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A celebration of music

Photo: S.S. Kumar

MUSIC NON-STOP Indian rock band ‘Blacklisted’ in action

The first ‘Fête de la musique’ was celebrated in France on the summer solstice of 1983. In less than 15 years, it became the World Music Day, and is now celebrated in over a 100 countries. June 21 was chosen because of its being the longest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere.

And, the night did shorten in Alliance Française in the city that day, and its sober auditorium metamorphosed into a stirred up concert hall. From 10 in the morning to 10 at night, 25 concerts were programmed. The bands, coming from across India, were selected by Alliance Francaise in association with Exodus, and they both had tried their best to make it multicultural.

Chennai band ‘Subject To Change’ was a favourite. A rather unique one with its feminine grace — a girl on the drum and the lead vocal — it brought an international touch with, among others, a refreshing Cuban song.

At the top of the bill was ‘Kwak’, the French rock band. Their music is energising. The six musicians came last year for concerts across South India. When they were invited to reiterate the experience, they packed their instruments and flew to Mumbai, giving a start to a one-month tour that will end in Kathmandu on June 27.

Most people here don’t understand their lyrics, but that makes the experience all the more intense. As Damien, the lead voice puts it, they were surprised in the beginning to see the audience reacting at unexpected times. Not understanding the lyrics, people are more sensitive to the instruments and the energy that the young men transmit. And, made them realise that back in France, they had left the music behind, by focussing only on the lyrics. “Paradoxically, far away from home, we feel closer to our musical roots in India,” Sebastien, one of the band members, says. And, Damien asks in a song: ‘Where is my home? Who drew those boundaries? Who has settled those flags?’

Last week, they spent an entire night recording with sitar and tabla players. In Chennai, last year, they heard young singer Priya, and decided to work with her this time. They met and practised together, and by the end of the show, ‘La plume de l’oiseau rare’ was certainly their most moving song.

After ‘Kwak’, came other Indian groups such as ‘Public issue’ and ‘LBG’. Even those who were tired of metal bands in the afternoon found in diversity a good reason to stay there late at night.

Regretting that only a few places in Chennai are open to the young generation, Marie-Paul, director of Alliance Francaise, says she’s looking at making the institution a launch pad for struggling artists. Jack Lang’s original idea when creating ‘Fete de la musique’ was ‘music everywhere and the concert nowhere’, that all kind of musicians and especially non-professionals be given a chance to perform and be appreciated. For those who missed it, rendezvous next year, same day, same place.

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