Music Malt | culture, festivals and more

— by Parmita Borah | Bangalore Hundreds gathered at the the Hornbill Festival 2012 , a week long celebration that showcases Nagaland's rich tribal culture. Launched in the year 2000, this visually extravagant festival is celebrated during the first week of December every year to celebrate Nagaland's socio-cultural heritage. Named after the bird, Hornbill Festival is one of the largest celebrations of the indigenous warrior tribes of Nagaland and therefore re-enactment of battles is a core part of the performances. Every session at this festival is kicked off with the traditional war cry from the hundreds of performers in their traditional attire. The dance performances have different stories to tell - from harvesting to legends, as spectators sit in open-air ampi-theaters and relish their eyes on the kaleidoscopic view of art and culture. This annual fete with an orgy of music, dance, traditional games and skills, food, films, beauty pageants and peace rallies forms

— by Parmita Borah | Bangalore Electronica may be the flavor of the hour, but certainly not my first choice. Therefore a day before The Deep India Concert at Vivanta by Taj on December 13, 2012, I decided to chat up with Eric Mouquet , the front man of Grammy Award winning Deep Forest , and learn a thing or two about his music. ( Click here to read Eric Moquet's interview ). He clarified my doubt that although elctronica has become synonymous with mash-ups, club and dance music for my generation, his music has a wider scope to it. Deep Forest strives to create a synergy between technologies like sampling with deep rooted folk elements and even organic sound effects. Deep India is a spin off of that very concept. Deep India Concert at Vivanta by Taj For those who didn't know 'The Deep India concert' is a brief musical tour to promote the project 'Deep India', a collaboration between Deep Forest and Indian santoor player Rahul Sharma . The event was on th

Pt. Ravi Shankar (1920-2012) I can't claim to know much about Pandit Ravi Shankar 's music, nor much about music for that matter; but it is safe to say that with his demise, the world of music has suffered another massive blow, and not just in the Indian scene but on a whole global front. In the 1960's when India was still struggling to segregate and discover it's own identity from that of the leftover influence of Brits, a musician from orthodox classical music background emerged as a music icon of the western hippie culture. Was it dumb luck that shot him to fame? Not Likely. Dumb luck is for Gangam Style, not the likes of people who understood and fused genres with polar differences and created a blend that could be grasped and loved by many. The multi talented Maestro wrote the Oscar-nominated score for 1982 film "Gandhi," several books, and mounted theatrical productions. His popularity exploded in the west for his multiple collaborations with western mus

— by Parmita Borah | Bangalore French duo Eric Mouquet and Michel Sanchez from the Grammy Award winning ‘ Deep Forest ’ are all set to perform in Bangalore. World music and Electronica enthusiasts can watch them live at The Deep India Concert on December 13, 2012 at Vivanta by Taj ( 6.30 PM onwards ). Deep Forest is celebrated in the world music scene for fusing ethnic music with dance and chill-out beats. Their albums have sold over 10 million copies and they are also the recipients of the World Music Awards - French group with the highest 1995 world sales. Eric Mouquet and Parmita Borah (© Jim Ankan Deka) We managed to catch hold of the charming Eric Mouquet, a day before his performance at Vivanta by Taj, Bangalore, and spoke about his two decades long musical journey and his collaboration with Indian musician Rahul Sharma; and dig this – made him sing a Hindi song! Here’s an excerpt of our brief yet fun filled conversation – Parmita Borah : It’s been twenty years t

Eric Mouquet (Deep Forest) Deep Forest , the Grammy Award winning band from France will be performing for the first time in India at 'Deep India' concert on Thursday, December 13. The venue Vivanta by Taj at MG Road, Bangalore in collaboration with Sony Music will showcase this musical evening. Deep Forest, comprising of  Michel Sanchez and Eric Mouquet, was nominated for a Grammy Award for the first time in 1994 and won the award for the album 'Boheme' in 1995. The band is known for their unique music, also known as 'ethnic electronica'. The band will be performing in the city to celebrate the “one with nature” rainforest retreat 'Vivanta Madikeri Coorg'. Their collaboration with Santoor maestro Rahul Sharma will be available in an upcoming album ‘Deep India’. One of the tracks from the album is a tribute to Vivanta by Taj - Madikeri, Coorg , a visually stunning rainforest retreat spread across 180 acres. Tickets of the event are pric

— by Jim Ankan Deka | Bangalore Harley Rock Riders III, Bangalore (© Jim Ankan Deka) The music and motorbike buffs in Bangalore came together under one roof to celebrate and careen to the performances by Indian and international rock bands on Nov 24 at Clarks Exotica, Bangalore. Bangaloreans, at the final event of Harley Rock Riders Season III witnessed the bands like Solder, Albatross, Frank Got the Funk, Kryptos, Galeej Gurus, Boomerang, Light Years, Soulmate and Swedish metal band Wolf. Harley Rock Riders Season III turned out to be a godfather of all events with an assemblage of thousands of music and motorbike aficionados in Bangalore at the Clarks Exotica bringing the best of both worlds - Harley-Davidson’s classic bikes and rock music. The event marked the unveiling of Harley Davidson’s newest progeny FAT BOB. Priced at Rs 12.8 lac, Fat Bob is a wide, blacked-out Dyna with Twin Cam 96 engine, 'Tommy Gun' 2-1-2 exhaust and helical-cut fifth gear. The spectacle at