The two-day festival promises original content by musicians known for their traditional yet modern vibe
Neeraj Arya's Kabir Cafe
If you feel that local, untapped talent, and original and folksy music deserve better support, head to Rhythm by the Bay, a two-day music concert at the Royal Opera House.
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"The aim is to provide music for everyone. We plan to achieve this by helping musicians play in the open without any restrictions. Most of these artistes are not associated with Bollywood or any big record label," says Anthony D'Costa, event curator, at Natural Streets for Performing Arts (NSPA), a Mumbai-based NGO dedicated to grooming the culture of street performances here, while also supporting the livelihoods of independent artistes. They have organised many events earlier in public spaces like railway stations, parks, etc.
Pratyul Joshi and Nair Aunty's Curry
Witness musings by artistes like Ram Trio and Pratyul Joshi on Saturday, most of whom are associated with the NSPA, and enjoy a folk fusion vibe mixed with modern techniques and genres. While the former is a Sufi band with Rahul Solanki and Aarush Purabiya on vocals, Tushar Verma on guitar and Sunil Purabiya on drums, Joshi has worked extensively with Lucky Ali, and will render his tunes a pop base. Anushka Jag with her band is going to have a short time on stage between the two big acts.
Nashik-based band Nair Aunty's Curry will play what they categorise as "happy music" on Sunday. With Shrikanth Nair on vocals and guitar, Nikhil Nair on bass, Colin Vyas on drums and Mrugendra Mohadkar on flute, their sound promises to be a good mix of styles. The day's second act, Neeraj Arya's Kabir Café, is a collaboration between Neeraj Arya (vocals and guitar), Raman Iyer (mandolin), Mukund Ramaswamy (violin), Poubuanpou Britto KC (bass) and Viren Solanki (drums).
The band will be using devotional poetry by Kabir and convert it into song where bhajans will meet Carnatic violin, dholak and guitar sounds. "Being an NGO, we at NSPA can't organise events like this as frequently as we would like to. We are keen to make it a yearly festival," concludes D'Costa.
ON December 1 and 2, 6 pm to 9.30 pm
AT Royal Opera House, Girgaon.
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COST Rs 300 onwards
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