Fireflies...

A big thank you to Zainab and Kiran for telling me about this event and a sorry to the malu gang for not taking into account their being there from 6.00 p.m. and sitting right in front of them, literally on the stage!
I am hoping people on the fireflies group could help me supplement this article with photos, videos about this event.
As I waited in the long queue outside, I could faintly hear Shabnam Virmani read out kabir. At that time I could not understand why was some one speaking so long at a music concert! I guess that is the charm of Fireflies, it not only had great music but also great poetry. There was random dancing,spontaneous jigs and some awesome performances. I think,I saw and heard more than 23 musical instruments. As I got to the amphitheatre which was flowing with people, smell of good food,drink and smoke wafted through. People were hanging out in comfortable groups, some had come prepared with pillows, and chattais. 'It's like Goa!', My friend exclaimed. There were all age groups of people there.
Moments of note, memories for life
the audience doing their bit in picking up the garbage around the amphitheatre.
Hotel california played as farewell.
'Iris' crooned by two St. Joseph's college students as sunlight touched the banyan tree and the water behind the venue became visible. (hey rini they played halleluiah after that, gosh I missed you.)
The fujara flute and banjo.
Low rhyderz hip hop,rap and reggae's political statements unfortunately could not be heard in the muffled sound system. However as I was close to the stage, I could hear the tamborine their band mate had with its river like sound. Its such a ooh instrument!
I wish the vayalli goup could have performed in the silence of the morning, their personal composition with the bamboo instruments was mesmerising.
The crowd reacting to the qawali, Bharat sargam and group, the energy, rummaging through notes behind suitcase cover hit the chord with the audience, who didn't want them to leave the stage.again the 2nd lead singer seemed miffed by the mike.
Prakash sontakke and group's jugalbandi was superb, especially the drummer and the table notes being sung in tandem.
Lounge Pirhana's alternative rock,as they choose to play only peaceful music!!..Gosh they awesome.... the lady rocker2...
now I am not sure if I liked hulivesha, cause I don't think a traditional dance form can be directed by one person.(which seemed lacking in synchronisation) But I was engaged with the main lion cradling the necks of all its cubs...The amphitheatre setting with its height made it seem 4real..
I loved the ambience of the place...The fact that we were cribbing
about no night life....but celebrating it!! The fact that music has no
language barriers, As the main artist of the Vayalli group said he
didn't know English,he was cheered on....bilingualism...freedom of expression...youth finding new methods of connection, discussion forums,anonymity,randomness, beauty,art,music,...outside the realms of syllabus,structures ability to connect to other students, peer to peer networks,demanding, stakeholders,dynamic process of knowledge production, people were talking and sharing....
all in talk at the workshop on Saturday and through being engaged in this activity enthusiastic about the Pathways we taking....

however the icing on the cake, was bumping into Girsih Karnad ji on
the drive back home!!!!
--