Formula One finale after-party: Gaga goes classical

Pop star performs at the Formula One finale after-party.

GREATER NOIDA:

Lady Gaga promised a ‘special’ treat for her Indian fans and she made good on her word. The international pop icon played the piano and matched the tunes to a sitar during her performance at the Formula One finale after-party.

“Gaga’s performance was delightful. She was high on energy and the audience was extremely excited about it,” said a teenager who saw Gaga perform at a special 20,000 square feet construction at the Jaypee Greens Golf and Spa Resort in Greater Noida. The party was hosted by Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal  at restaurateur AD Singh’s lounge-bar Lap.

Dressed in a white, knee-length dress, Gaga collaborated with a sitar player to offer some fusion music to the guests. She also sang some of her popular hits as well as new songs from her latest album Born This Way. She ended her performance with a warm and cheerful “Namaste India”, said a source.

Gaga’s show was houseful despite a whopping ticket price of INR40,000. It was a star-studded party with actors and industrialists. Bollywood actors Shahrukh Khan, Anil Kapoor, Preity Zinta, Sonam Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Imran Khan among others, were seen at the party.

Bridging gaps through music

Meanwhile, India’s booming music industry is bridging the gap between fans and international stars as the business of music moves to the interactive digital space and more stars perform live in the country.

This month drew two of the biggest names of international music — Lady Gaga and Metallica — to India while November, all the way till the 15^th, is crowded with several international names who will perform at the Delhi International Arts Festival, which is hosting nearly 2,000 performers. The Jazz ensemble Paul Beaudry and Pathways will perform in Delhi November 1.

“India is a strong country globally. It cannot be ignored any more. It has a huge economy and the consumption of music has increased,” said Universal Music-India vice president Sunil D’sa. It has created more awareness about India and its culture abroad and opened up two-way exchanges, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 01^st, 2011.