All you need is music!

First broached in 1976 by American musician Joel Cohen, then employed by the national French radio station France Musique, the tradition of Fete de la Musique may have begun in France but it is now an event celebrated world over as World Music Day.And true to tradition — two of the caveats to being sanctioned by the official Fête de la Musique organisation in Paris are that all concerts must be free to the public, and all performers donate their time for free — this year’s Fete de la Musique was open to all those who wished to attend, free of cost.While some of the performers featured in the concert had years of experience, others were performing in front of such a large audience for the first time. “And that is the true spirit of the Fete de la Musique,” said Abhirami Krishnamoorthi, cultural coordinator of the Alliance Francaise, “Everyone who wishes to perform should be given the chance to do so.We wanted to give all those who had potential a chance to perform.” The first performance of the evening was a Western Classical music recital by Iryna Tsarenko, who teaches music at the International School of Hyderabad and her students Anoushka Shahane, Sanjukta Koppoku and Ajay Sharma. A mixture of operatic vocals and moving piano playing, the performance made for a perfect start to what would be a satisfyingly long evening of myriad genres of music.Next up was Ujjal’s Jazz Trio, an amateur Hyderabadi instrumental jazz band featuring Ujjal Kumar Saha, Benjamin Christopher, Praveen David. Upbeat and eclectic, the performance didn’t feature instruments typically associated with jazz. Ujjal played the guitar, Benjamin the base guitar and Praveen the drums. And yet, even without a piano or saxophone and their apparent lack of experience, the trio managed to create a sound that was both unique and appealing.Third up was a performance by Max Turner, who was on vocals and the guitar, and Eugene Yuvaraj, who played the drums. A musician of German origin currently studying Indian classical music in Puducherry, Max was specially invited down to the city by the Goethe Zentrum for the fete. While the duo played an interesting fusion of classical Karnatic music, folk and R n’ B, the highlight of their performance was Max’s rendition of a Telugu Keertanam.Fourth in line were the Banajara Hillbillies, an American bluegrass band featuring Patrick Dempsey, Elvin John, Scott Kingsbury, Daniel McCullough. With upbeat tunes that made the audience wish that they were square dancing in a barn, the aptly named Banjara Hillibillies made music that had an old-timey, country sound that made it very difficult to not tap one’s feet along to the beat.Last up was the most awaited act of the evening, French indie pop band Betty Argo.Featuring Lena Roucaute on the vocals, Jérémie Pontier on the drums, Samuel Strouk and Arnaud Cabibel on guitars, the band had a sound that was truly their own --- exploring different roots and different musical journeys. Betty Argo’s music had most of the ample audience on their feet, as close as they could get to the stage, swaying and dancing.Interestingly, the song that garnered the most excited reaction from the audience was one that was inspired by on-screen serial killer Dexter, titled Dex.Another song that held the crowd’s fasciantion was one in which Lena sang through a megaphone pointed at the mike, which made her voice sound simultaneously seductive and faintly electronic. The band performed a mix of French and English number, with Lena explaining the premise of the French ones for the benefit of the audience.After several encores, when Betty Argo was finally allowed to leave the stage and it was time to head home, it was apparent that Hyderabad’s music lovers had just experienced and evening that they wouldn’t soon forget.