THE 8 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
happens every year at christmas time , and also marks 2 years for us ot opus.
this is the 3rd edition of the festival and will feature some great acts national and international acts, karaoke nights along with a flea market that has all things colourful and chrismassy!
band profiles are listed below
Sat 17-Dec: entry rs 149/-
Rajeev Raja with ‘Ash- Jazz , funk , rock
Sun 18-Dec: entry rs 149/-
Thermal & a Quarter - LUNCH-Alt rock
Old Jungle Saying, Maximum Pudding, Samira & Anoopa, Open Jam - rock
World space live -(jazz / fusion)
Charlie Mariano - Soprano, Alto, tenor Sax
Mike Herting – Keyboards
T.A.S Mani – Mridangam Ramamani - Vocals, Konnakol
Keith Peters – Bass
Ranjit Barot - Drums
Ramesh Shottam - percussion
Amit Heri - guitar
Wed 21-Dec: entry rs 99/-
Priya Mendens & Gerard Machado Network- jazz.
the Higher Iyer Show- Comedy , Nonsensense
Fri 23-Dec: entry rs 149/-
Anushka Manchanda - Rock, indipop
Sat 24-Dec: entry rs 149/-
Sun 25-Dec: entry free
Rumours - CHRISTMAS LUNCH -Golden Oldies
Sun 18th,25th: entry rs 99/-
Krismas KroaKnights
A product of Bishop Cotton's School and St Joseph's College, Bangalore, Rajeev is acknowledged as India's most exciting Jazz and Fusion flautist.His influences include Ian Anderson, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Hubert Laws and Herbie Mann amongst flautists and Chick Corea, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, John Mclaughlin,Weather Report amongst others.He demonstrates amazing versatility in his flute playing ranging from the throaty growls to mellow jazz solos and intrictate exposition of Indian ragas.Rajeev has recently started a Indian Fusion and World Music band in Mumbai called India Chapter.
The band played its first concert in Mumbai recently to rave reviews.Rajeev has also directed the music for his first Bollywood film, Bas Yunhi.
Rajeev's band Colossus inaugurated Bangalore's first ever Jazz Yatra in the eighties.
For him the yatra goes on.
Thermal And A Quarter
(TAAQ to the impatient and the familiar) is a prolific, innovative and genre-busting rock band that embodies the part-global, part-local spirit of Bangalore in its music and attitude. For nearly ten years, TAAQ has performed hundreds of concerts in Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi and Pondicherry. Among the highlights in TAAQ's career was opening for Deep Purple in Bangalore (2001), being the first Indian rock band to be featured on National Public Radio's 'All Things Considered' (2004) and independently releasing three albums -- Thermalandaquarter.com (2000), Jupiter Cafe (2002) and Plan B (2004). Plan B was released for complimentary download on the band's website www.thermalandaquarter.comTAAQ is: Bruce Lee Mani (guitars, vocals), Rzhude (Bass, vocals), Rajeev Rajagopal (Drums) and Sunil Chandy (Keyboard, Guitar)At this special concert at Opus, TAAQ features DAVID PASCAL, the electrifying vocalist from Chennai, who will perform TAAQ favourites in his inimitable style.
Old Jungle Saying, Maximum Pudding, Samira & Anoopa, Open Jam
Samira Mohammed ,Shankarshan Kini & Anoopa Anand
Samira Mohamed, best known for her Pop/ Rock style that covers a range of artists from Sheryl Crow and Tracy Chapman to Van Halen and The Police. She is also the front woman of Progressive Rock band Clockwork Orange. As a Solo artist she has a wide range of music in her repertoire, from new hits to the classics.
Anoopa anand will perform a few songs with hook as well.
