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Live in the park
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A group of young enthusiasts have put together a cultural evening every Saturday at the Cubbon Park bandstand
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Chandrashekar and Prasad: `All we want is for people to come there and be part of the evening.' — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.
EVERY SATURDAY evening, walkers and bikers slow down to peek at what's happening at the Cubbon Park bandstand. Is someone giving away freebies? Or is it a promo? Before their curiosity is satisfied, it's time to move on, so bikes pick up speed and strollers turn their attention back to their kids.
Still, the show called Prakruti Vaibhava goes on. Each Saturday, the bandstand becomes a cultural forum, as some renowned artiste performs for anybody who cares to listen. Prakruti, a volunteer group, manages to rope in eminent cultural personalities of the State. It has already had shows with Vidyabhushana Theertha, Richard Louis, B. Jayashree, Asadulla Baig, Divya Raghavan, Puttur Narasimha Nayak and Shashidhar Kote. They plan to now bring on Archana Udupa (the first singer to win Zee TV's Sa Re Ga Ma), M.D. Pallavi, and many other local music legends. Now, if you're scanning this article to find ticket rates, here's the surprise — it's for free. And there's no catch.
Low profile
If you're wondering how you hadn't heard of this till now, it's because Prakruti has kept a low profile, spreading the word just by mouth.
Till now, it has managed to pay the artistes by pitching in personal savings, but its members think it's now time to scout for sponsors.
Prasad, a member, says: "Right now, everything is self-financed, but to make Prakruti Vaibhava more popular and professional, we need regular funding. We have contacts among musicians, and our group has committed people who'll go to great lengths to bring local musicians to public view."
The venture took shape when a group of music lovers realised that most Bangaloreans didn't have a clue about music born on this very soil. Plus, there was a centrally located bandstand in the city that was meant for musical evenings such as the ones Prakruti was planning to organise. The group obtained an open contract from the Horticultural Department and that was that.
Once the idea, venue and invites to musicians were taken care of, the only task left was to fill the seats.
In this case, however, there were none; only lush grass to stretch your legs on. "After just four shows, we already have regulars," says Prasad. "There's even an elderly man who brings coffee for everyone!"
As for the antidote for rainy evenings, here's a time-tested solution: umbrellas and raincoats.
Music enthusiasts enjoy rock concerts in pouring rain, employees ride to work everyday dripping wet and old couples take walks quietly holding hands under umbrellas all the time.
Bangaloreans are known to throw caution to the winds when it comes to enjoying themselves. True to that tradition, Chandrashekar, another member, finds that there are those who attend the concerts completely oblivious of the sky mercilessly bursting down on them.
Anything goes
Prakruti doesn't limit itself to one kind of cultural format. So each weekend, you could be treated to film music, Thyagaraja kritis, Hindustani music, or even a theatrical performance.
Prakruti Vaibhava now has loyal supporters, but they all fear that the dreaded cash crunch might bring down curtains on the show.
"All we want is for people to come there and be part of the evening," says Prasad. "That would in itself ensure that the music will never stop playing!"
The concerts start every Saturday at 4.30 p.m. and go on till 7.30 p.m. For more information, contact Prasad at 37329864 or Chandrashekar at 98450 20472.
ROHINI MOHAN
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