'Ban on live gigs is a cop out'

'Ban on live gigs is a cop out'

More government-sponsored events and platforms for artistes can earn Bangalore the culture capital tag, says Bruce Lee Mani, founder member, guitarist and vocalist of Bangalore band Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ)

Gurudarshan Somayaji

Ban is a weak solution
No distinction is made between people like us and bands that play in 'shady' joints in this city. There is a blanket ban on live music. Our fundamental right to express ourselves is being curtailed here. At the same time, the ban is probably the only way our stretched, understaffed and perhaps inefficient police force can maintain order in the late hours of the night. There are other arguments as well – the safest thing to do is to populate the streets at night, rather than de-populate them. This holds true in a city like Mumbai where many establishments function through the night.
We need more platforms
There is talk of Bangalore losing its identity, of about Kannadigas losing their identity. But, where is the platform for any kind of art, be it Indian or Western? At the few platforms available, music doesn't get enough exposure. The government has to take concrete steps to protect and promote culture rather than ban this and that. Local art is not being encouraged enough. I play with Carnatic and Hin dustani musicians who perform at weddings. What kind of events are those? These are serious artistes who need a platform to perform. The solution is not to protest. We need to be smart and find ways to beat the ban. There is a growing English-speaking populace in the city creating a lot of western influence, but it is not right to say that this influence is subverting Indian culture. One has to encourage learning from different cultures.
Space for everyone
We need to have festivals, programmes that are attractive to the English speaking-audience. Rather than complain about youngsters adopting western culture, the government should think of ways to reach out to them. Events have to be projected as being cool –you don't have to dilute it, but do it the right way. There is space for everything — Western, Carnatic, Hindustani and fusion; there is an audience for everything. There has to be an atmosphere created where all can flourish. Every month there has to be a festival and when that culture kicks in, there will be space for everything.
Government-sponsored events
Privately-organised events rely heavily on sponsors, who bring in the funding as well as their agenda to the event. This makes it a more corporate event than a cultural one. The way out is to have at least one government-sponsored event a month at the city's numerous performance spaces. The government has the resources for it. But someone efficient and sincere has to handle it.
Public-private partnerships
In the race to protect our identity, we are actually losing it. What gave Bangalore the tag of IT capital? A few companies set shop, started work and made money. That's how it's done. There was a time when Bangalore was called the 'rock' capital. It doesn't exist anymore. A public private partnership will definitely help in creating a culture capital, and it is the way forward. If they can build roads with these partnerships, they can create infrastructure for entertainment too. Someone has to initiate it.