[1]You could spot him from a mile. The trademark flowing grey hair in a sea of black rock print T-shirts and characteristic gait were unmistakable. For any budding rock musician in the country, Amit Saigal’s Rock Street Journal was a rite of passage. Much like the festival he organised: the Great Indian Rock. The man who is credited with publishing a magazine on a niche subject like rock has mentored many a musician by giving them their first breaks at festivals like Pubrockfest and Rocktoberfest. His death on Thursday marks the demise of a legend.
Musician Ehsaan Noorani says, “I just met him a few weeks ago and we were talking about the music business and publishing. We had plans to collaborate next year. I conducted a workshop in the India Music Week that he had organised only recently. He was a visionary with his magazine. It takes a lot to be a part of this movement (rock music) in a country that hardly has any promoters for it. I’m a blues rock guitarist and I knew I could always call Amit to seek his advice. I valued his friendship and I’m deeply saddened by his death.”
Amit understood the demands and requirements of the genre in India like no other. He had an insider’s view of the scene what with his Delhi-based band Impact. Says Indus Creed frontman and India’s first rockstar Uday Benegal: “Amit was certainly a phenomenally spirited guy with incredible focus and fantastic energy for rock. He played a significant role in the indie rock music scene. He tapped potential and now with his death, a powerhouse ceases to exist. But I feel differently about death and I know he’s in a happier space now.”
Sahil “Demonstealer” Makhija, frontman of Dem-onic Resurrection, feels Amit’s role in his band’s success is unmatchable. “He gave Demonic a break at GIR, he was instrumental in sending us to Norway for the Inferno festival and put us on the cover the magazine. I looked up to him and could relate to him; like him I too rarely followed convention.”
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/newsmjpg-820