The Score Magazine - Archive August 2015 issue! | Page 35

Why should guys have all the fun always? Do gals any less deserve a taste of the musical
nirvana and freedom of cadenza? What say! Over the better part of the last century and
this continuing new millennium, boy-bands have ruled the roost unchallenged. Although
in between, ‘girl power’ did rear its head in fits and starts as sporadic units and musical
clusters, yet they fought hard to survive on a roller-coaster ride or gradually disintegrated
for good. But there is still a considerable slew of few consistent bands which not only
believe in proving their mettle in the male-bastion but also unleashing their own style,
energy and signature tunes to sculpt out a slice of their exclusive legacy.
Enlightens Lalrinawma Tochhawng aka Mama, the director of Escape festival of music and
arts: “I don’t believe in segregation of girls and boys in terms of musical talent. Music holds
no boundaries if the skill is there. Irrespective of the sex category, either of the participants
can leave behind an impression to vie for. And yeah, we did feature all-girl bands and troupes
with female lead vocalists in our previous seasons such as Jayshree Singh of Skinny Alley,
Sonia Saigal and Interplay, Minutes of Decay (MOD is an indie/funk rock band from Manipur
containing the Muivah sisters with synthesizer, bass, guitar, vocals and percussion. This
sibling act conjures up classic rock punctuated by a stylised squeeze of contemporary vocals
and alternative riffs), Vasundhara Vee and so on. Some of them have even headlined the
festival to a fantastic, rousing response from astute audiences.”
Good news is that the music fest plans to invite more divas and damsels in its forthcoming
‘Escape Sessions’ edition highlighting the Ladakh chapter. It is scheduled to be held this
August-end. “Music buffs from world-wide will get to witness some magic in the last week of
this month. Sonia Saigal, who is one of the best jazz and R&B female prima donnas we have in
the country, would be headlining one of the scintillating nights,” he enthuses in a gush.
Be it the Storm Music Festival, Escape Festival of Naukuchiatal, Ziro Valley Fest of Arunachal
Pradesh, Bacardi Nh7 Weekender, Yuva Music Festival, et al — ladies can take the lead to
make an emphatic statement. Confirms musician Subir Malik: “I presume this is the peak
time to see the lasses emulating the lads in musical domain and flourishing with all guns
blazing. Strikingly enough, the hills of the ‘seven-sisters’ in north-east India, proudly stem
up a gamut of all-girl-bands to gloat over. Afflatus, Apples, The Chosen, Genesis of Pink, Blue
Corn, Hurricane Gals, Vivace only bear a testimony to this spilling tribe.”
Referring to a conspicuous change in human psychology, this founding member and manager
of the established rock-and-roll boy-band Praikrama explains:
“A decade ago, it was a taboo to even imagine chalking out a career as an
independent artiste from the parental side. Now see the sprouts around
you. Also of late, from the judges’ panel at the Hard Rock Rising finale in
Delhi, we could discover two out of three top-ranked bands being fronted
by women. T hey got shortlisted from eight preliminary
concerts. So the figures are crystal-clear to count
the positive angle.”
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