It's around 7.45 on a Friday evening, and there are faint strains of singing emanating from a ground floor in the fancifully named Diamond District, a residential complex in Bangalore. Push the door open, and you will see that the members of The Royal Echo, a choral group of Japanese expatriates in the city, are at their weekly practice session. This particular Friday, around 15 of its members have gathered, and after some breathing exercises, begin with a harmonious rendition of "Somewhere, over the rainbow" the famous song from the 1930s film The Wizard of Oz.
It's a group of varying ages, with the seniormost member in her 70s, dressed in a jaunty leopard print top and singing along gamely. There are two girls in kurtas as well, one being the pianist, Nao Fujisaki , an executive with Toyota. Each round is guided and critiqued by the conductor, Yosuke Shiina, who works in sales at a well-known city hotel.
The most powerful voice is that of Norie Ohga, the founder of The Royal Echo, and whose apartment we are in. Ohga had been a professional singer in Japan, though she hesitates to use the term, saying instead that by profession, she is a child psychologist. "But people would pay money to hear me sing and I have performed at many, many concerts," she says with a laugh. Ohga, who has been living in India since 1985, when she shifted to the country and then married an Indian, says it all began when she was asked to sing a few songs at a party of the Japanese society in Bangalore. "When I started singing a song which roughly translates to "Home, sweet home", everybody joined in and one of the ladies started crying. Everybody was very moved, but also very happy. After the singing, a person came up to me and said he wanted to start singing too so I decided to start a group," she recalls.
That was 15 years ago, and the group now has 25 members, employed in diverse fields, who meet twice a week. Though they welcome new members, knowing Japanese is something of a prerequisite, members say a tad apologetically. Thus, so far, they have had only one Indian member. The group's major performances are at the gathering of the Japanese association in Bangalore which takes place twice a year, though they have also performed at other occasions, such as at the Japan Habba, an annual festival showcasing Japanese culture.
Nearly all the songs in their repertoire are in Japanese, and are a mix of traditional folk songs, some of which are over a 100 years old and pop songs. Sometimes they take audience requests, too, says Kazumasa Kuboki, who heads the Japan desk at accounting firm JCSS, and who has been with the group for over 10 years. But they also sing a few songs in Hindi and Kannada, though Fujisaki adds that these are harder because of the difficulties in pronunciation.
Shiina, the conductor, is one of its newest members, having joined three months ago after being corralled into it by some Japanese ladies who had asked if he could sing - "I was quite drunk, then," he adds. Though he had never conducted a group before, he is a violinist who has been playing for the past 18 years and was a member of an amateur orchestra in Japan.
Asked about the best part about being a member of The Royal Echo (the name was inspired by a founding member's fascination with the appendage of "Royal" to everything while she was in London, rather than anything to do with the Japan's monarchy), Fujisaki struggles to find the right word and she finally says "To create something with many people is amazing." Kuboki adds that it is also a great way to relax after work and "forget everything."
Ohga says seeing the choir evolve has been a bit like bringing up a child, and she misses each person when he or she is not there. Previously, she used to play the piano and conduct, too, but these duties have now been handed over to the younger members.
About major plans for The Royal Echo, Ohga says that at times when they go out for dinner after a practice session, and she has had a couple of beers, she would tell the other members that they travel to Europe and take part in the international festivals there for choral groups. But for now, the group is busy practising for the upcoming gathering of the Japanese association later in this month.
For upcoming performances and any other details, please email royalecho.blr@gmail.com
