Fiona Fernandez: Bring back the open-air venue

Shubha Mudgal performing at Chhatrapati Shivaji Vastu Sangrahalaya File PicIsnt it such a lovely idea Mrs Patel to have a classical music performance in this setting her septuagenarian companion exclaimed as a gentle sea breeze pervaded over the manicured lawns of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Vastu Sangrahalaya Indeed Mrs Kolah this has to be one of the most scenic venues that Ive been to for a concert in the city in a long long time she remarked making space for her Prada tote in the adjacent chair Yours truly seated a row ahead was privy to this exchange and couldnt agree any moreThe occasion was the closing ceremony of India and the World A history in Nine Stories a mammoth exhibition that ran in the museum for four months The venue and fittingly so was the sprawling green cover that greets every visitor to the stunning domeoutlined landmark The stage was a minimalist setup with zero obstruction to ensure the audience had a clear view of the stage and finally the artiste for the nite was Shubha Mudgal accompanied by Anish Pradhan and a few other talented musicians The performance was an hourlong dedication to varied compositions of the Baramasi where veteran classical musicians vocals soared and lilted across the space Soulful and picturesque with the sky painting a pretty portrait above us we couldnt have asked for a better finale The incessant honking at the nearby Colaba junction and the fact that we were bang in the middle of a busy shopping district on a Sunday evening seemed liked a distant echoTowards the end of that mellifluous evening as the IndoSaracenic landmark looked splendid bathed in the glow of the night sky and the arc lights a question popped up in the head Why not have more such openair venues including this one across the city to host performances Its no secret that we are woefully inadequate when it comes to such spaces ndash big or small Banganga Tanks iconic music festival doesnt seem to be on the radar at least since we last checked while the Elephanta festival is a pale shadow of its heady days when boat loads of the citys cultural czarinas and the Page 3 set would make a beeline to the island to bag a front row seat to watch Mallika Sarabhai or Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia perform against the backdrop of the historic stone sculpturesWe recall this one time when even that little jewel of a space in Juhu Prithvi Theatre had changed its cafeacute into a makeshift openair venue for a musical performance It was nearly 15 years ago and we can still recollect the magic that filled the air as Ustad Zakir Hussains wizardry mesmerised us Such is the incomparable pull of an open air concert that even a matchbox sized venue doesnt matter to the public In fact wed like to believe that in spacestarved Bombay the audience is far more empathetic in such mattersAs we left the venue that evening the thought lingered on If Bombay wishes to put itself out there as a serious culturally inclined city such initiatives will go a long way in not only raising its stock but also offer aficionados another muchneeded avenue to celebrate the arts in the outdoorsCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates