Taal 2009

Tonight we witnessed a fascinating musical evening at the Harrell Theater in Collierville, Tennessee. It felt like the relieving first rain after a long spell of cultural draught. Very refreshing! A group of local talents, under the banner of MusiPals, took full advantage of the advances in track music technology and didn’t let the audience feel the absence of a live band for a single moment.

For the house-full crowd, it was like soaking in the vast array of songs from Bollywood, interspersed with regional songs. The singers kept the audience enthralled from the very beginning for over two hours. No small feat! It was quite professional and entertaining. The two MC’s threaded through program extremely well, and engaged the audience from the very moment they emerged from behind the curtains. I am observing a very positive trend that IAM functions are becoming increasingly interactive.

Srini’s theatrics was excellent. Tribute to AR Rehman was very thoughtful. Sam was lucid with his sweet inflection and was extremely stage free. We got to witness a classically trained performer in a non-classical setting and, likewise, talent from TV shows in India showing up in our local cultural landscape is very assuring. Vinodh’s outfit was apt for his song and Gopal’s impromptu rendition of Rajnikanth was befitting. Alice appeared to be enjoying the moment and the spotlight to the fullest. Bravo!

Song selection was good; the regional choices definitely showcased the social fabric of India. However, given the multi linguistic format of the evening, I find it a bit surprising that not a single Bengali song made the cut. I am saying this not because I am a Bengali (or may be because I am an Indian Bong), but because of the history of the long connection between Bengalis and Bollywood – Geeta Dutt, SD, RD, Kishore to Shan and Shantanu Moitra (of Parineeta fame). The list is simply too long to ignore. I, for one, was hoping for a Bong Connection there!

"Taal", the rhythm of the beat, definitely got the crowd energized and on its foot. The spontaneity of the audience in going up on stage and showcasing an expression of joy added a different dimension of color to the evening. May be in the future, these dancing talents can be channelized to provide a choreographed performance on stage to augment the entertainment value of the show. With so much of local talents that we have seen during any IAM function, I hope to see a group like Nritya-Mitra emerging soon to perform interpretive dancing to these songs and light up the stage.

The dedication and practice was definitely showing throughout the evening. However, one performer definitely doesn’t belong in this league. Selection should be based on performance and definitely not on the basis of relationship and/or the promise of exchange of favors. Contribution, and not credential, should be the gold standard. This is disrespectful to any paying audience and a disservice to a group that has put in so much of effort. Also, inclusion of artists representing broader India possibly may raise the bar a notch. There were times when absence of a native Hindi speaking male vocalist could be easily felt. I am sure Music Director John has taken notes and will address these few shortcomings in the future shows. We are looking forward to more such enthusiastic performances.

Finally, thanks to IAM for providing a platform to MusiPals.