Bonding with beats

Bonding with beats

Growel’s 101 Mall in Kandivali organises drum jam session open to all mall visitors lead by renowned drummer Amrut Bhat

May, Mumbai:On Friday, Growel’s 101 Mall in Kandivali buzzed with immense activity as scores of visitors enjoyed the dashing beat of drums. 

A uniqueinteractive drum jam session was organised by the mall where visitors were given a chance to try their hand at drums. Each interested member was given a Djembe -- a type of West African drum. The entire mega jam session was conducted under the expertise of renowned drummer Amrut Bhat who is known for his open drum circles and drum jam sessions. Bhat has been facilitating free drum circles in impromptu locations all over the city for the last few years with the aimof spreading happiness.

At Growel’s 101 Mall, the audience used their hands to beat the drum to the beats. The rhythm was infectious —as Amrut played, others followed suit and bonded with beats.Drums were being handed to anyone who wished to play and the entire space was reverberatingwith the sound.

The interactive rhythm-based act made heads turn, as people from all age groups were drawntowards the space and were keen to join in any way possible. While some decided to clap, othersvolunteered to take up a small drum to chip in. Amrut kept the rhythmenergetic, power-packed and interesting. As the session progressed and got all the more interesting, bystanders and the crowd did not mind staying back to enjoy the sound.

Some could be seen shaking a leg to the catchy rhythm. Age was no bar and everyone — right fromchildren to youngsters, middle-aged and even the elderly — participated with all the energy theyhad.

Rakesh Sharma, a visitor, was instantly drawn towards the music and loved the ambience. “My family and I were visiting the mall when we heard the drums. We came to the Ozone area in the mall and were surprised to see so many people. Many of them were playing the drums and clapping. It was so different and refreshing. I could see people connecting through music. It was a great experience and I wanted to join in,” he says.

Vikas Shetty, Mall Head-Growel’s 101 Mall said, “It was a great experience to watch people immerse in drumming, without ever having done it in the past. There was a lot of energy and unity when this happened. The idea was to involve people on equal footing, build a community and create spontaneous music. I am sure everyone found it to be absolutely therapeutic, refreshing and rejuvenating.”

Amol Rane, another visitor, loved the enthusiasm in everyone. “Music brought people from many different walks of life together and was a huge stress-buster for all. Such spontaneous and interactive events make the weekend a lot of fun. It was truly a unique experience for me,” he said.