Jamming Indo-Latino style
By Komal Singh
Lights. Sound. Dance. Meditation. 70,000 people. And the Indian-Latin sound of Indra, effortlessly blending the sound of guitar strums with bhajans. Shares Ignacio Escribano, the lead vocalist and guitarist of the band about their plans for Berlin, over an e-mail from Argentina, “We want an interactive and fun show, where people don’t have to wait till the end of the song to clap; we want them to clap with us while the songs are on; we want all the minds becoming one in each song; and that’s our goal, that when the show is over, people leave feeling more uplifted, happier, lighter and full of energy. And, of course, they can say: ‘We love that music!’”
Tempting, isn’t it? Wait till you hear the lineup of songs in store for the audience, “We’ll be playing traditional mantras and bhajans in Sanskrit, but in a pop, world music and Latin American style. And the music will be mixed with some popular songs and lyrics in English (including The Beatles and Pink Floyd) and one or two songs in Spanish, our mother tongue.”
Their only expectation from the audience is, “That they love what we do, the music, the mantras and the warmth… the rhythm and the energy of our Latin blood. Again, we want them to leave the show so happy, relaxed, full of enthusiasm and joy and uplifted!”
But how do mantras fit with guitar strums and how do people react to this mix? Responds Ignacio, the spokesperson, “In the beginning, they don’t really know what is happening, but then, they just flow with the mantras and the rhythms and they love what we do. They enjoy it. It’s something that transcends music itself,” and after the show, many of them walk up to the band members and say, ‘I went to the show feeling tired, sad and dull, but came out of it feeling energized and with a full heart’. Further adds Ignacio, “Once, I remember getting down the stage to greet the audience and feeling immersed in such a wave of love and energy. And the same experience was shared by my other band members. The interesting thing is that many of them, who also play with other artists, told me that they’ve never experienced such energy in a show before.”
Cheers… need we say, get ready to get wired at The World Culture Festival and look out for Indra while you are there!
Tickets for the World Culture Festival in Berlin can be ordered through the official event website www.worldculturefestival.org.