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Journalism of Courage
Instead of the closed confines of a classroom, in ancient India, all learning took place under the wide canopy of a Banyan Tree. And when school was over, villagers would gather in the same spot, every evening, to talk about the day over chai. Panchayat decisions too were taken under the same shadow. Though this practice may have faded, at least in cities, the spiritual association with the tree remains.
So, when Mahesh Babu and Nandini Mahesh, a husband and wife team, decided to throw in their life8217;s savings into a company whose prime purpose was to promote Indian performing arts through conceptualisation of corporate events, some two years ago Banyan Tree was an apt name. It also matched their intention to remain deep rooted in this field.
And it is this insiders8217; view and understanding which has enabled them to create corporate events whose effects outlast the hangover of a cocktail party. For instance, people are still talking about the fusion concert that brought together Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Louis Banks, Vikku Vinayakram and Karl Peters, for Standard Chartered Bank. Katha Darpan, a week-long lec-dem by Pandit Birju Maharaj and Mystic Folk Music of India for The Enduring Image exhibition are other such events that have lingered on in the public memory.
And Banyan Tree8217;s involvement is complete in these events. From the first seed of the idea to the final presentation, each detail invites, lights, travel plans, stage decor and food 8212; are all tuned in to rhyme with the main event. quot;A company wanted to serve alcohol during a folk music concert it wanted to organise. We backed out because we didn8217;t see any reason whyfolk music shouldn8217;t be accorded the same respect as a Classical music concert, where such a thing would have never come up,quot; says Nandini.
While event organisation fulfilled one part of their plan 8212; to promote quality art and artistes 8212; music remains the mainstay of their ambition. So much so that they decided to jump into a sea of big sharks like HMV, Times, and TIPS with their own niche music label called Ninaad 8212; distributed by BMG Crescendo. It focuses on Indian Classical, authentic folk, world music and inspiring talks. And the two-year-old label has already bought out 10 albums which includes a rare recording 8212; Eesha by Mukul Shivputra, the reclusive genius son of Kumar Gandharva.
And getting rare soundbytes seems to be Ninaad8217;s forte. Their recent album, Mystic Love took three years of research from sourcing traditional singers of Meera bhajans to the translation of the original Rajasthani lyrics. Says Mahesh, quot;We might not be at par with the big companies as far as resources go but we areequals when it comes to the knowledge of technology, market understanding and presentation.quot; A fact easily verified if you run a search for Ninaad on the net 8212; a site rates this label very highly and is selling each album for 14. quot;Someone must have come and picked up cassettes in bulk here,quot; laughs Nandini. But it8217;s a broad hint, and international marketing is next on the agenda. But right now, it is their latest album, Deeper Zone, which is filling the tiny office with excited talk. And seeing them, only one thought arises: If inclination and knowledge meet, they make beautiful music together.
