AS THE RAJDHANI Express sped through the night towards Delhi, I looked out of the window and wondered what Dhanaulti had in store for us this year.
This was the second experience for my band Cassini’s Division, where I am a vocalist, to participate in the Dhanaulti Rock Festival (DRF), a Woodstock-type festival held in a hamlet of the same name nestled in the resplendent beauty of the Garhwal Himalayas. The festival is the brainchild of Andy Baines, a musician from Manchester who runs a café in the village, Dhanaulti.
Last year, the DRF got off to a spectacular start featuring some of the big names in the Indian rock including Parikrama, Orange Street and Menwhopause. Coming from the eastern part of India, it provided us with an opportunity to showcase our music before a discerning audience, who mostly came from Delhi and neighbouring towns like Dehradun, Mussoorie and Shimla. The reviews of the DRF 2005 mentioned that our set was one of the high points of the festival. We had a great time playing and interacting with a host of musicians and music lovers. The ambience of the village and the steaming mugs at Andi’s Evolving Café enhanced the festive spirit and camaraderie.
This year, therefore, we were a little surprised when we reached Dhanaulti. The festival had been scaled down considerably and it seemed that most of the top-notch acts that had promised to come had pulled out towards the end. Also, the stage was considerably smaller and the venue had been shifted to Andy’s backyard. It was obvious that Andy and his team of dedicated people had not received corporate support and funds, a problem that is endemic to the Indian rock scene. Despite these problems, the event was on and that I suppose is a miracle of sorts.
We made headlines on the first day itself, and once again our set was very well received. The sound system was very basic and considering the constraints, we think we had a truly rocking show. Unfortunately, we had to leave the next day, as we had to play in Delhi. Members of Orange Street and Advaita, songwriter Sajjid Akhtar and Vishnu also played in the festival this year.
Our show in Delhi, at Climax, turned out to be quite a different experience. Rock Street Journal’s organisational muscle made all the difference and since the venue was a posh club, nothing could have gone wrong. Lights, sound and all the paraphernalia of a rock gig were evident. We had a good show playing our originals and so did local heroes Them Clones and Vayu, the classic rock gurus from Mumbai.
Our band has worked over the last five years to develop a reputation for playing a distinctive brand of alternative music that merges influences from the rock and alternative scenes with those from pop and hip hop. But, it is going to be difficult for bands like ours to break into the mainstream, primarily because there is very little money in the scene. Music record companies, event managers and the corporate need to do their bit to keep the music scene alive. After all, if the artistes can earn well from this line of work the motivation to persevere and make quality music will be much stronger. If this does not happen musicians will get busy with jingles, Bollywood films and rock music will continue on its downward spiral.
[Roy is a vocalist in the rock band Cassini's Division]
...............
Also see