Maximum pudding
Arfaz :drums/ vocals, avijit: keys, nate :sax, abhi :guitar
Old Jungle Saying
A bunch of experimental, wise, improbably funky, groovy love kamikazes, Old Jungle Saying is based in one of the lazy layouts of the southern city of Bangalore, India. Influenced by the likes of Primus, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Faith No More, Infectious Grooves and a whole lot of other bands whose genealogy is hard to trace, Old Jungle Saying serves up sumptuous slabs of psychedelic funk, held in place by the riotous rhythm section of Sandeep Madhavan (bass) and Greg Hamra on drums. As they steer the mothership through the murky, quirky guitars of Mel D'Mello and the spaced-out funkiness emanating from resident hippie Avijit Michael, the charismatic gurgling of Aditya Menon can be heard calling the faithful from above the rarified groove.
With lyrics inhabited by the likes of ticked-off monkeys, generous ghosts and Faye Dunaway while still managing to cast a jaundiced eye on the world, a rhythm section that stops, turns and whistles on a dime, guitar licks that weave through without a scratch, quivering keys and vocals that preach and prattle, Old Jungle Saying is here to tickle your funny bone while punching you in the gut.
Sandeep Madhavan: Bass, Aditya Menon: Vocals, Mel D’Mello: Guitars ,Avijit Michael: Keyboards, Greg Hamra: Drums
WORLD SPACE LIVE ( BY INVITE ONLY)
Charlie Mariano:
Born Nov. 11, 1923 , Boston Studied music at Berklee College of Music, Boston Lives in Cologne, Germany.
Charlie Mariano is far more than an internationally successful saxophonist; he has been listed amongst the legends of the trade for a long time: The musician, born on Nov. 11, 1923, began his career as early as 1941 as a co-musician in professional show bands and worked with quite a number of jazz icons during his further career. If you want to visualise the actual duration of his active life, you just have to become aware of the fact that Mariano is one of the last contemporary witnesses of the bebop era. For example, he worked with Stan Kenton, Dizzy Gillespie, but also with McCoy Tyner during the 50s. In 1962, he played with Charles Mingus and accompanied him on the album The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady. During the late 60s, he played with Astrud Gilberto. At the beginning of the 70s, he spent several months in India to study a South-Indian wind instrument, the nagaswaram. His cooperation with Indian musicians, for example with the project Bangalore (INT 3246 2), continues until this day. His involvement with the United Jazz & Rock Ensemble, in Jasper van’t Hof’s Pork Pie (e.g. Operanoia, INT 3158 2) show his ability to integrate as well as his individuality.
However, Charlie Mariano did not lend his unique sound to jazz or so-called world music productions alone; since the beginning of the 80s, renowned representatives of popular music (e.g. Nena, Konstantin Wecker, Herbert Groenemeyer and many others) also have called him when an expressive saxophone was needed. You can in fact assume that practically everyone in these parts has already listened to his play, either consciously or unconsciously. The secret of his success is certainly his enormous versatility, in addition to his instrumental virtuosity and his original, distinctive sound that has its origin in Mariano’s constant openness and curiosity towards any kind of musical style and form.
Mr.T.A.S. Mani & Mrs. R.A. Ramamani- Kamataka College of percussion:
T.A.S. Mani, a disciple of C.K. Ayyamani Iyer who had his training under Palakkad Subba Iyer along with Palakkad Mani Iyer, is a leading mridanga vidwan as well as a popular teacher. He is a staff artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan in Bangalore. He has a percussion ensemble of his own called Tala Tarangini which has been featured in many prestigious national and international percussion festivals. He and his wife Ramamani regularly participate in jazz festivals abroad along with Western jazz musicians. Mani is as well the founder-principal of the Karnataka College of Percussion. He teaches at the Bangalore University also. Mani has received many awards. The latest PAC award is in recognition of his contribution to the elevation of the status of percussive arts in the field of music. KCP has performed in Asia, Australia, Europe and America. Mrs. Ramamani is the vice-president of KCP and is vocalist of high standard and standing, performing artist, teacher and composer. She sings with spontaneity and mastery over rhythm and melody, and specialises in vocal improvisations, complex rhythmic patterns and konnakol, a type of percussion language. She is the first female artist to achieve distinction in singing a composition simultaneously set to two different rhythm cycles. She has boldly experimented with western forms of music and has written seven melodic and rhythmic experimental compositions. She is the first female Carnatic classical musician in India to sing with national and international jazz band. She is also a lecturer at Institute of Choreography Bangalore.
