Euphoric beats

Come Navratri, and the festive mood shows up in a more energetic manner and the outcome is a lively show of Dandiya.

Come Navratri, and the festive mood shows up in a more energetic manner and the outcome is a lively show of Dandiya. Imagine the dance form and colorful attire; coordinating feet and above all thumping beat come to your mind. So what is the music this Navratri?

According to Atul Jain, president Jhankar group who has been organising Dandiya for the past six years, 8220;More than the music, it is the beats that are more important in Dandiya. In fact, Pune wants a mix of Gujarati, Hindi and I must say that that is due to the cosmopolitan culture that the city represents.8221; Jhankar group has organised a dandiya night on October 8 at Gandharva lawns, Katraj.

There are a number of groups that invite DJs for performances but nothing can be as euphoric as a live music band making the dancers sway on their traditional Gujarati music. What is an added advantage of the live music band is the on the spot improvisation that is dependant on the liking and the category of the dancers. Jet set band and orchestra is a band of veteran musicians that has been winning the hearts of rock music lovers and dandiya and film music enthusiasts for years. Jet set is already ready with their paper work for the dandiya nights. Booked for all the nine nights, Eardley De Souza, the drummer of the band says, 8220;We have been performing at dandiya since past 20 years and I must say what sells during dandiya is traditional Gujarati music. Keeping the beats factor constant, we go on improvising the music according to the age group, tempo of the crowd and the organisers8217; demands. For instance, for youngsters, the beats are faster. With elderly people we play more of traditional music. The energy of the crowd is also important while playing the music in garba.8221; With five members from the same family performing on the stage, the band is one of the most popular and in-demand bands in the city.

The Melody makers, one of the oldest bands in the city, however, has a different opinion. According to Ashokbhai, member of Melody makers, 8220;We play a mix of old and new songs. Raas, garba, Gujarati music and rhythm are all a part of the kind of music that we play. We can say with our experience that every year has its own trends and this year as well tracks like Darde disco, Dil mein baji guitar and other recent ones will dominate the music scene in dandiya.8221;

With variety of music ready to entertain, the masses can be sure that they are going to have a gala time. Niharika Chawla and her friends are regular participants in the garba nights in the city and she says, 8220;I love the grand gathering that garba is. The music is one of the most important factors in dandiya because all these gatherings and fun times spent with friends become memories because of the music. And every time that you try to recall them, the beats of garba are always present in the background.8221;

Dandiya beats can make any soul sway, say bands that are going to perform on forthcoming dandiya nights

Some tracks this dandiya

Darde disco

Bachan ae haseeno

Dil mein baji guitar

Tune payal jo chankayee

Hey naam re sabse bada

Pankheda re 8211; Gujrati