Witherspoon comes to town

International jazz and blues singer Diane Witherspoon is in India for the first time. At tonight's performance, expect a "little bit of everything"

Mid-conversation, Diane Witherspoon says, "Music affects me greatly. A good rhythm or a beautiful ballad makes me nostalgic. Even when I was a little girl, my mother would complain that I couldn't sit still when I heard music. I just had to wiggle in the chair."

At tonight's concert too, Witherspoon wants the audience to swing, sway and enjoy her music. In a career spanning 20 years, this is the first time that the international singer, composer and producer will perform in India. It's mixed feelingsu00a0-- jitters and excitementu00a0-- she is experiencing. But she promises you a great time.
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Witherspoon lives in Los Angeles, and travels often to Japan and Bangkok. Just before arriving in Mumbai, she put up a concert in Bangkok. After a performance in Pune on Sunday, she'll be back in Tokyo.u00a0 Although she has flown over India frequently, this time she is excited about a real stopover. "I've performed in 11 countries but somehow, a concert in India never worked out. When I was finally given the offer, I jumped at it," she says.

Witherspoon wanted to make the most of her trip to India and arrived a week before her concert. She has enjoyed "experiencing a new culture" and the gentle rain in Pune, she says.u00a0

Her setlist for this evening includes some of her original tunes and some standard jazz that her audience is familiar with. "It'll be up tempo music that will get people tapping and clapping. I'll throw in ballads and blues, and straight-ahead swings. I like to mix things up, so there'll be a bit of everything." To her listeners, she says, "Just put on a smile and expect to have a good time."u00a0

On Tonight, 7 pm
At Experimental Theatre, NCPA Marg and Dorabji Tata Road, Nariman Point.
Call 22824567
Tickets Rs 400 and Rs 250