A number of restaurants are serving up musical treats with food, including a chef on the guitar and less-known Afro-Portuguese melodies The chefs special for the day at Oregano at JW Marriott Chandigarh on a Friday night is not just the delicately finished Tiramisu but also a rendition of Bollywood chart-topper Bin Tere sung by Chef Antonello Cancedda,complete with him strumming the guitar. The expat chef from Italy who steers the Italian kitchen here is fast turning into a performer much to the delight of his diners and his team. It all started one evening when I decided to play for a couple who were having trouble with their child, says the chef,who took lessons in classical guitar as a student back home in Sardinia,Italy. I grew up listening to the Beatles,Simon & Garfunkel,and The Eagles. I would like to explore Indian music as well, says the 46-year-old whose music and Italian songs compliment the casual ambience of the Trattoria-style diner. Though Oregano plays selected music to go with the Italian theme,we have seen many guests come back not just for the food but to hear Chef Antonello, informs Vivin Kuriakose,the Food and Beverage Director at JW Marriott Chandigarh. Oregano isnt the only one redefining restaurant entertainment in the city. Lend an ear to what various fine-diners are playing and one can hear the change. Gone are the days when Kenny Gs saxophone tunes or Brian Silass piano played on loop. Theres Nandos,the flame-grilled peri-peri chicken restaurant in Sector 35,which plays only less-known Latino and Afro-Portuguese music. The music is played from a centralised channel called Nandos HeatWave Radio,which is streamed across continents in over 980 restaurants in 34 countries, says Nandos spokesperson. In other words,the music is put on an internet cloud and streamed down to every restaurant across the globe,so that every customer whether hes dining in Australia,the UK or India listens to the same strains of Afro-Portuguese music. Since it started operations almost a year back,Hops n Grains,the micro-brewery in Panchkula,has restricted Bollywood music to special occasions. We are glad that people now associate lounge music and hard rock with us, says owner Priyanka Gupta. Elsewhere,giving a retro feel to the Lava bar at Taj Chandigarh is singer Andre Claude Coelho who sounds uncannily similar to Neil Diamond,the popular American singer-songwriter of the 70s. Coelho says he is surprised by the popularity of retro music in the city. Also promoting live singing acts rather than playing repetitive numbers is Hometel Chandigarh that has roped in Filipino band Manilla Mix to play at the bar Chill. Gina,Shiela and Verlyn of the band sing pop,rock and hip-hop numbers among others. Since we have been in India before,we also sometimes sing in Hindi but will try Punjabi soon, says Gina. Most theme-based restaurants in the city now play music to match. So if ones looking for an ethnic evening out,Khandani Rajdhani is a popular choice. The restaurants ongoing Rangeelo Rajasthan promotion offers not just special meals from Gujarat and Rajasthan but also its music. The playlist includes numbers by Sultan Khan and Ila Arun among others. Play on,we say.
