The finals of the 'Reinventmusic: Battle of the Bands', which was held recently at the UB City amphitheatre, witnessed a great deal of musical talent — exclusively from school kids.
The competition, which is the brainchild of four students at Mallya Aditi International School, seeks to provide a competitive platform for school bands. A whopping 16 bands participated in it, out of which eight qualified for the finals.
Each qualifying band showcased a variety of numbers and since there was no restriction on genre, the line-up for the evening included a medley of varied tunes — ranging from Bollywood, to fusion, the blues and even 80s classics. The students were given the option of showcasing their own compositions or covers and most chose a combination of both.
The audience comprised mostly of school children, who had come to cheer their bands, as well as a few proud parents who were busy taking pictures.
'Ceasefire', the band from Mallya Aditi International School, received quite a round of applause for their rendition of 'Knocking on Heaven's Door'. The others groups which qualified for the finals included 'cROCKchets' — a five-member band of 13-year-olds who brought the house down with their performance — 'Bliss Therapy' from Trio World School and 'EVOL', from Christ Junior College. The evening also included a performance by popular band 'Agam', which brought the crowd to its feet.
The band of 'Head Start' played a combination of classical and more modern tunes. Apart from a solo on the keyboard, they also dedicated a rendition of 'The Final Countdown' to their parents, who grew up in the 80s. They followed this with another original composition, called 'Branches of a Tree' — so named, the band explained, since they composed it a year ago and it keeps evolving.
The piece was a fusion of ragas with a touch of classic rock. The manner in which the players blended the beats of the drums and the tabla was particularly great to hear. They finished off their stint on the stage with A R Rahman's Bharat Humko Jaan Se Pyara, which had the crowd humming along.
Eventually, 'EVOL' stole the show and emerged as the winners of the competition. 'cROCKchets' came in a close second, while the third place was a tie between 'Vortex' and 'Bliss Therapy'.