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Double impact

GRT's relaunch of Anytime, its coffee shop, was a grand affair

What happens when Prasanna gets behind the six strings and Sivamani behind taut skins stretched across hollow cylinders, at the same time and same place? An offering characterised by a rare intensity.

Prasanna's twangs and Sivamani's beats came together in a rare concoction at the GRT Grand when the hotel launched (actually re-launched with 20 additional seats) its 24-hour coffee shop, Anytime. This `double impact' was matched by sterling performances by Keith Peters (bass), Prapancham Ravindran (mridangam), Karthick (ghatam) and B. S. Purushotham (kanjira).

Popular compositions

Forming various combinations, the musicians performed Prasanna's immensely popular compositions — "Iguana On The Funky Train" (no pair of ears could have missed the unmistakable chug-chug of a locomotive), "Fourth Stone From The Sun" (flavoured by bluegrass influences from Kentucky and Tennessee), "Uncensored" (lived up to its title, teaching you what it really means to let it rip) and "Peaceful" (all about going it slow and without a warning, launching yourself into a world where speed, power and intensity are the ruling trinity).

From time to time, film personality Suhasini Maniratnam made her presence felt, with encomiums directed at the musicians (by her own admission, she liked Sivamani's designer kurta) and jokes directed at a specially invited audience.

Anytime is a 86-seater open plan coffee shop that serves one of the largest buffets in the city and also boasts an extensive a la carte menu (inked in by GRT Grand's executive chef Sheetharaman). Six live stations lay out such generous spreads. If your sweet tooth always compels you to go easy on the main course and stuff yourself with all of what the dessert table offers, the buffet with its wide selection of desserts is meant for you.

Anytime is located at the farther end of the lobby and it looks grander when viewed from the glass capsule lift.

For details, call 28150500.

PRINCE FREDERICK

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