20 Greatest International Concerts at Rang Bhavan

From Sonny Rollins to  Dizzy Gillespie, Stephane Grappelli, Herbie Hancock, Betty Carter, Stan Getz, Jethro Tull, The Police, Boomtown Rats, Uriah Heep, Wishbone Ash, everyone performed at Mumbai’s Rang Bhavan. As it gets pulled down because of outdoor concert noise restrictions, and as Independence Rock, which was born and bred here, moves to a new location this year, we look back at some of the greatest international concerts that took place at Rang Bhavan in the 25 years that it was in the international music spotlight.

The dress code varied, depending on the genre. If it was an Indian classical show, kurtas and sarees were the norm. For jazz, the audience turned up in smart casuals or semi-formals, with a few suits spotted here and there. For a rock concert, one would see an assortment of black tees, with images of skulls and names like Iron Maiden, Metallica and Pink Floyd sprawled across.

The listeners for these three genres had different personalities, different ideas of what good music meant. But they all agreed on one thing: Rang Bhavan had its own charm. For years till a complaint was filed that it fell under a silence zone, the open-air amphitheater set up in the late 1950s was like a second home for many music buffs. Initially known for hosting Indian classical music and dance recitals, and some plays and important functions, it became a favorite for international music since the first Jazz Yatra was held in 1978.

The Yatra became a favorite draw, but soon, international rock bands began performing there too. The show by what was then considered the British New Wave rock band, The Police in 1980 helped spread the word that ‘Bombay’ had a concert-friendly venue. The other festival that people identified Rang Bhavan with was Independence Rock, held every year from 1986 to 2003. It also became a popular arena for fusion concerts.

Being in the heart of south Mumbai, and within walking distance of CST railway station, the place was easily accessible. It was located on a lane next to St Xavier’s College, and one hears stories of people jumping off the wall to gain entry or dodge the security if they were ticketless or carrying illegal substances. While rows of chairs would be placed for jazz and classical fans, the rock aficionados stood through the concert, or found a place on the railings. In one corner outside the main performance area, a group of women in nine-yard sarees sold vada-pav and chai. There was that distinct Rang Bhavan flavour all over the place.

To go back in time, we thought of listing down 20 of the best international music shows held at the venue. From jazz and rock to pop and fusion, these concerts have been etched in the minds of fans. Readers may tick how many they attended. The order is chronological.

Inaugural Jazz Yatra – 1978

The inaugural Jazz Yatra in 1978 spawned an entire week, and featured giants like saxophonists Sonny Rollins and Sadao Watanabe, trumpeters Clark Terry and Don Ellis, singer Joe Williams and the band Nucleus. India was represented by saxophonist Rudy Cotton, the Jazz-India Ensemble led by saxophonist Braz Gonsalves and keyboardist Louiz Banks, and singer Asha Puthli. The audience included many famous people including Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan. The event was compered by Willis Connover of Voice Of America. Jazz aficionado Ashok Gulati, who was also with Jazz-India, remembers Rollins specially for his rendition of ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ and Joe Williams singing ‘Going To Chicago’ while performing with Clark Terry.

The Police – 1980

One of the most talked about shows in Mumbai, this was organized as a fundraiser by, of all people, a group of Parsi ladies from the Time & Talents Club of Mumbai.  An apocryphal story at that time was that they thought that it was a police brass band rather than one of pioneers of the British New Wave of the late 1970s.  Most fans even remember the date – March 26, 1980 – when vocalist Sting, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland, wowed the crowd. The venue was packed with rock fans, and even socialites and city luminaries who were invited by the Time & Talents Club.Tickets were of Rs 25 and Rs 40. To allay fears that a police band was brought down, one of the banners read, ‘Not Cop But Pop’. The set list included ‘Next To You’, ‘So Lonely’, ‘Walking On The Moon’, ‘Message In A Bottle’, ‘Roxanne’ and ‘Can’t Stand Losing You’.

Wishbone Ash – 1981

The success of the Police show prompted other bands to think of India in their tour itineraries. While Kraftwerk and Osibisa played at other venues in Mumbai (Shanmukhananda Hall and Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, respectively), the Bob Geldof-led Boomtown Rats and Wishbone Ash performed at Rang Bhavan. Attendees remember Ash for their twin guitar skills and for their rendition of the hits ‘The King Will Come’, ‘Throw Down The Sword’ and ‘Blowing Free’.

