Mumbai: Music maestro A R Rahman and Phat Phish have launched a new reality show called The Big Band.
The music band hunt will be telecast on Doordarshan endeavors to give ethnic and contemporary musicians a credible platform with which to showcase their talent as well as allow India to discover sounds that will enliven its hopes, dreams and aspirations. This show is based on an indigenous format and will provide a platform for nurturing and building musical talent across languages and the broad genres of ethnic, regional and contemporary music. Spanning the seven Asian countries of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka, this reality show aims to create Indian television and webcast history by all measures of budget, viewership, regional breadth and diversity. The show will be presented as a travelogue through Rahman's eyes as he journeys across fifteen cities of India in search of new talent. Rahman, said, "The Big Band is a truly unique stage which gives local bands a chance to dive deep into their true artistic depth and create original music which transcends language and that is universally accessible. We want to present to India and the world at large the story behind what forms and binds a band and how they can be mentored to become world class talent." Phat Phish chairman Anand Surapur said, "We think the timing is right for people to be exposed to a wider choice. There is an unbelievable amount of talent available and it is just a matter of bringing it out, nurturing it and presenting it to be recognized. We have constantly endeavored to promote music that emote the sounds which are heartbeat of India and this band hunt is our next step in this direction". The main selection criterion for The Big Band is the participant's ability to create original and distinctive music. To participate in The Big Band, bands must have between 2 and 10 band members with at least one lead singer and must submit three tunes. The first tune has to be an original interpretation of a popular bollywood, folk or regional piece. The second tune has to be based on the band's interpretation of A R Rahman's especially composed melody for the show which will be released on 24 October. Additionally, the bands that also submit one of their original compositions will have an advantage in the selection process. Short listed bands will be invited to the first stage audition where they will be asked to perform any of the three pieces that the judges ask them to play. For information on rules and requirements for entry submissions bands can logon to: www.bigbandindia.com. The band that wins this talent hunt will get a three-year recording contract with Phat Phish Records which includes end-to-end artist management, upto three albums and six music videos, tours and concerts on the national and international stage and ultimately a chance to get mentoring from leading music industry luminaries. The top bands also get prizes (including cash) worth Rs one crore awarded proportionately through a 'pyramid' structure. The last date for receipt of applications is 15 November. http://www.businessofcinema.com/news.php?newsid=10345&page=2 Naveen
