Day in and day out, since last
month, this has been my practice. Morning and Evening or for that matter
whenever I opened FB, I used to view two pages without fail. One is a page
called “Staccato” (the red hot band in Chennai) and the other is a page called
“Vandana Srinivasan” ( an upcoming singer par excellence), only to know about
their much spoken London trip.
The first time when I saw a link
in one of the pages mentioned above, may be from “The New Indian Express”, if
my memory serves me right, I was shocked to say the least. A band from Chennai
was asked to represent the whole of India as a part of Cultural exchange in
Olympic Park at London? Are you kidding me?”.
Infact “Are you kidding me?” was my first comment in FB against that
very link. If that was how I felt , being an outsider, I am unable to imagine
as to how the members of the band would have felt when they first received a
notification to that effect.
Having heard the band performing
in person, I knew full well, though it was a shocker, they really deserved
every bit of what they have got in recognition of their talent. Only a hard
working bunch of individuals can make anything like this possible so early in
their career. Performing in front of 25000 people at Olympic park would be no joke
and only a band like Staccato which has incredible talents can do it
enterprisingly well enough to enthrall the spectators.
What more one can say in
appreciation of a band which was hand -picked by “Slum Dog” fame, Danny Boyle
among 10000 entries in Asia to showcase their skills in Olympic park? A chance
of such a kind never appears so easily for anyone and when they do come, it was
something which should never be missed. Staccato was definitely not going to
take a backseat missing it and they were all raring to go. It was all set by
then for them until one major thing which was proving to be a thorn in their
flesh. That one thing which kept them waiting for long was the non availability
of sponsors.
Could ever anyone have foretold
that obtaining sponsor would have been an issue, if at all, there was one? I
did not think it should have been a problem for them, especially after the
brand, “Staccato” becoming a national pride. On the contrary, it did delay them
their chances. As hard as they chased for the sponsors, they found it that much
harder to get them. It was really a shame on the part of some of the companies
unwilling to offer them help in the form of sponsorship.
It was even disheartening to see
the way certain individuals had commented on FB regarding sponsors. Not only
they did not give them any helping hand but also it was even worse to see the
way they were commenting on FB, totally discouraging them with their
negativity. But, somehow, the band
persevered what they were doing. They did not give up till the last moment nor
were they willing to. They dug hard and hard and finally they found a sponsor
which they well deserved.
Now, the band is finally on
track. They are going for London to perform in a big stage. Their skills will
be universally known in a few days’ time. All those people who dissuaded their
enthusiasm will now bow down their heads finally.
I would like to see the face of
those people who have snubbed them all long without knowing the band’s
potential. The attitude of people has to change soon in India. The patriotism
is absent in some of the people which is quite evident in the way they failed
to give importance to the news that a
band from Chennai was going to represent India, when it cropped up. I am sure
many of them just read it as news and kept quiet. Had they taken it seriously,
they would have got the sponsor well before.
Any way, finally the justice is
done and like I said, they are flying to London. I wish them all the best over
there. Let this be the break which they require to get international recognition.
Well done Staccato. We Indians
are all proud of you.
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