Saturday, 13 August 2011

The Raghu Dixit Project Oran Mor Glasgow 4th August 2011

--> This vibrant colourful band had bare feet, warm hearts and large smiles. Their purpose was to have us all smiling and dancing!   The Raghu Dixit Project brought colour and Indian dance to the Oran Mor Glasgow with strong musicianship and Dixit's striking vocals. I had heard Rahu Dixit's band first on the Jools Holland BBC tv show last year when he sang No man will ever love you like I do, and Raghu's voice could melt a thousand hearts...  They hadn't managed over for Celtic Connections in January due to visa problems and Rahu said that they were happy to have made Glasgow this time. 

They carried the audience with them and it was all great fun.  The band were all accomplished musicians both guitar and violin players added strong energetic playing to the mix. 

Their set included songs from their album -  I'm in Mombai waiting for a miracle,  No man will ever love you like I do, Mysore se aayi, Hey Bhagwan, and Gudugudiya.  Their songs covered themes that were true to the heart such as - we all have a second chance in life and how well all have more strength than we realise and that we should lead our lives in a simple way. 
Raghu said what a big deal playing Jools Holland had been yet he felt the song his manager requested him to sing did not so well represent the breadth of his music.   He said how well their album had been selling on iTunes ever since.  They have brought in modern western musical influences to their playing of their traditional Indian songs. While their sound is mostly upbeat with energetic dancing rhythms which work great at the gigs to get everyone bouncing along, I often feel that it is the haunting slower melodies that linger in the mind the longest afterwards.   
I wondered as the venue was not packed out that the tickets price was more than the usual price for a relatively unknown band at this venue.  Raghu spoke of the hopes that we might one day all dance the same dance, well we certainly did tonight!      
They were well supported by Adam Stearns, a young Glasgow artist I recommend checking out. 
The Raghu Dixit Project was founded by Raghu Dixit is an open house for musicians and artistes from different genres to come together, collaborate and create a dynamic sound and expression. He is from Mysore India and he is the front man for his band The Raghu Dixit Project.  His music is an amalgamation of Indian ethnic music and various world music influences.  Dixit is also a Microbiologist and a proficient Indian classical dancer . He performed on the Jools Holland show in 2010.

1. Hey Bhagwan
2. Gudugudiya Sedi Nodo
3. No Man Will Ever Love You, Like I Do
4. Lokada Kalaji
5. Kodagana Koli Nungitha
6. Well I'm In Mumbai, Waiting for A Miracle
7. Khidki
8. Har Saans Mein
9. Mysore Se Aayi