QUEEN’S ROAD:The Battle Of The Bands is back for the third consecutive year. Powered by Vodafone, the contest has completed its preliminary rounds and has six top corporate bands, who will compete at the grand finale to be held at UB City on January 31.
What makes the event interesting, apart from a chance for the bands to bag Rs 50,000, is the cause it has adopted this year. This year, every tune played, every chord struck, every song staged, is dedicated to help save lives by spreading awareness on organ donation, how it works and why it can be the most humanitarian decision taken by a person.
To promote the cause, Battle Of The Bands has partnered with ZCCK (Zonal Coordination Committee of Karnataka for Transplantation) and Manipal Hospital. It has already received pledges for more than 2,500 organ donations during the preliminary rounds of the competition.
Speaking about the initiative, Atanu Batabyal, Business Head - Karnataka, Vodafone India said, “We had initially conceptualised the Battle of the Bands as a platform to explore musical talent in the corporate world. After two successful years, we saw merit in tying up with a social cause, hence our partnership with ZCCK and Manipal Hospital to espouse the need for organ donation. It is heartening to see the response we have received through the preliminary rounds. With thousands of organ pledges already signed up, Bengaluru has demonstrated that it has a soul beyond the identity of being the country’s tech capital. Over the past three weeks, we have been conducting the preliminary rounds of Battle of the Bands across five technology parks in Bengaluru.”
The grand finale will also see a live performance by local Indian folk and fusion band Swarathma.
Reena Raju - the first heart transplant patient in Karnataka will also be part of the event. She has been doing her bit to collect funds for thousands of patients who cannot afford basic medical care.