Live and unplugged

Channel to launch desi version of music series, will showcase artistes across genres

After Coke Studio came to India last month, another popular TV series, Unplugged will hit the airwaves in a desi avatar.

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In the coming months, the acoustic music series will showcase artistes from different genres performing unplugged versions of their songs.

Acclaimed folk-rock band Indian Ocean will be one of the first bands to perform at the show.

Confirms Rahul Ram, band vocalist and bassist, “Recording will begin at the end of August. The concept of the show is interesting. Unlike Coke Studio, where artiste collaborations was the USP, here performers will play their own music in a different form. With this series, MTV is rediscovering their musical side, which has been missing of late.”

Although the show will not venture into collaborations between artistes, there will be an in-house band to back them up.

“It serves a good purpose, because although our own band is one unit, we might require a rhythm guitarist or back-up vocalists for some songs, which the in-house band can provide,” says Rahul.

The Indian series is expected to feature biggies, performing five to six songs each.

Coke Studio India has invited flak over the predominance of Bollywood artistes on the show.

Ask Rahul about his take on the channel’s ambitious project and he says, “If seen in isolation, it is an excellent series. The problem is that we keep comparing it to the Pakistani version. One admits that the latter has churned out better stuff, it was more rooted and unearthed hidden musical talent.”