Dance till you drop

The producers of the biggest dance and music festival in India- Goa’s Sunburn – have set their sights on Pune for the next big party. The Destiny of Sound,a Pune-based event planning organisation,along with Milestone Entertainments,are set to host Pune’s own non-stop party festival today at One Lounge in Koregaon Park. “The partying scene is on the upsurge,the city needs its own festival where people can come in and indulge in total revelry and also give local DJs a platform to showcase their talents,” says Vinay Pawar,concept director,Destiny of Sounds Pune. ‘A Day Off Festival’ is scheduled to start at 12 noon and carry on non-stop till 10:30 pm.

“We have performances by renowned international and Indian artists lined up,but we are trying to focus on local talent,” adds Pawar. A total of 14 DJs will be featured in the festival,including DJ Anuj,DJ Priyanjana,DJ Tuhin Mehta,DJ Shrikant,DJ Garry and Richard Bedford,international singer with Above and Beyond,London. Hip-hop and Bollywood are strict no nos,but progressive rock,house and all variations of electronic music will play in full swing “DJs from Goa,Bangalore,Mumbai,Kolkata and Delhi get chances to play their music at grand festivals across the country. We wanted to create a platform for Pune’s DJs,” says Pawar. The concept has been introduced for the first time in the city and hopes to become a regular activity. “We will be observing the response we get and based on the popularity we gain,we will work towards making this an annual event. If the party culture demands more of the event,we will consider having two festivals a year,one in summer and one in winter,” says Pawar.

“A Day Off is an excellent opportunity for me to separate myself from being just another DJ. It’s a platform where you show your talent and if you have what it takes to create appreciation for your music,you will get the payback you deserve,” says 27-year-old freelancer DJ Shrikanth,who is thrilled to be a part of ‘A Day Off Festival’. “I am glad that an initiative like this has come up in Pune. The city needs more events and festivals like this to brighten up the party scene. Pune is where I live and where I plan to grow as a DJ and festivals like this give a boost to my career. We also get to meet other DJs and learn a lot from each other,” he adds.