Indiecision: Music Blog: Independent Music in India and Elsewhere

LIVE EARTH INDIA CANCELLED

Live Earth India, which was scheduled for Dec 7, 2008 has been officially cancelled given the recent events in Mumbai.

According to an official statement

Everyone involved with Live Earth India, from our U.S.- and India-based staff, artists and crew to our India-based broadcast, production, non-profit and marketing communications partners, is stunned and saddened by the tragic events of the past few days in our host city Mumbai. We always felt very welcomed and safe as we spent more time on the ground in Mumbai to finalize plans for Live Earth India, scheduled for December 7.

Due to circumstances far beyond our control, we are saddened to announce that Live Earth India has been cancelled. We will continue to work for solutions to the climate crisis for the good of the people of India and around the world. But for now, our thoughts and our prayers are with the victims of this terrible attack, with the bereaved, with the people of Mumbai and with everyone in India.

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Information on getting refunds for tickets already purchased to Live Earth India will be available via liveearth.org next week so please check back.

So that’s the story folks. The gig would’ve seen Roger Waters, Anoushka Shankar, will.i.am and Bon Jovi share the stage with prominent Indian celebrities and no Indian indie act save Jalebee Cartel.

The situation in Mumbai has also seen the indefinite postponement of the Mumbai Jazz Utsav and the cancellation of the Jethro Tull-Anoushka Shankar gig scheduled to be held in the city tonight.

MUMBAI JAZZ UTSAV POSTPONED

Given what’s happened in Mumbai, the Mumbai Jazz Utsav has been postponed. New dates haven’t been announced yet.

Scheduled to play at the Jazz Utsav were

Friday, Nov 28th
7 pm: Henk Muetgeert Band [Netherlands]
8 pm: François Bourassa, featuring Jeanne Rochette [Canada]
9 pm: Harri Strojka [Austria]

Saturday, Nov 29th
6 pm: The Louiz Banks Matrix Band [India]
7 pm: Honor Heffernan [Ireland]
8 pm: Southern Quartet [Germany, India, Holland]
9 pm: The Ploctones [Netherlands]

Sunday, Nov 30th
6 pm: Wojciech Konikiewicz [Poland]
7 pm: Thomas Siffling Trio [Germany]
8 pm: Hot Club de Norvege [Norway]
9 pm: Saskia Laroo [Netherlands]

More details as they come in.

Also, five points to anyone who identifies the woman on the Jazz Utsav website header?

OPETH CONFIRMED TO PLAY AT IIT-MADRAS

Swedish death metal act Opeth have (finally) been confirmed as the headlining act at IIT-Madras’ annual cultural festival Saarang.

Once called by Village Voice the ‘Sigur Ros of Scandinavian Death Metal’, rumours of Opeth’s gig at Chennai started building up earlier this month. The band is now confirmed to play at the festival on the Jan 25, 2009.

Earlier this year Scottish band Glyder played at IIT-Kanpur, while IIT-Bombay will play host to Finnish metal act Ensiferum this December at Mood Indigo. Engineers have peculiar tastes in music.

PEACE, LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING

The day I bought The Masterplan tape at half price at the Sony Music discount stall at Malhar 2001, I decided to give the music careful consideration on my walkman while walking down the Gateway of India seaface. With chocolate truffles from La Patiserie, the pastry shop at the Taj hotel.

The truffles at La Pat were an indulgence I could rarely afford. But since I’d saved sixty bucks on the (second best) Oasis tape, I figured it was worth the expense.

And it was. For the music, and the sweetness. It made me want to be here despite the shit around.

I liked that feeling.