Music

June 16th 1978, John Travolta and Olivia Newton John were cruising toward The Chinese Theatre for the premier of the musical Grease where a multitude of fans had gathered.

June 16th 2023 saw another multitude of fans gathered at St Andrew’s Auditorium Bandra for the musical ‘Timeless…Always & Forever’ – A StreaminLive and Darren Das Production.

It was a night of nostalgia as the likes of radio jockey & theman who makes Blues his business – Brian Tellis, Mumbai’s very own Elvis Impersonator – Sidd Meghani, film playback singer, songwriter and more – Suzanne D’Mello, singer, songwriter – Keshia B, musical theatre actor, singer – Kamakshi Rai, and last but not the least – producer, curator, singer, VO artist – Darren Das; all took the stage to create a Time Machine with their voices. The band and the backing musicians were anything but just in the background as their instruments and voices added magic to the performances.

I’ve had the privilege of breathing the proverbial and apparently rarefied air of fans and friends who have experienced Brian Tellis act, conduct, compere, anchor, host, moderate, jockey, and sing! The man might make the Blues his business but he definitely makes whatever hat he dons ours! And Timeless… Always and F orever was no exception.

Sidd “Elvis” Meghani, brought the King of Rock n Roll from Memphis to Mumbai with his melodies, moves, and mannerisms. Having worked with Sidd behind the scenes so many times, it’s always magic watching it all come together on stage as there’s a whole lotta shakin going on!
A certain flair, dapper dressing, and joie de vivre form the DNA of a Darren Das performance. From cooking to concerts and beyond, Darren has been keeping people entertained for a long time. At his curated and produced show, Darren brought the house down with equal parts elan and magic.

Science taught us that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. Well, Timeless… showed us that Suzanne D’Mello was the powerhouse of the show; laying her voice all out on the stage and piercing us with her gorgeous vocal range.

Keshia B has a voice that lifts one out of any stupor and transports them to another world. Her costumes may have dazzled the Auditorium as they reflected the lights off the disco ball but her voice reverberated through the 700-odd souls ensconced in the chairs on that Friday night.
Having first seen and heard Kamakshi Rai in Rahul DaCunha’s #SingIndiaSing, I can assure you her spark has just gotten brighter and brighter. From the time she hit her first note, her melodious voice captured and held everyone’s attention.

 

If anything can be credited to weaving it all together, it was Karla Singh and her banter with the audience. From trivia to quips, she had the audience caught in the grasp of her vocal rasp.

St Andrew’s Audi definitely became the T.A.R.D.I.S. and the various musical Companions took us on a trip! Niloufer Rohira and Darren Das – you were the Doctors, the helm, the pivot for all of this to come to life. Leisha you grabbed that wheel and steered everything right.

While there were many stars in the audience from actor, model, pageant director Marc Robinson to pop and playback singer Suneeta Rao to veteran music journalist Narendra Kusnur, columnist Marcellus Baptista and many other stalwarts from varied fields; everyone left feeling like a superstar.

This is a night no one should have missed. Especially the itsy bitsy cameo by the yellow polka dot bikini. (But if you did miss this night, there’s always December 3rd.)

I, for one, am glad I was there. And from my musical heart to yours – keep rocking! Let the music play…

Tracklist
Act I
SOMEWHERE
FASCINATION
MEMORY
TROUBLE
SAVING ALL MY LOVE
DANCING IN THE DARK
LONG TRAIN RUNNING
HARRY BELAFONTE MEDLEY
AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN

Act II
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
TUTTIFRUTTI | WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN
WOMAN IN LOVE
IM SO EXCITED
DANIEL
PROUD MARY
CHA CHA MEDLEY
I WILL SURVIVE
MY WAY
CIRCLE OF LIFE

Hosted by Karla Singh
Musicians:
Lead Guitar – Wilburn DCosta
Drums – Sylvester Chaves Keyboard – Arthur Lobo
Bass Guitar – Russell Fernandes Saxophone – Enrico Rodrigues
Backing Vocalists Yohanna Pais Quinton Pereira Royston Fernandes Roselle Fernandes
Technicals
Venue Light n Sound – Roger Drego
Light Design – Michael Nazareth
Sound Engineer – Joslyn Lobo
Backdrop Execution – Nelson Fernandes
Stage Manager – Leisha Rohira
Photography and Videography – Studio Sinera Publicity Video Shooting & Processing – Dior Das Creatives – Karen Vaswani
On Stage Gear – Furtados
Editorial Photo Credits – Adarbad Master

 

© Ayesha Dominica

(Published in musicunplugged.in on June 26, 2023)

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I am married to a man who is married to the music. I have no qualms about this. The hubby has introduced me to everything from rare grooves to phenomenal commercial ones, from beats you can’t get out of your step to hooks you can’t wait to unstitch from your being. Music is an integral part of our lives. Its presence goes through us like a thread through a needle such that everything we do is stitched with its colour.

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