BENGALURU: After a successful inaugural edition in 2019 which featured Ranjit Barot, Gino Banks and Jai Row Kavi, Bengaluru Drum Fest is back in town on February 7 with a bigger lineup for drum connoisseurs.
This year’s lineup will feature drumming giants like Greg Ellis, Mumbai-based drummer and composer Darshan Doshi, Singapore-based drummer and percussionist Mohamed Noor, Willy Demoz of Peepal Tree fame, Nishant Hagjer of Undying Inc fame and American drummer and percussionist. The event will witness solos by each artiste, followed by a drum face-off between the virtuosos.
Presented by Babu school of Rhythms, drummer and festival curator Arun Kumar says the inspiration behind the festival came about when he attended the Mumbai Drum Day. "My father (popularly known as Drummer Sukumar) and I had an idea to create something like the one in Mumbai but support for drums with respect to sponsors is difficult to secure. So I initiated an evening of drums, which ends with a collaborative jam. Every edition will be different as one gets to witness new artistes who bring in their perspective, and this year’s line-up is an example of the same," added Kumar.
The festival will showcase a variety of drumming styles and techniques and also witness 20 students from Babu school of Rhythms inaugurate the proceedings with a march on snare drums. "We don’t have dedicated events for drums in the country, unlike classical percussion instruments like mridangam and ghatam. If I’m not wrong, this is only the second event in the country after Mumbai Drum Day. The plan from here is to make it an annual event, which will be held on the first Friday of February every year," said Kumar, adding that festivals like these will also aspire youngsters to draw inspiration from the artistes.
Speaking about his upcoming performance, Willy Demoz expressed his excitement, adding that the festival helps to build a community among musicians and bring them together. "Each artiste gets a 20-minute performance slot and each one will showcase their skills and techniques. With Ellis coming to play at the festival, it speaks volumes because we are all musicians and we just love to play. We also have Mohammed Noor and Nishant Hagjer who are exceptional drummers as well," said Demoz.
Bengaluru Drum Fest will be held on February 7, 7 pm at Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Malleswaram