The Music is Back

Way before there was Coke Studio,there was MTV Unplugged. It gave the Indian listeners a whole new tune,tone and sound-scape that could be called their own.

MTVs popular international music property,Unplugged,is all set to make a comeback on Indian television

Way before there was Coke Studio,there was MTV Unplugged. It gave the Indian listeners a whole new tune,tone and sound-scape that could be called their own. While Unplugged had long music sessions with some of the best musicians who talked about their music and journey,there was also Channel Vs Jammin,a first-of- its-kind fusion project that brought together big names from the music industry to create amazing pieces of music. But that was then,the high-on-real-music nineties phase. Cut to the present and 70 per cent of the content is non-music. We are desperately trying to find some bubbles and fizz in Indias Coke Studio,but the news of the return of MTVs acclaimed international music property has got us up and tuned in. Come October,and Micromax MTV Unplugged will premiere in India,exclusively on MTV.

The franchise that started in 1989,has in the span of more than two decades,featured iconic artists right from Eric Clapton,Paul McCartney,Mariah Carey,Nirvana and Bob Dylan to the new ones like Katy Perry and Alicia Keys. The show will now have Indian artistes,who are all set to present some interesting tunes. It will be an unrivalled listening experience, VJ Nikhil Chinnappa points out.

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Aditya Swamy,Channel Head for MTV India,says,Unplugged is music in its purest form. Its all acoustic and soulful,no remix,no electronics. The artistes,the songs,the setting and even the instruments have been carefully handpicked to give a rich musical experience. He adds that the show will be driven by a multi-media distribution and marketing program to give fans a chance to always be within an arms reach of this unique content.

An explosion of acoustic music,behind-the-scenes and interview footage interspersed with the performances,the series roster has a gamut of popular bands and musicians like Indian Ocean,Rabbi Shergill,Rekha Bhardwaj,Mohit Chauhan,Susheela Raman,Advaita,Euphoria,Javed Ali and Shilpa Rao among others.

And keeping the music straight and simple will be popular composer and percussionist Ranjit Barot. He will be the music producer and arranger for this series. With Unpluggled,we intend to take popular artistes into a raw and acoustic musical environment and present them to the Indian audiences, he comments.

For Delhi-based band,Indian Ocean,its been years since they played an entire acoustic set. The show is a fantastic concept and one Ive enjoyed and looked up to it over the years. Also,its introduction in India couldnt have come at a more timely juncture,where independent music is at its lowest ebb, says Shergill.

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Well,lets see if the music gets its fizz back with Unplugged this October. Till then,stay tuned.

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