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Brit masala lapped up
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Bombay Rockers and Rishi Rich songsters had the audience hooked at Brit Masala music concert
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THEY ROCK Juggy D and Veronica with the Bombay Rockers
"Jay Sean has missed his flight." How can you react to such a miserable announcement without letting out a chorus of groans, which is precisely what teenyboppers at the Brit Masala concert did on Saturday night. Not a nice way to start a show, or was it?
The party crowd had to wait well over an hour at Shilpa Kala Vedika in Madhapur before the countdown to the action began at about 9 p.m. With food stalls and a make-do bar vending some good stuff, the wait was an easy one. Herded out to a separate section on the lawns were the stags, looking quite glum. Single and unable to mingle, these guys were blocked behind a barricade while couples got the best vantage points right near the stage.
Proximity wasn't a problem, however, with enough speakers stacked up to boom all over the place. And the speakers finally boomed when Bombay Rockers - Navtej Singh Rehal and Thomas Sardorf - hit the stage. Opening with the hit single Rock Tha Party, the duo had party animals tapping their feet to their fusion of bhangra and hip-hop. But what started out with a bang almost ended in a whimper and a couple of flat numbers later the duo was left scratching their heads - the crowd was about as upbeat as a high-brow audience watching an English soap opera. Just when it looked like they got the wavelength messed up, Navtej tossed in a Rahman number. A remixed Chaiyyan chaiyyan from Dil Se perked up the ears and got the feet moving pronto.
Getting into the groove the rockers switched over to Mundiya To Bach Ke Rahi by Punjabi MC. Not an original but it did the trick. Another bhangra number later, the crowd was rocking and it wasn't just the youngsters swaying to the rhythm. Also spotted in the crowd were the young-at-heart, never mind if the saris and salwars they wore looked a wee bit out of place. As they wound up their act, the rockers called on girls and boys to sing along with them on the stage. The novices impressed by their stage presence if not their music skills.
The second act by the Rishi Rich Project called for a break before it got rolling. Beer and cola glasses were refilled just in time to see Juggy D take to the stage with Veronica in tow. Music buffs cheered in approval as Veronica crooned Mera Dil Vich Hai Hum Tum. Juggy D latched on with bhangra numbers of his own.
So what was up with Jay Sean? It turned out he didn't miss his flight after all. Just got delayed. When the cool R `n' B singer with drop-dead looks finally waltzed in, the girls got screaming. Making his moves, Jay got one lucky girl on the stage and serenaded her with a mushy number. He and Juggy then had music buffs asking for more with their Nachna Tere Naal. More singles and duets followed, with Jay and Veronica belting out numbers from their soon-to-be-released albums. The Brits sure meant it when the said masala and Hyderabadis had but one choice - to lap it up.
K. SACHIDANAND MENON
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