Where are brands investing?
First it was Pitbull, then Lady Gaga and finally Metallica; only if you were living under a rock would you miss the trend. The burgeoning live gig scene in the country has established brands clamouring over each other to sponsor music concerts that were earlier unheard of.
Free Bird Pure Music Festival 2011, aimed at bringing new genres of music to Hyderabad and went on for 25 days with performances by Mrigya, Alobo Naga, Adil and Vasu, Ashram; very different from the usual, run-of-the-mill DJ mixes. Organiser John Robin says, “It was new and something like this has to start somewhere.”
Music is now bridging the gap between Indian and Internation-al listeners. Channel V head, Prem Kamath, says it’s the large market of the listeners that is encouraging. “In a country with a population and demographics such as ours, even if 10 per cent is inclined towards a certain genre the numbers are huge. So, why wouldn’t anyone take advantage of such proportions?” He clears the myth that International artistes are paid less in India compared to what they earn abroad. “There is no fee waiver. The artistes charge everyone the same amount of money,” he adds.
With music going digital, thanks to cellphones, iPads, YouTube etc., Indian artistes are also exploring new avenues. For example, DONAX (Desi No) is a hip-hop band that started in 2007. “The band has completed an all-India tour and is now planning to launch their album,” says 22-year-old member Monica Rajendran. Blame it on Bollywood music being too “safe” or the desire for “something different”. The music industry in India seems to be heading towards a direction in which there is something for everyone.
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