Not just gaana bajaana

WHAT's ON gives you a glimpse of the events of Day 2 and Day 3 at the Baajaa Gaajaa festival. Debarati Palit gets you all the dope on the movie screenings and concerts

WHAT's ON gives you a glimpse of the events of Day 2 and Day 3 at the Baajaa Gaajaa festival. Debarati Palit gets you all the dope on the movie screenings and concerts

Music Seminar

Shubha Mudgal, Classical singer and Founder, Baajaa Gaajaa, tells us about the seminar on Experimentation in Contemporary Music.

Tell us more about what will be discussed.
Mudgal: The moment we talk about experimentation, we think of guitars and keyboards, but it can also happen on the harmonium, sitar or santoor.
The speakers at the seminar hail from different backgrounds. It includes Aneesh Pradhan, Amit Chaudhuri, Raghu Dixit, Sriram Parasuram, Ashok Ranade, as well as myself.

Musical concert

The concert has been composed by music producer, DJ Gaurav Issar. He worked as a DJ in Piano Bar and started a club called J-49. The show will feature performers like Devika Pandit, Sumitra Devi and Rakesh Chaurasia.

You are performing with some of the finest musicians in the festival. Tell us about that.
Issar: The concert will witness a jam session between many talented musicians. All the numbers we will play are original. The first one-and-a-half hours will be devoted to vocals, followed by the guitar and the flute.
You worked with Shubha Mudgal earlier in an album. Was that the reason why you wanted to be part of the festival?
Issar: Yes, that was the main reason. Secondly, everyone is under the impression that DJs copy other people's music and present it in their own style. We wanted to show that it's not only about mixing or applying. The job actually requires composing as well.

Film Screening

The Laya Project, produced by Sonya Mazumdar and directed by Harold Monfils, will be screened at the festival. The film has won numerous awards and has been screened at various film festivals.

What is the film all about?
Mazumdar: The film is a musical and visual representation of the places that got badly hit by the Tsunami and it presents the different cultures of these places. Laya does not dwell on the destruction that the Tsunami unleashed, but instead dwells on the music.
Was there a specific reason for working on the project?
Mazumdar: After the Tsunami struck in 2004, we came up with the idea of working on a film related to the topic. Later, in 2005, we kickstarted the project which went on till 2007. The project is not only about resilience, but also about survival.

Movie Screening

Jaideep Varma's film "Leaving Home" focuses on the popular Indian rock band Indian Ocean.

Tell us more about your movie.
Varma: It is based on the rock band which survived despite all odds. It is India's first full-length movie on a band and concentrates on their music as well as their tedious journey to success. The inspiring message they give is to do things exactly the way you want to. It is 114 minutes long, out of which 65 minutes is dedicated to their brilliant music.
What inspired you to make a film
on them?
Varma: In my opinion, Indian Ocean is one of our best-kept secrets. It's bizarre that they had not been given a chance to reveal their talent for such a long time. Most importantly, I find their music to be evergreen.

Day 2 event schedule >>

11 am to 8 pm
>>Exhibition and sale of CDs, DVDs and books by producers and artists
11 am to 1 pm
>>Seminar on Intellectual poetry by Justice SJ Vazifdar, Professor TN Daruwala and advocate Chander Lall
11 am to 8 pm
>>Jazz Photography Exhibition and Hindustani Classical Music
2 pm to 4 pm
>>Film Screening of Leaving Home, directed by Jaideep Sharma, which is based on the rock band Indian Ocean. 4.30 pm to 6 pm
>>Live music with performers
7 pm to 9.30 pm
>>Concert by DH Gaurav Issar, Devika Pandit, Sumitra Devi and Rakesh Chaurasia

Day 3 event schedule >>

11 am to 8 pm
>>Exhibition and sale of CDs, DVDs and books by producers and artists
11 am to 8 pm
>>Jazz Photography Exhibition and Hindustani Classical Music
11 am to 1 pm
>>Seminar on Experimentation in Contemporary Music
2 pm to 4 pm
>>Documentary film screening on folk music, directed by Harold Monfils
4 pm to 6 pm
>>Discussion on the current recording situation
7 pm to 9.30 pm
>>Musical concert by Pandit Shivkumar Sharma (Santoor) and Dr Balamurali Krishnan (vocals)

At: Ishanya Amphitheatre, Airport Road, Yerwada.
From February 6 to February 8
Passes available at: Oceanic Music shop, Camp; DVD Express, FC Road, Aundh; Ishanya box office, Yerwada.
Entry: Free