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Unwind Center unplugged

PHOTO: S.S. KUMAR

MAKING MUSIC John Christian (left), and Saroop Oomen

When John Christian disclosed his plan to start an organisation that would provide a platform for western musicians in the country, especially those from Chennai, his friends were sceptical: back in 1997, there was not much enthusiasm for western music concerts.

But John Christian was not a man to be dissuaded so easily; he continued to push for a platform that would “promote music not accompanied by tobacco, alcohol, drugs and sexual innuendo.”

Ironically, keeping these things out meant John was going to fight the very reasons why people got together for a concert.

That was not all: the organisation would have a separate wing that served the community. John’s friends were convinced he was out of his mind. It baffled them why a 37-year-old, returned from the U.S. after a successful 10-year career as an interior designer, would want to attempt something like this.

“They predicted that the company, if it was ever formed, would wind up in six months,” recalls John. And so it was a moment of triumph for John when he invited his friends to the 10th anniversary fete of Unwind Center, last May.

Eleven years on, Unwind Center is synonymous with western music in Chennai. Its events are brands by themselves — Live 101, June Rock Out, Summer Of Love, Underground, Unplugged, Metal Fest and Jazz Festival. Every six months, 350 students graduate from its Unwind School of Music, present in three centres around Chennai and one in Bangalore. From distributing bread and jam to the needy and buttermilk to policemen and construction workers, its community wing, called Acts Of Mercy (actsofmercy.org), has grown to take on more demanding challenges — such as providing for struggling fishermen and widows without an income and giving an education to needy children.

Great progress for an organisation that was at inception a little more than a coffee shop. In 1998, Unwind Center’s music events were restricted to its small coffee shop, part of its facility on the basement floor of Chateau de Ampa, a commercial complex on Nelson Manickam Road. Music graduated to the main hall, until then reserved for a Christian service on Sundays, when Timmy Madhukar, David Pascal, Keith Peters, Jim Satya, Maynard Grant and Sudeen Prabhakar got together for a concert.

In 1999, June Rock Out, an annual pan-India rock concert, made its debut. “The musicians and the audience were surprised that we were serious about keeping our concerts free of intoxicants and swear words,” says Saroop Oomen, who is a part of the Unwind Center think-tank. “In the early years of JRO, we had to send back bands or keep out members of the audience because they had taken or were carrying intoxicants. Then, we had to repeatedly din the idea of clean music. Now, we don’t have to. Our reputation precedes us.”

‘Groove’ was born because the musicians frequenting the coffee shop asked, “Why wait till June for a concert?” Every two months, bands got together for a jamming session that had an air of friendly informality. “I vividly remember a session when Nanditha of No Idea got ready to sing an Iron Maiden song. Leon Ireland of Moksha invaded the stage, grabbed the mike and sang the song instead,” laughs Saroop. There used to be group discussions, even a soap box, presided over by radio jockey Rohit Jayakaran.

In 2001, Groove gave way to Live 101. For many years, a Live 101 concert happened every Friday. With quality in mind, it has now been reduced to three Fridays a month.

The Center’s decision to charge Rs. 25 in 2001 for the Friday concert did not go down well with the head-banging crowd that flocked to the Center. “As most of them were students, they found the small amount a big expenditure,” says Saroop. The youngsters stopped complaining when they saw where the money went. After the concert, they were invited to pack jam and butter, purchased with part of the collection, for the poor.

Helped by the Sunday services, some people believe Unwind Center is a Christian organisation. “Called Vineyard, the church is a different entity and we don’t let religion interfere with how we run Unwind Center,” says John.

“We don’t allow any band, with a Christian or any other religious background, to propagate its beliefs,” says Saroop. “When we say clean music, we are talking not only about keeping drugs and alcohol out, but also divisive ideas and hatred.”

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