| Rocking the Cellar with music that grooves |
By Purwa Khandelwal |
Beats of music were pulsing through the veins of listeners at the Radisson SAS . Ricky's voice surged through the microphone - a beacon for the audience to sing with him. The hint was well taken and soon the entire Cellar started echoing with We don't need no education . Jerry's guitar chords and Rene's keyboard reverberated in the hall and Stella, Anabel and Liza sang in perfect chorus. There was a rhythm among audiences; nobody seemed to be going off note. And the throbbing drums of Ricky's held everything together. "So you sing Pink Floyd?" Minutes earlier, the answer to this question was met with a giggle from the girls. "Oh, we sing all." "John Lennon?" "John Lennon. Oh yes, it's been 25 years since he was murdered?" said Ricky. "We sing rock n' roll, reggae, R&B, Jazz - everything from yesterday to the present." Meet the Philippines' Le Mirage Band , which will be rocking the capital with its music at the Radisson SAS from Sunday to Friday until February. Talk to Ricky - the drummer, who is also the leader of the band, the three singers - Stella, Liza and Anabel; Rene - the keyboard player; and Jerry - 'the best guitarist', and you know that music oxygenates their blood. Look at them performing. They not only make others tap their feet but they also make them sing. A few minutes after the above conversation, they were back on stage to enthrall the audience - equipped with their drums, keyboards, guitars, mellifluous voices, and not the least, an attitude peppered with wisecracks. They seemed to have taken the hint from the earlier conversation. Lennon an Paul McCartney's Yesterday figured first on the list. Floyd's Another brick in the wall , was the second on the rung. Cut to the earlier conversation: "It's been more than a decade since this band was formed and ever since, we've seen lots of ups and downs," Ricky said. Stella, had been there like a true friend from the beginning, but others kept coming and going. "Practice is the mantra of success," Ricky added. "Music helps us make money," he said. After a pause, he resumed, "But it is also our life." "Being the oldest, Ricky is like a father-figure to us," Anabel said. And Liza would immediately budge in to say how strict he had been during the practice sessions. "If we don't practice properly, we get the whacking," she laughed. Ask them the most stupid thing to have happened on stage, and Anabel and Stella get excited. "Ricky decides the songs on stage. Once the announced a song that we all started singing. Poor Rene couldn't hear Ricky properly and started playing some other tune. we were like at sixes and sevens on stage. Later, all of us realized the confusion and couldn't sing for a while. Three of us just started giggling." The band recalls that 1998 was the most happening year. "Oh, we won the Battle of the Bands. It's an annual competition held in Bahrain that invites bands from all over the world," Stella said. Cut to the performance: After singing a song, Stella gave way to Jerry to perform with his guitar. Grabbing the opportunity, Jerry played strings with fingers, lips and teeth. "Isn't that incredible," somebody from the audience was heard saying. "Music and fun rolled into one," said another. "That's so much like Filipinos."| Rocking The Cellar - Cellar Bar, Radisson SAS Muscat, Oman |
 ROCKING THE CELLAR Radisson's spirited new band, Le Mirage, plays music from the past the present with equal gusto POOJA SINGH ----------------- "Distinct genres of music reigned during different decades of the 20th century. In the 60s, hippies ruled the music world. Disco reigned in the '70s. Throughout the '80s and early '90s, the boy bands ruled. In the present millennium, pop, rock and hip-hop seem to be everywhere. Most of us would agree that we endoyed all these genres for their own separate styles. But hey, hold on! This is not all about musical trends of the past, but rather the new band - Le Mirage - at the Radisson SAS hotel in Muscat. It's exactly why these trends find a mention, as the bans is busy burning the dance floor at The Cellar with music from the past and present. "We believe in playing variety, and don't stick to one style of music. That's because pub goers come from different walks of life. Some like rock, some prefer pop and some groove to classical numbers. We have to cater to all. Our musical variety creates excitement among the people and keeps the dance floor occupied all night," says Stella, one of the lead singers of Le Mirage. The band is a distinct collection of musical artists. The six piece band includes Liza, Anabel and Stella as the singers, Rene at the keyboard, Jerry the guitarist and Ricky, band leader and drummer. Le Mirage, came together as a show band in Manila over five years ago. Though they have mostly been out of their home country, they've performed in major entertainment venues there. "We have also performed in Bahrain, Dubai, Japan, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Malaysia...basically all over Asia, " says Ricky. The year 1998 was a memorable one for Le Mirage - they won the Battle of the Bands - an annual comnpetition held in Bahrain, and bet contestants of different nationalities. Considering such talent, you'd think they went to music schools, but no. "It came naturally to us," reveals Anabel. "In the Philippines, if you can't sing, you're not a true Filipino. Le Mirage is not new to Oman. Two years ago, the band had played at the same hotel. "We liked the place so much that we wouldn't miss any opportunity to come here again. The people are so friendly and the landscape is so awesome," says a thrilled Rene. Their next destination is "the moon", conclude the band. We'll let their music do the rest of the talking." |
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