing and the cultural part of being a South Asian in the UK. It’s the perfect opportunity,”

Parambeer Samrai is a bhangra consultant from Walsall. “This show is fostering an understanding of cultural appreciation whether you’re South Asian, black or white,” says Parambeer. “We’re creating a memorable performance for all ages and we want this show to be accessible to anybody and everybody. Bhangra is a super cool dance and music tradition that lots of people in Birmingham enjoy but it’s not just about dancing. It’s about bringing people together and having fun.”

Bhangra Nation runs at Birmingham REP until 16 March. Receive one free teen (aged 13-19) ticket when you book a full priced ticket for a Mon to Thu performance.

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Dastaan Live: A Musical Journey Through the Voices of Masters

Ghosh, who also teaches at Ashoka University, and runs an NGO along with his partner at the Nizamuddin slums in Delhi, says that only those people inclined with their social and political ideas come on board, and that is the reason their music works…reports Asian Lite News

Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Sahir Ludhianvi, Majaaz, Nazeer Akbarabadi, Baba Nagarjuna, Paash and Kabir — ‘Dastaan Live’, an independent music band, does not believe in taking the convenient/safe road out, instead uses the words of these masters to reflect on the contemporary social realities.

Perhaps the reason that in recent times, this band has earned a cult following.

With 11 members – five vocalists, three percussionists and three guitarists — ‘Dastaan Live’ primarily works with music, poetry, visual art, lighting design and performance art, with music at its core.

They also incorporated puppetry in their music video of ‘Mat Ro Bachche’.

“For us, it is paramount to constantly challenge ourselves by incorporating varied genres and forms,” band co-founder Anirban Ghosh tells IANS.

The inaugural show of the project, titled ‘Surviving Democracy’, was conceptualised by Anirban Ghosh (Baan G), Nikhil Vasudevan and Sumant Balakrishnan in 2016, and since 2018, they have carefully chosen content that is in line with their critical and political work.

Ghosh, who also teaches at Ashoka University, and runs an NGO along with his partner at the Nizamuddin slums in Delhi, says that only those people inclined with their social and political ideas come on board, and that is the reason their music works.

“Most of us are interdisciplinary artistes. The genres they practice are just ‘byproducts’ — it is primarily the thought that matters. We are consistently pushing boundaries, and the project strives to enhance audience immersion, fostering dialogues, interpretations, and, above all, inspiring critical thinking,” adds Ghosh.

The band which was in Amritsar for the ‘Sacred Amritsar 2024’, presented by Sleepwell and produced by Teamwork Arts, staged their ‘rock opera’ – ‘Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein’, written by Bhisham Sahni and originally staged by theatre director M.K. Raina to critical acclaim. The show re-interprets the music of the play, retaining its core aesthetics and updating the arrangement and instrumentation for modern sensibilities.

“While Kabir is seen as a saint-seer, let us not forget that he asked very uncomfortable questions. We have always believed that the arts must raise pertinent inquiries and respond to what is going on around us. Anant Raina, who is a filmmaker, has come on board for this,” says Ghosh.

But are they not apprehensive about putting out critical content?

He says, “There will always be people uneasy with the kind of themes we work on. But it is important to speak out.”

Believing that it is important to have spaces where younger artistes across genres can push the envelope without the roadblocks that are synonymous with the market-driven arts ecosystem, Ghosh feels community arts may be the solution.

Even as several major independent bands continue to feel financial heat, the musician stresses the situation is no different for them.

However, accepting corporate funding and grants also means that their content gets compromised.

“And this is something we do not want to do.”

Planning an album, the group will be taking the Kabira show to different cities across the country.

“Kabir needs to be listened to more, much more by everybody,” he concludes.

ALSO READ-Raja Sir S M TAGORE: Tagore Medal Awards and the Royal College of Music

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A Musical Tapestry from Beethoven to Sufi, Jazz to Multiverse

For Russian-born American vocalist and trumpeter Ilya Serov, the segue into jazz from his formal education in classical music at St. Petersburg Conservatory was a natural move because music needs no labels. For his first time in India, he brings contemporary takes on jazz classics and some original compositions too…reports Asian Lite News

The last time I heard Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony and exchanged notes with my fellow concertgoer after the encore, I remember being intrigued by how the thunderstorm in the fourth movement had evoked utterly disparate emotions in us, sitting inches away from each other. For her, the timpani, trombones and strings had harmonised to yield catharsis for a stormy phase of life. To my ears, it brought the promise of rain on a very sultry June evening. That’s music. It moves people differently. But move, it does.

The “Pastoral”, Mendelssohn’s “Italian”, Saint-Saëns’s “Organ Symphony” and Brahms’s Symphony No. 2 will all be played during the SOI Spring 2024 Season. Some of these belong to what’s called programme music while Brahms’s composition falls under absolute music. The former denotes music intended to evoke images, the latter, not so much. Do such categories, however, make any difference to the experience of a listener? Musicologist Suddhaseel Sen discusses this in the cover story of the February issue.

Sufi music, on the other hand, is meant to bridge the gap between mortals and the divine. The poetry, ghazals or Sufiana kalam of bards, minstrels and mystics is associated with an all-surrendering quality so pure, it breaks down the barriers that hold one back. The three-day festival of Sama’a holds that promise for those willing to surrender to the music.

For Russian-born American vocalist and trumpeter Ilya Serov, the segue into jazz from his formal education in classical music at St. Petersburg Conservatory was a natural move because music needs no labels. For his first time in India, he brings contemporary takes on jazz classics and some original compositions too.

Reimaging traditional movement to explore possibilities in the realm of dance encapsulates the spirit of Spectrum, the NCPA’s festival of dances from around India and the world. From a celebration of Lata Mangeshkar’s unforgettable melodies to aspects of human existence told in contemporary language, the line-up lives up to the title of the festival.

“We have all the time we’ve always had,” says Marriane to Roland in Nick Payne’s play, Constellations. The NCPA production, which returns to the Experimental Theatre with a new cast, brings the idea of the multiverse to the stage. Quantum mechanics is integral to the script but only to grapple with the enigma of human existence. In an ensemble of parallel universes, time acquires a new meaning. What if we indeed had all the time we’ve always had? 

ALSO READ-Beethoven and influence of Indian metaphysics