Stomp in Mumbai
Yesterday I had one of those one off once in a lifetime experiences. While on tour with STOMP in Mumbai, we had and little press trip which involved an impromtu street jam. We performed alongside 3 native Indian groups. The first group was The Love and Care Stompers. The Second group was a traditional Lezim dance group. And finally Dharavi Rocks, a music group of underprivileged kids with a ragpicking background from Dharavi, Mumbai.
When we arrived The Love and Care Stompers were warming up. This drew a crowd of locals and press, including Radio city’s own Archana Pania. The scene was set for what was to be a fantastic meeting of cultures and styles. After a modicum of coordination, and as the sun began to set over a picturesque backdrop, the drumfest began. The Love and Care boys opened opened up with a lovely piece, showcasing some of the most well known indian rhythms. The STOMP gang then joined in creating a piece very similar to the Nashik Dhol piece they played just a few weeks ago. This merged into a taste of STOMP’s infamous dustbin routine, which led to a Lezim dance performance, and more jamming between groups.
Dharavi Rocked and Rapped!!
To top it all off, Dharavi Rocks delivered a performance which was as inspiring as it was awesome. Knowing the hardships, the places and conditions people in this group come from, is a sobering thought. They are a real indicator of how the poverty, which is all over India doesn’t stop people. They may not have much, but they have their talent, their dignity and above all their happiness. Many people in the western world could learn a lot from these humble people.
Once the jam was over, we mingled with the groups, and locals who had come to watch. Taking selfies, talking, rapping, and generally sharing the love. We met some beautiful people and had an absolutely wonderful experience that none of us will ever forget!
Big Thanks to STOMP and AGP World for making this happen.
<blockquote class=”instagram-media” data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version=”7″ style=” background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% – 2px); width:calc(100% – 2px);”><div style=”padding:8px;”> <div style=” background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:58.6574074074% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;”> <div style=” background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;”></div></div> <p style=” margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;”> <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/BNrSkLgBf52/” style=” color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;” target=”_blank”>What a gorgeous man this #stomper @nigelclarketv #stompindia @agpworld from 7th to the 18th @NCPA #mumbai book ur selves for some ultimate magic on #bookmyshow</a></p> <p style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;”>A photo posted by Archana Pania (@archanaapania) on <time style=” font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;” datetime=”2016-12-06T12:53:56+00:00″>Dec 6, 2016 at 4:53am PST</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async defer src=”//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”></script>