Mike Herting:
Mike herting, keyboard player, arranger, composer and producer is a prolific musicican and has been featured in many great albums, and bands like Acoustic Alchemy. Mike is based in Germany.
Ranjit Barot:
Ranjit Barot is one of India’s best drummers and was part of the pioneering fusion project in the eighties by Ramamani titled Citylights - Sangam.
Keith Peters:
Much sought after bassist by producers and music directors like AR Rehman, Keith Peters has featured in many jazz concerts in India.
Ramesh Shottam:
Percussionist and drummer Ramesh Shottam has performed at various international festivals. To mention a few: Berlin Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Festival of Perth, Buk Festival in South Korea, Montreal Jazz Festival, Jazz Yatra Festival in India and Festival of India in Australia and China, and at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia.Shotham's work with musicians such as Carla Bley, Steve Coleman, Steve Swallow, Jonas Hellborg, Charlie Mariano, Sigi Schwab, Ronan Guilfoyle and a host of others is well documented. Over the years he also founded his own formations like Bhavani and Madras Special.
Amit Heri:
Guitar player Amit heri is Bangalore’s prolific jazz guitar player and has played withy Trilok Gurtu in major jazz festivals around the world.
The Gerard Machado Network
The Gerard Machado Network features talented and accomplished musicians.
Gerard Machado, an accomplished and versatile guitarist, blends the styles of many legendary jazz, rock and blues guitarists to bring alive a distinct style of his own. He has experimented with different genres of music with famous musician in India and abroad. He is a fine composer and has scored music for a number of films. He has to his name albums such as Clean Licks, Touch another Life, Spectrum and also has recorded gospel music. He has also performed at several Jazz Yatras in India and abroad.
Paul Santiago, a Bangalore boy, moved to Europe in the eighties and was influenced by Brazilian and Spanish guitarists. He became a professional musician after migrating to Australia and has recorded and performed with numerous bands in Australia and India. He is currently working on a fusion music project in Bangalore.
Yogendra “Tillu” Hule, is the young, vibrant and talented drummer of the group. Tillu has a firm grounding in music and has evolved into one of the finest jazz drummers in the country. A recent stint in Australia has earned him admission into the Australian College of Music.
K N Prakash, has been playing music with several Jazz, Fusion and Progressive Rock bands in Bangalore over the last 6 years. He is greatly influenced by Jaco Pastorious and Stanley Clark, imbibing their techniques in his own style. He is also inspired by the music of Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Dizzy Gillespie.
Priya Mendens
The only thing one can say about Priya Mendens is that if you haven’t seen her perform you’ve missed something. She shouldn’t be here … she should be jamming on Bourbon Street with an entire brass ensemble backing her. As far as jazz and blues go you can search …the chances are you may not find.
A freelance graphic designer, she is also an accomplished theatre personality having enthralled audiences with her performances in Kiss of the Spiderwoman in Mumbai, Grease, Fiddler on the Roof and Hello Dolly.
Together The Gerard Machado Network spells magic!
Kartik Iyer
Just another funny guy, definitely not. Kartik Iyer is a Loyola lad from Chennai. Currently living in Bangalore, he works in advertising by day and decides to quit everyday by night. Kartik was actively involved in Chennai’s theatre scene. Having worked with theatre groups like Madras Players, Masquerade and Boardwalkers he has acted in over 26 productions in 8 years. (Biloxi Blues, Dance Like a man, Art, Monty Python- kind of stuff). Kartik has also performed in Bangalore at Black Coffee’s theatre festival ’04. Playing the lead role in Dancing on glass directed by Preetam Koilpillai.
Kartik has always had a keen interest in stand up comedy. Forever gaping at performances by Jerry Lewis, Richard Pryor, Mike Myers, Chris Rock, Ali G, Robin Williams and Jerry Seinfeld. Anyway after many drunk nights and loud banter he’s decided to give it a shot at his own comedy.
