of 453. We have also come up with the 76 keys keyboard which is popular in north east at the moment.
Some of the other products we are going to launch are the PSR S series and some drum kits and synthesizers.
In the guitar segment, we have launched the FG-TA guitar, a trans-acoustic guitar. It is patented by Yamaha. This doesn’ t need outsourced recourses for sound.
Some PA mixers and AV receivers also have been launched.
HARMAN LIVE ARENA:
Could you tell us about your act and take us through your set-list?
Taufiq Quereshi: Mumbai Stamp is band that performs using trash material – like bins and buckets. The compositions come from the tabla and the mridangam and that’ s what we define on these instruments. We will play 3 pieces – the first piece is called Drum Line, which is a very syncopated piece. The second piece features a lot of vocal percussion and a Djembe solo. The third piece is called Ta Dha. Ta Dha is a bol and it gives me a very grand feeling.
Adil Manuel: The Adil Manuel Collective is a funk, RnB collective, leaning towards a 70’ s sound with vocal harmonies, two keyboard parts involving piano and electric piano sounds and horns. We’ re going to play a mix of some of my material and some RnB, funk and neo-soul.
Daira: We played two songs from our first album – Meri Soch and Maya and the rest from our third album, which is yet to be released.
What are your thoughts on the Harman sound?
Taufiq Quereshi: Artist performance depends a lot on good sound and microphones are very important to capture the sound of the percussion instruments that we play. I do a lot of vocal textures and the mic has to catch all the right sounds. The mic itself is so good, that the sound guy doesn’ t have to do much on the EQ settings. Harman’ s AKG’ s are designed to capture the right sounds
Adil Manuel: The people at Harman are very supportive and really understand artist needs. Sound was great here, it was a very big, live sound and hence our approach as a band was to sound tighter, crisper and louder than usual, because of the size of it all.
Mitali Khargonkar: I was madly excited to perform at the Harman Live Arena. The sound, the lights, the audience – it was a dream concert. An artist needs good lights and good sound and we had the best.
Could you tell us about some of your upcoming projects this year?
Adil Manuel: I’ m just going to get a big studio, kidnap these guys and record. I think we’ ll record in June. The vibe is great and I want to strike while the iron is hot. I really want to push this in the festival space as well.
Daira: We’ re done recording our third album and we’ re planning to release it by around the end of September.
What advice would you give upcoming musicians?
Taufiq Qureshi: As a musician, you need to be like water- whatever color you put water in, it becomes that color. You need to be so good that no matter what music you’ re playing, you should just be able to gel into it. Keep yourself as clear and transparent as water.
Adil Manuel: Believe in yourself; don’ t be shifty. It will pay off if you stick around.
Sheldon D’ Silva and Ravi Chary: Make sure your basics are very strong and listen to a lot of music. Indian musicians should listen to western music and vice versa. This increases that palette which you can choose from while making music. Keep an open mind and promote each other. We need to create a strong community because sometimes we are fighting a bigger system that is not interested in what we’ re doing.
Daira: Stop doing covers and keep making as much original music as you can, as that’ s the only thing that will stay with you. Money may not come but there are other things you can do to make money.
Mitali Khargonkar: Some patience, effort and consistency is badly required if young musicians want to pursue music professionally.
It’ s safe to say that both the live entertainment spaces at the expo this year witnessed some spectacular acts and their sound was enhanced by some equally impressive gear.
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