This weekend, the Godfather of jazz and the Ustad of classical music will be in Bengaluru to perform at the launch of the Indian Music Experience (IME) museum. The duo will swing through a fusion confluence along with other renowned artists like Gino Banks, Sheldon D’Silva and Sanjay Divecha.

India’s first Interactive Music Museum is a boon for music lovers and is India’s first state of art music museum which was opened in November 2018. The museum explores the evolution of Indian music with interactive, multi-sensory exhibits.

The interactive music museum also offers a hi-tech history lesson on India’s vast and varied music heritage. Eight galleries across four storey’s document various facets of Indian music. As expected, there are elaborate and informative exhibits on Hindustani classical and folk music traditions from across India. There’s also a large sections devoted to the indie music scene and cross-cultural music traditions. The place is a must visit.

A week before the show on Saturday 27^th July, Verus Ferreira had a short tete a tete with Louis Banks and Zakir Hussain.

What do you think of the Indian Music Experience museum?

Louis Banks: A beautiful idea and initiative to preserve our legacy of Indian music and honour  our legendary musicians by preserving the very instruments that they played on and delighted audiences all across the world for posterity.

Zakir Hussain: I have not personally seen the museum; I have just seen some photographs and read about the goal they have set themselves. I am very impressed with what I have seen so far and I am looking forward to personally pay a visit there.

What will you be performing at this event?

LB: It will be all original indo jazz fusion music composed by me and sanjay and arranged by the band

ZH: We will perform a selection of compositions featuring the music of maestro Louiz Banks, he is one of the most prolific composers of our time and it is always a great pleasure and learning experience to perform his work. There will be other compositions from all members of the band as well, the music will cover not just Jazz or world music genres but we will also showcase Indian music, the evening promise to be a great walk through the music from all over the globe.

Louis, do you think jazz in India is alive and thriving?

LB: Jazz is very much alive. Maybe not thriving as yet. But it will get there mainly because the serious minded young musicians of today are playing it in many venues as much as possible. There is a much awaited resurgence of jazz in India

What is the future of jazz in India? Are we experimenting more? Pushing new boundaries?

LB: The spirit of jazz is very much alive because it is influencing all genres of music in many subtle ways... Musicians are experimenting more and discovering amazing ways to integrate jazz with all forms of music that exist in the world today. I would say that the future of jazz is very much intact all across the Indian sub continent... Mainly because the young are taking great initiative in learning, experimenting, integrating, performing jazz as much as they can... Jazz is here to stay and will continue to delight listeners across all genres.

ZH: Musically the world is starting to seamlessly merge closer, Indian musicians have not only excelled in their chosen art form, they have established themselves in all genres of music is a force to reckon with, similarly musicians in other parts of the world are also crossing over and becoming familiar with more than just the music they grew up playing. There seems to be a cultural renaissance brewing on a global level and it is for all artists a most wondrous time to be making music in.

Event details:

Event: IME launch

Place: IME grounds, Brigade Millenium Campus, JP Nagar Bengaluru.

Date: Saturday 27th July

Time: Inauguration: 5 pm / Concert: 7 pm

Tickets: Bookmyshow.com