THE TRUMPETER

Her five-member band 8212; Saskia Laroo Band 8212; performed at the Natarani in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. This is her fifth tour to India and in fact, the first concert was scheduled in Mumbai on November 30, which had to be cancelled in the wake of the terror attacks.

Hailing from Amsterdam, Saskia started playing the trumpet when she was 8, but music happened suddenly. She was actually studying Mathematics at the University of Amsterdam, but switched her focus on a career in music later.

Saskia 8212; who is also a vocalist 8212; may be turning a sexagenarian next year, but her zest for music knows no boundaries. She loves combining different kinds of music and performing with bands across the world. 8220;Performing with different bands helps me in generating different ideas and music versions, It shapes my creativity,8221; she says.

And it8217;s not just jazz, hip-hop, salsa or funk reggae that interests her, she is fond of Bollywood music too. Commenting on the Indian music scene, she says: 8220;All jazz performers across the world really appreciate Indian traditional music and Bollywood music. It helps us to compose lots of new tracks.8221;

There8217;s one more thing about India that Saskia is fond of 8212; the traditional Indian vegetarian food. 8220;Every time I decide to tour India, the first thing I get excited about is the food. I miss the traditional Indian breakfast back home.8221;

After Ahmedabad, her band moves on to Pune, Bangelore and Goa next.