Hanoi Rocks – 1983

In 1983, heavy metal was gaining popularity in India, as young rock fans took to Iron Maiden, Scorpions and Judas Priest. None of them came that time (Scorpions arrived many years later), but they got to see Finnish glam metal band Hanoi Rocks at Rang Bhavan. Vocalist Michael Monroe and guitarist Andy McCoy became popular among the local crowd, as they played songs from their albums Oriental Beat, Self-Destruction Blues and Back To Mystery City.

Uriah Heep – 1984

The British band had developed a huge following in India, thanks to songs like ‘July Morning’ and ‘Free Me’. People naturally came from other cities like Delhi, Pune and Bangalore to attend their Mumbai gig. The line-up then included Peter Goalby on vocals, guitarist Mick Box, bassist Trevor Bolder and drummer Lee Kerslake. The group played popular tracks like ‘The Wizard’, ‘July Morning’, ‘Easy Living’ and ‘Lady In Black’.

Dizzy Gillespie -1985

As part of his three-city tour, ace trumpeter and bebop genius Dizzy Gillespie did two shows in Mumbai, at Rang Bhavan and St Andrew’s. Louiz Banks accompanied him on piano. There’s an interesting story behind that. The previous year, Banks was attending a Gillespie show at a Washington club. The pianist was unwell, and they played the first half without a pianist. Banks was introduced as a pianist from India during the break, and though Gillespie was surprised, he invited him over the play. So when he came to India, he asked about the same pianist. The shows were a resounding success, but only after Gillespie had a tough time getting a visa on arrival. Gulati points out that both shows were 100 per cent identical too, right down to the jokes.

Independence Rock – 1986, till 2003

Mumbai rock fans are eagerly looking forward to the revival of the iconic Independence Rock festival at the Bayview Lawns, Mazgaon, on November 5 and 6. Old-timers of course associate the event with Rang Bhavan where it was held every August. It all started off in 1986, when the groups Rock Machine (later renamed Indus Creed) and Mirage were scheduled at the annual festival at St Xavier’s College next door, but were disallowed just a week before their slot. This prompted rock fan and musician Farhad Wadia to start his own festival. The first edition had Rock Machine, Mirage and other local bands, but soon the festival became a must for rock fans. Every major Indian rock act – from Indus Creed, Parikrama and Gary Lawyer to Pentagram, Zero and Agni – has performed at the gig, which was later shifted to Chitrakoot Grounds, Andheri.

Stephane Grappeli with Martin Taylor, L. Subramaniam at Jazz Yatra – 1986 

Between 1978 and 1984, the Jazz Yatra had seen many great performances, including those by saxophonist Stan Getz and trumpeter Woody Shaw. The 1986 edition had trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, the band Oregon and the Max Roach Quartet, but the highlight was the performances by violinists Stephane Grappelli and L. Subramaniam, who played with guitarists Martin Taylor and Larry Coryell. Three Japanese bands also performed at this Yatra.

Jethro Tull – 1994

Fronted by vocalist-flautist Ian Anderson, British band Jethro Tull had a huge following in India since the 1970s. The group did back-to-back shows at Rang Bhavan. The first day was marred by sound and other technical issues, but the band took it in its stride. On the second day, the audience got its money’s worth. Guitarist Martin Barre earned a lot of applause, and the band played popular songs like ‘Aqualung’, ‘Locomotive Breath’, ‘A New Day Yesterday’ and ‘Songs From The Wood’, besides Anderson’s flute section. This was the first of many tours of India.

Herbie Hancock – 1996

The show was primarily organized by a media house for invitees, but many true jazz fans witnessed it too. What was interesting was that Hancock, one of the game-changers in modern keyboard playing, was to do a solo piano set. He thus played adaptations of his popular songs ‘Watermelon Man’, ‘Dolphin Dance’ and ‘Cantaloupe Island’, besides a selection of standards. The purists and musicians in the crowd loved the show, though the solo playing did not impress those who came for some funky, high-energy music. He ‘made up’ in his concert at the Jamshed Bhabha Hall in 2007, playing with saxophonist Wayne Shorter.

Shaggy – 1996

Jamaican reggae star Orville Richard Burrell aka Shaggy had just been gaining worldwide popularity when he came to Mumbai in 1996. His album Boombastic had become a big hit, and his show turned out to be a huge dance party. He greeted the crowd with his trademark ‘Mr Lova Lova’ and his set list included the hits ‘Boombastic’, ‘Oh Carolina’ and his cover of Mungo Jerry’s ‘In The Summertime’.

