National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), the expansive white structure located on Palace Road, exudes a certain kind of warmth that not many government-owned cultural spaces do. It extends an invitation to a passer-by to come and discover its treasure trove of modern art. Bengaluru’s artscape deserved an institution of this stature and it took some effort on the part of cultural fraternity to convince then Chief Minister JH Patel about it. What took longer was the selection of a building. But finally, the sprawling Manikyavelu Mansion was chosen for the task. Architect Naresh Narasmihan restored this colonial style 90 year-old structure, which once belonged to Raja Manikyavelu Mudaliar, a Mysuru royalty and also added a new gallery block in harmony with its existing aesthetics. NGMA Bengaluru opened its doors in 2009 with Sobha Nambisan as its first director.

With all its greenery, the three-and-a-half acre campus is nothing less than an oasis. After you are done with seeing the massive collection on display or an ongoing exhibition, you can sit under its myriad Ashokas, sandalwood, raintrees, banyan to catch a breath of fresh air. Soak in the beauty of the place sitting on stone benches near the mirror pool. For a visitor, there is so much to experience besides the art display.

“I think, it is the best NGMA in the country. Its warm inviting appeal, the kind of events which happen here, make it a beautiful place,” says SG Vasudev, senior artist who was one of the few who rallied for NGMA’s counterparts in Bengaluru. The other two NGMAs are located in Delhi and Mumbai.

NGMA houses a permanent collection of more than 500 art works. Raja Ravi Varma, Amrita Sher-Gil, Rabindranath Tagore, Jamini Roy and other seminal names comprise the collection charting the trajectory of modernism in Indian art.

“I felt intimidated by art till I came here. I thought, I can never understand art and you need to have knowledge about it before you walk into a gallery. But here, it is different. You can get a glimpse of the evolution of Indian art,” feels Sumati R, a banker who lives in Vasanth Nagar. The art reference library, auditorium, cafeteria, sculpture garden and museum shop are other highlights of the structure.

Its permanent collection aside, it regularly hosts exhibitions of the artists from the country and across the world. Walk throughs, workshops, panel discussions, retrospectives and major career surveys of artists are regularly held here. Transforming into a cultural hub, it also hosts film screenings, other performing and cultural arts festivals. One can hope to catch rare documentaries on Rembrandt, or a famous Iranian film by Majid Majidi or just walk into a celebration of any kind.

NGMA is located at 49, Palace Road.

Entry ticket – Rs. 20

For more details visit www.ngmaindia.gov.in.)

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Art / by Shailaja Tripathi / December 11th, 2017

The news that India’s YouTube superstars, pop-rock band SANAM recently performed at the re-launch of an old-time favourite hotspot in Bengaluru has been making the rounds over the past few days. But not many people know that the four-piece ensemble’s bass guitarist Venkat Subramaniyam (aka Venky) was a Josephite, who lived in Bengaluru from 2005-2014. In a casual conversation with Bangalore Times, brothers Sanam and Samar Puri, Keshav Dhanraj and Venky let us in on their momo-eating spree in the city, their favourite artsites from the 90s Indipop genre and the latest #SANAMorginal Itni Door . Excerpts:

Momos in Bengaluru
“We have a strong connect with Bengaluru, as Venky is from this city. It’s always nice to be back here. We have friends in the city, and no matter how much time we get to spend here, we know that it’s going to be a fun experience,” says lead vocalist Sanam. “I had brought Sanam and Samar to Bengaluru many years ago. Back then, we had some fun time taking part in karaoke competitions. The city always has a chilled-out vibe which is appealing,” says Venky, who has studied at St. Joseph’s College of Commerce.

Cut to their latest trip to the city, the ‘foodie’ bandmates were busy sampling different varieties of momos here. “From pan-fried mushroom and corn momos to the ones with chocolate fillings, we tasted some very interesting options here this time,” says Sanam, who has recently turned a vegan. Meanwhile, lead guitarist Samar loved drinking coffee in the city.

Renditions, not remixes
The remix of an old song is often associated with electronic beats, which sometimes sound noisy. “The reason we call our music renditions of old numbers and not remixes is because we try to keep the soul of the song, which is the lyrics and melody, alive throughout. We just style it according to our sound set,” says Sanam. Adding to that, drummer Keshav says, “We work on the instrument paths all over again and recreate the entire song, without changing its original feel and essence.”

Choosing a good song
“We never really discuss among ourselves or within our family that these are the old songs we listen to and that these can be recreated. Our first rendition Lag Ja Gale , for instance, was a song that somehow all of us had heard of, and we knew that it’s a famous and beautiful number. We then tried playing it and singing along, and realized that it’s working for us. It matches the kind of influences we have, the kind of music we listen to and the compositions we make. So, that’s the process. But again, we do filter a lot of songs before finalizing one,” says Sanam.

“Also, most of the old songs are owned by music labels. There can be copyright issues, because we have a channel and things are monetized. There is a method of doing this. It is necessary to get the required permissions ahead of composing the rendition and making a music video with it,” explains Venky, adding, “A lot of thinking also goes into creating song sets while we are touring with our music. In South Africa, for example, people love the songs by Mohd Rafi, so we would add more of that.”

Indipop inspirations
“The songs of Kailasa by Kailash Kher had made a huge influence on me,” says Samar. Meanwhile, the band Junoon and Punjabi songs by Daler Mehndi were Venky’s favourite. The independent music scene of the 90s in India greatly influenced these self-taught artistes, as none of them have received any formal training in music. So, how difficult or easy is it for an artiste to make it big? “It depends on the individual, actually. For me, the level of curiosity and interest is always high when I am learning things on my own. It’s a bigger drive than what I would get sitting in a classroom,” says Samar.

Making music for films

“Currently, we are more focused on our YouTube channel, which has close to three million subscribers, and are not actively pursuing making music for films. A lot of people are following us, and we really want to give our best. The business model for musicians, especially the independent artistes, is changing due to the digital platform. It gives you the freedom to put out your ideas and craft for the audience directly,” says Keshav.

Orginals
“We had started off planning to make originals, but our focus shifted to renditions. With Itni Door just out, viewers are demanding more original tracks. We are currently working on a few, which are likely to be released next year,” Sanam sums up.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> Cities> Bangalore / by Reema Gowalla /  TNN / December 11th, 2017