AppId is over the quota
Nestled in the peaceful, leafy neighbourhood of Banjara Hills in Hyderabad is a quaint two-storied bungalow that exudes a sense of old-world charm and grandeur. This is Lamakaan, described as "an inclusive cultural space that promotes and presents the best of arts, literature, theatre, debate and dialogue with a commitment to being open and accessible".
On the 16th of November, 2012, Lamakaan hosted Sanjo performing 'The Songs of The Balladeer' - a show that blends storytelling with a line-up of rare, largely forgotten songs... lyrics and melodies that have been lost in the mists of time. The stories lie not just in the ballads but even beyond - sometimes it is a story that lies behind the song or its creation, or even about the artiste who wrote the song. The flavour of 'The Songs of The Balladeer' is distinctly retro with a focus on evocative lyrics, stirring melodies and emotions that powerfully underline the human condition.
The event was organised by Blue Butterfly Entertainment, which manages Sanjo as an artiste, under the aegis of Jamathon - a live music and jamming platform in Hyderabad.
It was a slightly chilly November night when Sanjo took the stage. After a brief introduction to Lamakaan by Mr Subbareddy Adapala of Lamakaan and an introduction to Sanjo by Mr Sashi Evani of Blue Butterfly Entertainment (who also runs a music production unit called Studio E1E), it was time to commence 'The Songs of The Balladeer'.
When the evening started out, the audience had little or no idea of what the concept was all about. A poster at the entrance simply described the event as 'Jamathon presents The Songs of the Balladeer by Sanjo'. So it was Sanjo's brief introduction to the concept that gave people an insight into what the concept was all about.
The format is one that Sanjo is very comfortable with, having performed it across various cities in India and in Pakistan too during a tour covering Lahore and Faisalabad. In fact, I have seen Sanjo perform 'The Songs of The Balladeer' as a four-hour show in Delhi! However, at Lamakaan, he curtailed the duration to around 90 minutes in keeping with the requirements of the venue and the organisers.
The truly wonderful thing about Sanjo's performance (and the reason why the audience never has any difficulty in sitting through a four-hour performance) is the variety he brings to the stage. From folk ballads to anti-war songs, from naughty pub songs to inspiring anthems - 'The Songs of The Balladeer' has all this and more.
Sashi Evani of Blue Butterfly Events had this to say: "The show started with Sinner Man, Sanjo's rendition of a centuries' old song set in the Wild West. It was followed by a series of some thought-provoking, some tongue-in-cheek and some downright hilarious songs, all with the lyrics on a screen. Some of the songs performed are Death Come Easy and Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya, both anti-war songs, Daddy Rolling Stone, a lean and mean rock number, Man Piaba, Seven Drunken Nights and The Chandler's Wife, all smartly funny lesser known classics. It was really satisfying for us to see that the audience stayed connected throughout the show and the management was impressed enough to promise us a much bigger audience the next time Sanjo is here (in Hyderabad). I personally just can't wait for the next one."
Speaking to this correspondent during a visit to Bombay afew days after the Hyderbad gigs, Sanjo confirmed that he has been invited to perform 'The Songs of The Balladeer' again at Lamakaan in December. "We had a bit of problem getting the sound right", said Sanjo, "which meant shortening the set-list for the second half of the programme. When I go back in December, I plan to do a complete 90-minute show... who knows, I might even stretch it to two hours if the organisers are okay with it."
About the venue, Sanjo said: "It is a beautiful space for the performing arts... small enough to bring the artiste closer to his or her audience and yet large enough to enable the artiste to reach out to a sizable cross-section of people. The place has an atmosphere that brings out the creative best in an artiste. The stage setting is pretty unique with a backdrop of two massive rocks piled one atop the other. That not only looks cool but adds immensely to the acoustic quality of the music being played on the stage. This was the first time that I played at Lamakaan and I positively loved the experience!"
It is good to see Sanjo back on the gig circuit. For the past two years, he had chosen to be a studio musician, actively working on the production of new material (music as well as songs) along with songs and background scores for television programmes. I am told that it was Sashi Evani who coaxed him back on to the live circuit.
What now lies ahead will truly be interesting to track.
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