Journalism of Courage
This concert tried to steer youngsters towards an addiction-free life through its mix of chants,bhajans and rock music
One can get over addiction by getting addicted to better things, said Kurshid Batliwala,Art of Living (AOL) course director. Hundreds of youngsters had gathered at Gandhi Lawns on Saturday evening for the Mantras and Beats concert. Lost in the chants and music,they swayed together. It was no ordinary concert for it was an attempt to steer youngsters into a life that’s addiction free. On stage,singer Vikram Hazra presented electronic music on his guitar. This was interwoven with musical influences that the Art of Living Foundation itself vouches for. Bhajans like Durge Nandini,Gowardhan Giridhari with Kannada,Gujarati and Bengali flavours of Jhula Jhule Nandlala and Kabirwani gave the evening an interesting flavour. Standing neatly in rows,side by side,one also spotted several kiosks selling merchandise,music CDs and the like from the AOL Foundation.
A similar story was shared by Hitesh Panchal who works at a BPO. I got to know about the concert through my colleagues. I have attended several rock concerts and am aware of the kind of substance abuse that occurs. At the concert we had a great time without depending on any such substances. It’s nice to know that we can get high on life. As the evening came to a close,a flash mob of 150 people danced to Bollywood songs. DJ Spin brought forward an interesting mixture of rock music and bhajans. Hazras special flute and guitar performances lifted the mood instantly.
