A Revival Project and music festival brings bands and people to historic bandstands.
This summer, music will ring out again from the bandstands of Mumbai. The Bandstand Revival Project, started in 2007 by the Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), is hosting its third edition.
In the 1850s, music was a regular feature every evening at the Town Hall in Fort. A martial band would play music to soothe the ears of the Governor of Bombay. The British took this tradition forward by constructing bandstands in city parks, where infantry bands would play for officials and commoners. After Independence, the tradition lost its appeal.
The festival has branched beyond these roots. It has become a staging ground for musicians and bands. It will be hosted at three of the city’s historic bandstands, every Saturday evening till the end of May.
“The first year of the festival was based on a cultural theme and featured dance traditions from across India,” explains Kavita Sharma, joint director of BCCI. To engage the youth, the scope of the festival has been extended to different genres of music in the last two years.
“The idea of the festival is to bring people outdoors to enjoy live music. We want people to appreciate music beyond what plays in pubs and restaurants,” says Sharma. “Budding artistes can use this as a platform to bring their music to the masses.”
More than 20 local bands are on the entertainment lineup. They will play music from diverse genres like rock, pop, hip-hop and jazz. “To appeal to an older set, the Police band will also play patriotic songs. We hope to rope in the Navy band to perform on the final day,” says Sharma.
Also Read
Tata Sons, Tata DoCoMo and Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation are supporting the event and will fund the nominal fee paid to participating bands.
Rang, a six-member college boy band started by Ronit Chaterji, has supported the festival since inception. “The Bandstand Revival Project was one of our first few performances and gave us excellent mileage,” he says. At the start of the festival this month, Rang played Bollywood medleys.
Bombay Bassment, a six-month-old group, cheered the audience with hip-hop fused with rap, reggae and funk. Founder Jayesh Veralkar boasts of having played with reggae artiste Apache Indian during that artiste’s recent visit to India.
Seven-year-old jam band Something Relevant will do hip-hop and jazz. “This event allows us to showcase our music beyond a particular demographic. It feels great to see older folks and kids tapping their feet to hip-hop music,” says Stuart DaCosta, who plays bass for the band.
Ankit Dayal is the youngest participant in the festival. He will play English acoustic folk rock, along with his recently formed four-member troupe. Dayal, a 19-year-old college student of Jai Hind College, is a singer-songwriter and is working on his melodies for the big day. This is his first time participating in the festival, but he has already performed at noted city music spots like Blue Frog and Not Just Jazz by the Bay.
| Schedule All days 5.30-8 pm April 2 |
April 16
Police Band, Ankur Tewari and the Ghalat Family
At Veer Prabhu Deshpande and Sant Dyaneshwar Udyan, Dadar Chowpatty
April 30
Something Relevant, Airport
At Veer Prabhu Deshpande and Sant Dyaneshwar Udyan, Dadar Chowpatty
May 7
Police Band, Split
At Carter Road Amphitheatre, Bandra
May 14
Slow Down Clown, Shor Bazaar
At Kamala Nehru Udyan (Hanging Garden), Malabar Hill
May 21
The Color Compound, The Pulp Society
At Carter Road Amphitheatre, Bandra
May 28
Finale (to be confirmed)
At Kamala Nehru Udyan (Hanging Garden), Malabar Hill