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Some cool music for hot days

Silk Route performed before a jiving audience recently

GOOD BLEND Silk Route enthralled the audience

In a dreadfully hot country like ours, chilli is sometimes taken as a metaphor for heat. But when Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM `uncorked' a live musical performance by the well-known band Silk Route, this past week, it acted as a palliative against the oppressive heat that has invaded parts of North India. The music do was held as part of a series of live concerts organised at The Fox, First India Place in Gurgaon.

While historians define the ancient Silk Road as `An early trade route between China and the Mediterranean Sea, extending some 6,440 km and linking China with the Roman Empire', the music composed by its namesake, Silk Route, is also quite eclectic - a fusion of Indian classical and Western Rock, with an underlying Sufi influence.

Under a star spangled sky, the audience, mostly mushy couples and groups of pals out to have an evening blast, was swept off its feet, as the three-member band belted out numbers which showcased the range of their repertoire, from "Sabse Peeche... Khada" (Hindi film album) to "Stand by Me" to Punjabi fare, which evoked the pathos of love and separation. A cool breeze serenaded, as if to soothe bodies worn by impromptu jigs. A two-way musical expressway was established, as the crowd got into the groove, joining the chorus and clamouring for the chartbuster from the band's debut album, Boondein, which was released in the summer of 1997 and showed the three performing on a sinking (literally!) Volkswagen Beetle, a music video that in itself was a refreshing break from the wealth/ body flaunting scenes plaguing Indian music videos.

A live music experience

According to Kanwarbir Singh, Station Director of the channel, "Our endeavour was to provide the music loving people of Delhi an experience of live music, bereft of recorded sounds and digital instruments." And the crowd lapped it up.

As the trendsetter, "Dooba-Dooba Sa Rehta Hoon" opened, the packed lawns exploded in a roar of approval and appreciation, and for a moment it seemed as if the old saying about music being a boulevard to God was unfolding in the very heart of India-generation-next.

The three-member band formed in 1991, with Mohit Chauhan as the lead singer, Kenny Puri on percussions and Kem Trivedi playing the drums, piano and keyboard, all with equal ease has traversed a long distance. They came up with their second album Pehchaan in 2000.The band has always endeavoured to add a distinct touch to their music, through the use of varied instruments like acoustic guitars, talking drums, harmonica and the recorder, a 17th Century European folk musical instrument played by Kem. For inspiration, members of the band (who otherwise harbour diverse interests) said in unison, "Our music is influenced by String, Simon and Garfunkel and Dire Straits." As for the audience, they soared with the `spirits' late into the night.

APS MALHOTRA

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