SAARC bands festival

Classical, folk. Ghazals, filmi geet. Jazz, rock. What you want is what you get in the spoilt-for-choice Capital.

Now lend your ears to a cross-border medley. Over the next three days, India’s neighbours get their acts together at the first-ever SAARC (South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation) bands fest.

Pashto and Farsi tunes, set to the strains of the guitar and violin. Soulful sufi and Baul, fused with the beats of the drum. Or plain ol’ heavy metal, with eastern influences.

Nov 30: Delhi’s own Advaita opens, with its cool combo of sarangi, tabla and guitar. The 3-member Bangla Folk Fusion Band, from Bangladesh, sings sufi-inspired folk, mixed with pop, jazz and rock, next. And then, swing to Pakistani heart-throbs Strings.

Dec 1: Sway to the heavy metal riffs of Sri Lankan Stigmata, in their maiden concert in India. Next up is Indian Ocean, with its confluence of Indian classical and intense rock.

Dec 2: Ten-member Afghan band, Aryan, makes its international debut. The 20-somethings who ‘rearrange’ Afghan folk music with modern sounds got together five years ago, in the post-Taliban era. Jam to the home-grown Midival Punditz’ s electronica and Shankar Ehsaan Loy’s carnatic-and-western rock groove. And to Nepal’s Abhaya and the Steam Injuns, with their collection of ten very-popular-back-home songs.

Come, be part of cross-border solidarity.

SAARC Bands Festival 2007, Nov 30-Dec 2, 4.00 p.m. on daily at the Central Park, C P. New Delhi.