Chilling out, or what!

Dange, along with Anand Kulkarni bass, Sanjeev Pandkar drums, Ram Anantram lead guitar and Milind Date flute, enchanted a 20,000-strong audience with some groovy music to commemorate their first album, Ripchord Moksha. It was released by Infinity Records, the company that also organised the band8217;s trip to the Himalayan region. And quite a Himalayan task it turned out to be, since the singers had to battle freezing winds throughout the three-hour day concert!

Dange literally faced great difficulty in getting the words out of his mouth. 8220;It was so cold that the words almost froze as soon as they were out. And between every two lines, my throat used to feel so parched that I had to gulp hot boiling water to keep it going,8221; he says, laughing at the memory. 8220;But we were sure we wanted to do something different. Our group is called Mystic Frost, so we wanted to play in a mystical and cold land,8221; he explains. 8220;And more than that, we wanted to play in Ladakh because we wanted to go where no one else had gone before 8211; at least not for a performance like this.8221;

After receiving the mandatory clearances from the Army, the group first held a press conference on November 10, in Jammu, from where they flew to Leh. Here they realised that by doing something different, they were setting a precedent of sorts. 8220;The newspapers saw our attempt as a positive event, in a region which is constantly besieged with uncertainties,8221; says Dange.

The Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Force supported the team, even providing the group with the heavy equipment. The stage was set at the Leh Polo Ground for the main concert on November 16, but they arranged for other shows too. 8220;The response was really good. During the concert, many young people came and tied a silk scarf round my neck, which is supposed to be a honour,8221; says Dange.

Music Asia recorded the show on video, which was featured on their channel on Thursday, November 26. The troupe is naturally thrilled with the successful show but the memories of beautiful place are what they cherish the most.

8220;The lifestyle of the people is so different there. The rest of the country doesn8217;t realise what a tough life those residing there lead. Especially the Army personnel, who man the borders. They live in danger while the rest of the country parties. You realise how unfair it is when you actually stay there. We really couldn8217;t do much except pay them fitting tributes by entertaining them,8221; says Dange. Praiseworthy efforts!