Kasauli Rhythm and Blues Festival kickstarts

Amarjot Kaur

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Tribune News Service

Kasauli, April 4

As the sound of blues, at the Kasauli Rhythm and Blues Festival, paid a melodious ode to the setting sun that created a dramatically picturesque view at the Baikunth Resorts, the festival’s concerns dwelled mainly on charity.

Organised by the Genesis Foundation, the fourth edition of the festival witnessed as many as 650 people at the venue, who the co-founder trustee of Genesis Foundation, Jyoti Sagar, refers to as ‘donors’.

“The Genesis Foundation essentially uses music as a medium to raise funds for the treatment of critically ill children,” says Sagar.

While elaborating on the philanthropic concerns of the festival, Sagar shares: “We provide financial assistance to critical children from orphanages and those belonging to the economically lower strata of the society and these children suffer from cancer, thalassemia, and even acute deformities.”

Though most of the cases that the foundation caters to are based out of the NCR region, it also provides financial aid to children based out of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana.

“This year, we will also be working in Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune,” says Sagar.

“The foundation also associates with Can Kids, Thalassemia society of India and Handicapped Society for Children of India,” he said.

The foundation also organises other events for charity, including CEO’s Got Talent, CEO Chefs, Share a Smile and Jadavgarh Music Festival in Pune. “This year’s CEO’s Got Talent, Mumbai, was judged by Mahesh Bhatt, Raveena Tandon, and Raj Nayak (CEO, Colors) and the one at Delhi was judged by Neha Dhupia, Mahesh Bhatt, Raj Nayak,” informs Sagar.

With a line up of 10 indie bands and artist, the first day of the festival featured splendid performances by The Barefaced Liar, Do Dost, Sufi Collectives by Sonam Kalra and Kutle Khan, Whirling Kalapas and Swarathama.

While The Barefaced Liar rolled out some rock and roll tunes that were much inspired by the blues and metal bands, the Sufi Collectives crooned a fusion of traditionally Rajasthani Classical music with western music, that offered glimpses of jazz with songs such as ‘Hallelujah’ and a typically folk tune like ‘Hussan walo se Allah Bachaye’.

“It’s always a brilliant felling to play at this festival as it helps you experiment with so many genres of music, fusion especially,” says Kutle Khan, who is performing at the festival for the second time.

Helmed beautifully with the flavours of the good-old blues, rock and roll and traditional tunes, the festival offered a huge spectrum of creative and indie music to the audience.

And all that for a social cause!

The second day of the festival will feature performances by Rabbi Shergill, The Supersonics, Suneeta Rao, Akshay Deodhar and The Disparrows from 3:30 pm onwards at the Baikunth Resorts.