Mike Stern At Jazz Yatra – 1996

At times, a new name can end up being a festival highlight. The 10^th Jazz Yatra, held every alternate year, had big names like veteran guitarists Charlie Byrd and Herb Ellis, who played with their quartet. When the younger American Mike Stern came on, not much was expected. But his hour-long set witnessed some of the most incredible guitaring heard at a Yatra. The purists weren’t satisfied as they cribbed about the rock inflections. But most of the audience was clearly on a trip. Stern did another fantastic show with the Louis Banks Trio at the Tata Theatre in 2010.

Australian Art Orchestra – 1997

This group was created and fronted by pianist Paul Grabowsky. It was a medium-sized ensemble aimed at blending new 1990s concepts with traditional and older music from Australia. At the Rang Bhavan show, one remembers a section where two people played a grand piano simultaneously in the most entertaining way. There were also chants and traditional rhythms. The orchestra was also known for its collaboration with Carnatic mridangam player Karaikudi Mani.

Joe Zawinul Syndicate – 1997

Some have rated this as among the best shows in India ever. Keyboardist and composer Joe Zawinul, known for this work with the jazz fusion band Weather Report, came to Mumbai with his group Syndicate. Joining them as a guest on some songs was tabla maestro Zakir Hussain. It was one of the most breathtaking shows, as keyboards blended with guitars and power drumming. The line-up also included drummer Paco Seri, percussionist Manolo Badrena, bassist Victor Bailey and guitarist Gary Poulson.

Betty Carter – 1997

Carter performed at the same series as Zawinul, organized by Teacher’s. Much admired for her vocal improvisation and scatting skills, she held the audience in thrall with a set that exceeded two hours. Her repertoire included many standards, and one remembers her ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ and ‘Heart And Soul’, besides songs written by the Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart combine. The following year, she passed away from pancreatic cancer.

Music Without Boundaries by McLaughlin/ Chaurasia – 1997

On the morning and afternoon before the concert, it had rained moderately. But things cleared up by evening, as the first line-up of Remember Shakri featuring guitarist John McLaughlin, flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia, saxophonist Bendik Hofseth, tabla maestro Zakir Hussain and ghatam exponent Vikku Vinayakram came on stage. It was a fascinating show, the highlights being ‘Mukti’ and ‘Lotus Feet’.

Jeremy Spencer – 2000

Formerly with the popular group Fleetwood Mac, guitarist Jeremy Spencer played some great blues, displaying his slide guitar skills. He did many shows in the country to raise funds for the National Association for the Blind., India. In Mumbai, over many visits, he performed at Rang Bhavan, St Andrew’s Auditorium and Tata Theatre. His set would include blues standards like ‘Dust My Broom’, ‘Bleeding Heart’, ‘It Hurts Me Too’ and ‘Talk To Me Baby’, all written by the legendary bluesman Elmore James, but played with the Spencer stamp.

Remember Shakti – 2000

By this time, Remember Shakti had newer entrants like mandolin maestro U. Srinivas, vocalist Shankar Mahadevan and kanjira player V. Selvaganesh, besides McLaughlin and Zakir. They got together on an incredible evening, and dazzled on the tracks. ‘Luki’, ‘Bell Alla’ and ‘Giriraj Sudha’. There was a special surprise when santoor great Shivkumar Sharma joined them on the elaborate tune ‘Shringar’. The line-up toured regularly till Srinivas’s untimely demise in 2014.

Bob Dylan 60th Birthday Tribute Show – 2002

When legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan celebrated his 60th birthday elsewhere, some musicians decided to party in Mumbai. They got together and performed his songs at the Rang Bhavan. The line-up included Susmit Bose, Suneeta Rao, Brian Tellis, Kim Cardoz and Louiz Banks among others. While everybody did their interpretation of Dylan songs, Geetu Hinduja sang the Joan Baez song ‘Diamonds And Rust’. The show was the brainchild of Dylan fan and journalist Sean Mahoney.

Indian Jazz Yatra – 2002

In 2002, the Jazz-India committee decided to add a twist to its regular format. Besides the regular Yatra, it had an Asian Jazz Yatra at Kala Ghoda and an Indian Jazz Yatra at Rang Bhavan. The artistes included Louiz Banks, Braz Gonsalves, saxophonist Jazzy Joe, guitarist Carlton Kitto, drummers Ranjit Barot, Nondon Bagchi and Steve Sequeira, bassist Lew Hilt, and singers Sonia Saigal and Radha Thomas. A very young Sheldon D’Silva surprised the audience with an impromptu bass solo. From these 20 shows, and the others which didn’t make it to this list, one can gauge the quality of great music that emanated from the Rang Bhavan stage.