Delhi Jazz Festival 2012 by Indian Council for Cultural Relations in collaboration with SEHER @ Nehru Park, Delhi, India

The Delhi jazz music lovers were once again treated with wonderful flavors of world class jazz last week at the second edition of the Delhi Jazz Festival, organized by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in collaboration with Seher at the Nehru Park in New Delhi. Delhi Jazz Festival was celebrated for three days at Nehru Park, New Delhi, India. Let's check out this Photo Journey to feel the music in photographs...

Nika Abashmadze on Drums from Georgia.

Following three bands performed on first day of Delhi Jazz Festival 2012 :-

Friday, March 16, 6.30 pm onwards
Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet (Poland)
HFT (India)
Louiz Banks Matrixx (India)

Right after a brief inauguration by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) president, Dr Karan Singh, the stage was open for Wojtek Mazolewski Qintet from Poland. The five piece band led by Wojtek Mazoewski, composer and bass player of the band, took off instantly with their lively music  of casual yet nicely blended elements of punk rock and folkish concoction. Their sax and trumpet  runs were truly something new for Delhi audience. They also performed their album titled number 'Smells like Tape Spirit' which has been making quite a wave at the Polish radio charts.

On very first day of Delhi Jazz Festival, second band on stage was India's HFT, with the Great Society famed greats - guitarist Arjun Sen and bass player Lew Hilt, along with Suchet Malhotra (drumcussion) completing the lineup. Their music was a soothing fusion of experimentation with the percussion, using rainsticks,  flutter-tonguing and guitar chord progression melody. Lew Hilt's bass lines inspired numbers were also well received by the audience. Their last piece, 'No Room to Move', from their album Acquired Senses, inspired by the Delhi traffic scene, was a bit 'noisy' with heavy bass lines and guitar overdrives.

Dini on right with David Masteranov on guitar and Levan Deisadz on the Bass...From Georgia....

The highlight of the day's  event was that of the Louiz Banks Matrixx, led by jazz virtuoso Louiz Banks, where the father-son duo (Louiz (keyboard) and Gino Banks(drums) along with bass player Sheldon D'Silva and saxophonist Tara left the crowd spell bound and asking for more. Louiz's rippling moves on the keys and Tara's searing and rich tone of the sax was simply mesmerizing. When asked how he found the experience of performing in Delhi in this festival, Louiz said, ' It was just amazing. I hope the crowd just grows and grows from strength to strength and be aware of the beautiful music such as jazz.'

Second Day was the one we witnessed and noticed really an unexpected side of Delhi. We shall come back to this, but let's have a look overall schedule of the day first :-

Saturday, March 17, 6.30 pm onwards

Dini Virsaladze Quartet (Georgia)
Moonarra (India)
Eol Trio (France)

Apart from above mentioned bands from Georgia, India and France, there are another performance during beginning of the evening. It was by a Delhi Band called 'Sold Out'. This band has performed at various university/college level festivals and mainly popular in Delhi University. Above Photograph shows the band Sold Out from Delhi !

Dinara (Dini) Virsaladze, a famous Georgian pianist, born in Tbilisi (Republic of Georgia), studied piano at Tbilisi Music School for Gifted Children and graduated from Tbilisi State Conservatoire. The lady in first photograph of this PHOTO JOURNEY is Dini. She was performing with her quartet comprising David Masteranov on guitars, Levan Deisadz on the Bass and Nika Abashmadze on Drums.

Moonarra - Prakash Sontakke has a rich Hindustani music background, Karthik Mani comes from a strong Carnatic music tradition, Jagadeesh M.R and Madhuri pop, rock, jazz and Indian classical influences and Wilson Kenneth from playing bass with funk and rock classical bands... The idea of Moonarra started taking shape when they discovered that their musical expressions could blend or 'fuse' creating an entirely new sound. They believed that as they journey along, their collaboration with great artists and musicians across the globe will only make them richer, stronger and the songs more meaningful.

Eol Trio is made of Denis Girard (pianist and Keyboard), Laurent David (playing the Bass Guitar) and Xavier Girard on Drums. One may define their music as progressive jazz rock. This band isn't quite from the planet Earth. Far from the usual cliches and trends, the band seeks to create a new world of music and harmony. They were from France ...

David Masteranov on guitar and Levan Deisadz on the Bass...From Georgia !!!

Here is overall schedule from third day of Delhi Jazz Festival !!!

Sunday, March 18, 6.30 pm onwards
The Bica-Daerr-Stick Trio (Germany)
Magos Herrara (Mexico)
Elkano Browning Cream (Spain)

Personally I don't follow Jazz, but I had an expectation that I may start liking it after these live performances. But that didn't happen for me. I was more impressed by the crowd at Nehru park which was unending... I left the place at around 8pm and folks were still joining in... Road around Nehru Park was surrounded by cars all around. Even both sides of the road had suddenly become parking areas with lot of police personnel all around the place. It was really amazing to see the craziness of people for Jazz. It was completely a different environment altogether.

Hope to spend more time in Delhi Jazz Festival 2013 and bring more musical colors here !!!