Octoberfest 2014 - heady mix of soulful Indian renditions, western beats (Review)

Bangalore, Oct 22 (IANS) Those looking for unforgettable music experience, will surely vouch for Kingfisher Premium - The Great Indian Octoberfest. A confluence of Indian ragas, folk music and hard metal rock band, EDM and hip hop from the west, the 10th edition concluded on a high note here.

The three-day of musical extravaganza, which started Oct 17 at E-Zone club at the outskirts of the city, witnessed some of the world's most celebrated music artists from various genres setting the right tempo with their gigs.

Although first day witnessed an average turnout at the venue, gradually it picked up, especially when singer Benny Dayal took the stage to wow music aficionados.

Described as livewire at open-air gigs as well as inside a compact studio, Dayal belted out his English tracks followed by his popular Bollywood tracks, including title track from Hrithik Roshan-starrer "Bang Bang" and had the crowd started screaming with excitement.

A heady cocktail of metal, blues, indie, soft rock and electronic music, the second day of TGIOF 2014 had something special in store for music lovers.

Heavy metal rockers Bhoomi left the crowd awestruck when they presented their original compositions in their distinctive vocal harmonies.

Others who struck the right chord with the audience include Space Behind the Yellow Wall band, which treated music lovers with trance and punk rock, while One Nite Stand crooned popular soft rock numbers.

International band Bassclef enthralled the audience with bass tunes influenced by hip-hop, dubstep and bhangra.

The third day of the fest was dedicated to the country's diverse music culture.

Fusion band Maati Baani kicked it off with their distinctive music, which combines Hindustani Classical elements with folk music and new age sounds.

But the scene-stealer was singer-composer Lucky Ali who won Bangalorean's heart when he performed some of his hit songs like "Anjaani rahein" and "O Sanam".

Bangalore's very own Raghu Dixit's spectacular act took everyone's breath away. In collaboration with Nrityarutya Dance Company, Dixit raised the bar for the fest with elaborate props and breathtaking visuals.

Though he connected wonderfully well with the audience, there was something that he was not satisfied with.

Dixit says he was happy with the audience's response and enjoyed playing for them, but added that the organiser need's to provide better infrastructure for the participants.

"There was no safety for our equipment, but we were here to perform and the audiences were very lively," Dixit told IANS.

The Manganiyar Seduction brought the Rajasthani folk flavour. Created and directed by theatre-person Royston Abel, the performance with awesome lighting effects was truly exceptional.

The TGIOF Cafe stage, the newest addition to the festival, saw the city's most melodious "Kroakers".

It wasn't just about music, the fest also had organised a flea market at the venue. Ranging from small home accents to quirky fashion accessories, the market had something special for everyone. Not to forget an interesting spread of mouth-watering snacks at the stalls.

Then there was a fashion show by designer Robert Naorem and ace Manoviraj Khosla.

Barring some logistic problems, all in all the festival had enough to satiate the music lovers.