“Adieu to disappointment and spleen. What are men to rocks and mountains?” – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
Austen was right, indeed. The mountains are a dependable way of bidding adieu to your disappointments. And what can be better than doing it while being surrounded by good music.
That is exactly what the Kasauli Rhythm and Blues Festival 2017 did for its patrons.
Held over the Easter weekend from April 14-15 at the Baikunth Resort in Kasauli, this year’s edition of the Festival lived up to it’s reputation to the fullest. With a versatile line-up of stellar artists and bands, the Festival got a big thumbs-up from all its attendees.
Kunal Wason, founder and lead singer of fusion band Nasya which performed this year, said that the Festival managed to create the perfect atmosphere for his band’s performance. “I felt that at one point, the audience, the mountains, the mountain winds and the music had all become one. There is nothing more that a musician can ask for.”
The Festival is an annual fund raiser for the Genesis Foundation which helps treat underprivileged children with heart disorders. Like it’s previous years, sponsors and donors came out in full force to contribute to the cause.
There were performances by indie and classical bands, both established and upcoming, such as Late Too Soon and Rajeev Raja Combine. But there was a dose of Bollywood as well for the audience. Jonita Gandhi, of Break Up Song fame performed with her band.
The highlight was veteran Usha Uthup who closed the Festival. Complete in her traditional attire of a saree and large bindi (with the letter K in Bangla on it!), the doyen of Bollywood club music of the 1970s gave a pleasant surprise to the audience with her rendition of the song Bulleya from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.
By the end of the Festival, the spirit of music had done its job of giving the best time to the people present. The success of the Festival and the response of the audience and performers definitely gives one hope that there are many more editions of the Festival yet to come.