And for those of you who come to opus regularly, he’s the guy who sings Pettai Rap and translates English songs into Tamil, instantly! Welcome to the Higher Iyer Show.
Anushka Manchanda
Anushka was discovered in a talent hunt held all over India. She was chosen as a member of the band Viva that was formed from the reality television show Popstars. This band rocked the country with their two hit albums to their name (VIVA and VIVA RELOADED).Post the split of the band Anushka has worked for Channel V as a VJ & has hosted many popular shows like on the run, first day first show, junglee jukebox, launchpad, pop diaries,etc.Currently, she is doing lot of solo shows around the country and abroad as a performer as well as a host for live and corporate events.Anushka has sung for films as well in several languages including hindi,english,tamil and telelgu for music directors like sandeep chowta, yuvan shankar raja,chakri,and jeet (from jeet-preetam),and has also sung for jingles,the latest on air being the diet pepsi add.
She appears in a short anti drug documentary and has worked as a model on ramp as well as shoot. She also writes the music review section for the popular teen magazine seventeen.
She also performs with ex viva member Mahua and is in the process of compiling her first solo album.
Carlton Braganza
Carlton Braganza is easily Bangalore's most charismatic and energetic entertainer, with a voice that mesmerises! His repertoire spans jazz, rock, pop, country, reggae and western classical. A quintessential party animal, his joie de vivre is infectious and it is impossible not get caught in the rhythm of his music. Opus, a patch of Goa right in the middle of Bangalore is Carlton’s creation. He is also responsible for creating a warm yet energized space for musicians and music lovers to come together and feed off their love for music.
FLEA MARKET
Dhakshini:
Dhakshini has been in the antique furniture business for the past twenty years; mainly focusing it’s efforts on restoration and revival of age-old furniture to suit modern homes. (This would basically cover pillars, doors, door frames, four poster beds, chaise lounge divans, chairs, desks etc., all from our great grand father’s era. If not older.)
But this time, Dhakshini’s exhibition at Opus will feature certain unique items that are bound to tickle anyone’s imagination. While yes, you will get a fair introduction to the well appreciated pillars and door frames from Dhakshini, but be sure to be fascinated by many old wooden artifacts that have reincarnated themselves to suit your modern home.
The exhibition features an eclectic variety of pieces. Be it Candle holders made from spoon stands, carved boxes and pedestals. Or intricately carved pillar capitals used to create shelves and candle bases. The exhibition will open your mind to a whole new world of possibilities when it comes to using antiques. One look at the doorframe mirrors or shelves and you’ll know exactly what we are talking about. Other pieces to watch out for are the grill tables which are a fabulous fusion of metal and wood to give your coffee table book the perfect place to rest on. The Dhakshini exhibition will also feature a few old clocks and stone based artifacts.
Arty craft:
an eco friendly outlet of arts and crafts
Levitate:
encompasses a wide array of products from around the country. The style is boho chic and the products entail apparel, silver and alternative jewellery, hand rafted kitch and a whole load of life and style accessories.
Swadeshi:
The Swadeshi Store is really the one-stop shop for furnishing and accessories. Bright light, filtering through a range of colours, colourful cottons, and aesthetic spacing lift your spirit as you enter the store. The cotton furnishing you find here is more than just soft and comfortable. It is also eco-friendly, with the swadeshi tag making the ware more appealing.
The store has a wide range of accessories that go with the cotton furnishing. One can find hand-made wooden products such as napkin rings, soap trays, coaster sets, spice jars in pearl, melamine, glossy, and matte finishes. There are cushion covers, table linen, hammocks, beanbags, shopping bags, and even kimonos. Rich and vivid colours, easy, ready-made combination checks, and a helpful shop assistant are the attractions at Swadeshi
One G:
Jewellery & other accessories from designer Mariam Handa
Sheila Venkatachalam:
african art & xmas decorations
in addition to everything there are Santa hats, xmas trees, poinsettia and lots of exciting xmas goodies
Contact for reservations : 080-23442580
