Fireflies Music Festival 2009

Last night was one of the best experiences ever, I'd been to the Fireflies festival of Music. It was awesome a bit boring in between but one hell of an experience.

Fireflies music festival has been happening since 2004. I had heard of it a couple of years back but only managed to go for it this year. The basic idea about this music festival is that its like a night out with live music being played from dusk to dawn and yeah there is a theme that changes every year. That is right from 6pm to 6am and I'm sure your wondering how the hell can anyone stay up all though the night and listen to music leave a side being with friends this is with random people around.

Its not easy I'll give u that but its uniquely different and quite amazing. This years event they had these people come and perform.

BHUMI THAYI BALAGA (Folk)
ANUSUYA KULKARNI (Indonesian Anklung)
PRAKASH SONTAKKE & GROUP (Hawaiian Guitar Fusion)
SHABNAM VIRMANI(Kabir/sufi)
SOLVITEUR CANENDO (Acapella)
GEETHA NAVALE & THE ESPERANTO PROJECT (Soul Fusion)
VAYALI (Kerala Folk)
SWARATMA (Folk Rock)
SHABNAM VIRMANI
Group (Kabir/Sufi)
VEERAGHASE (Kannada Folk)
SHAHID PARVEZ of NAGPUR (Qawali)
RANJANKUMAR BARUA & Group (Hindustani fusion )
REX ROSSARIO (Jazz Quintet)

All of them were awesome I am not a jazz person so that hour I utilized to stock up on some food. I'm pretty sure that like me none of you would have heard about any of these bands but trust me they were mind blowing, the simplicity of their performance and the way they captured the crowd was brilliant. Its not like u have to be in the mood to listen to such music or be relatively high to ""get"" this type of music you have to be you and you'll connect to the tune. Trust me on that.

To get the music and appreciate it all you need is a soft mattress yes you read right and it isn't a typo a mattress. Tough this festival is gaining a lot of publicity (1000 odd people had turned up) the seating is basically like a classic amphitheater with a center low level stage and in circular increase stone seats. This is the only biggest pain that u need to over come a real pain in the ass abd lower back. I mean seriously after 4-5 hours you will defer from using the term PIA with anyone :(.

The best part about this festival was the audience that managed to gather around. I mean the crowd wasn't a closely knitted group there were people from all over bangalore from different professions different background, from tapori's to suit clad gentlemen to kurta wearing jogi's with an afro hair do. It was simply amazing and most importantly is that there were no restrictions at all. People were allowed to do what they wanted where they wanted. No complains! No Nonsense! Peace :). No police to say or do anything, nice and simple setting and nothing happened, people were having fun and enjoying the music just as if they were attending their own college functions. I hope all that come there from now on adhere to this and live upto the standards that have been all these years.

I remember at some point of time this firang came in and started singing we shall over come and the crowd hearing this automatically starts singing the desi version of it and gave a good fight .. lol it was amazing the unity amongst the crowd without any sort of restrictions, I say it once again simply amazing. Especially when they performed the hit qawali no: dama dum mastkalandar seriously it was like sitting in REX while a hit bollywood item number is playing ... lol ... too too funny and heart warming to see people join together and enjoy the music.

My personal favorite were prakash sontakke, sabnam virmani, the qawali grp and last but not the least swaratham .. I particularly liked their kannada rock song(pavan u'll love this i think). lol how can I forget my friend developed this big time crush on the violinist.


My first fireflies experience was awesome, I hope I can go next year too :).

few videos that I could find while googling that hopefully impress you and make you want to join this next year

1. http://video.aol.com/video-detail/fireflies-2008-fusion-of-kabir/2816968742
2. http://affiliate.kickapps.com/_Prakash-Sontakke-group-playing-Raaga-Fusion-/video/163665/13499.html