On this past Tuesday, music aficionados in town were treated to an interactive digital rendezvous connecting music, cities, creativity and people. In keeping with metropolitan vibe, which makes the IT Hub a conducive space for learning, experimenting and evolving in terms of music and performing arts; Mix the City, a bespoke musical journey, developed by the British Council in collaboration with Flying Object and Roll Studio, opened its doors to a one of a kind concept in the city: a live web platform where once can experience music anytime, anywhere on mobile phones. Ushering new beginnings with soulful renditions; the launch of this digital experience saw a line -up of impressive names such as Shalini Mohan, a Bengaluru-based bassist, Sukanya Ramgopal who is India’s first woman Ghatam player, Manasi Prasad and Dr Aneesh Vidyashankar among a few others. We chronicle experiences from the artistes, as they give us their take on the night it was and the concept which aims to spread wings across India.
“It’s great to share the stage with some of the most exciting and creative musicians of Bengaluru! While many of us have performed with each other, and know each other, this is the first time we are all collaborating in a concert. Expect some ‘unexpected’ combinations Carnatic with electronica, Ghatam with bass guitar. Mix the City celebrates the musical soundscape of every city, and I’m so glad that British Council has been inspired by India to create this unique interactive experience,” shares Manasi Prasad, a TED fellow and Carnatic classical vocalist whose forte lies in combining years of traditional training with a modern outlook. Sukanya Ramgopal, a renowned Ghatam player opines “There is an irrefutable welcoming vibe that encourages artistes to be themselves and experiment.”
For Dr Aneesh Vidyashankar, who performed a Qawwali feels the whole experience was nothing short of surreal. “I took a look at the online platform, it’s very unique — live artistes play a loop. It’s basically a collaboration of different artistes of different genres coming together and it’s something I haven’t seen before.” To which Shalini Mohan, a bassist adds, “Bengaluru is arguably the most cosmopolitan city in India. With people from all over settling here, this has resulted in all kinds of Indian music being listened to and performed. The audience is also highly intelligent and open. What I experienced was a beautiful banter amongst the individual musicians, as they play off one other, individual solos that portray the mind of the artist and an overall collaboration that speaks of acceptance, joy and happiness.”
