Music leads to Charity - a means to an end for the BSPCA

The BSPCA has for many years brought leading music events to Mumbai we have taken the musical route to raise funds for our animal activities as it has helped both sides; the audience enjoys performances by leading musicians of international stature and through the kind generosity of our sponsors, we raise funds for our activities, which are strictly funded only through charitable donations. This is a very heavy responsibility, especially when running the only animal hospital in India. So, in case you do not recall, here are some of the concerts the BSPCA has brought to Mumbai in recent years…..

• Chicago Jazz Ensemble - which visited Mumbai is truly unique as members of the famous Chicago Symphony Orchestra had teamed up with outstanding Jazz artistes of Chicago. Burl Lane and Robert Kassinger, both of the CSO, have dual careers as they perform jazz and classical music. Along with them came Bobby Lewis , Frank Winkler and Jack Cohn who are jazz men par excellence. Each of them has performed with jazz greats and singers, the likes of Peggy Lee, Sinatra, Gillespie, Teagarden, Solti, Count Basie, The Duke, Gary Burton, Sammy Davis Jr. Etc. They have also played at international jazz festivals, singly and together. They had concerts at the Taj Mahal Hotel & at the Tata Theatre.
  
  
• English Chamber Orchestra - David Stern, a well-known young conductor and son of distinguished violinist, Isaac Stern, conducted the ECO in Mumbai. Playing to a packed auditorium at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, Stern excelled himself. A native New Yorker, David Stern's artistic expression stems from his work with both modern and period instruments. With his creative and innovative programming, he has a reputation in Europe and USA for projects that step out of the boundaries of the usual concert season. The ECO, one of the world's leading ensembles, continues to attract musicians of a stature which few other chamber orchestras can match.
  In a message sent to us after the concert, David Stern expressed, “ ….. I just want to thank you for the wonderful time I had in Mumbai. Of all the stops on the tour, this last one was in many ways the most special; and the tour you offered me through your special city was definitely the highlight for me. The food, the smells, the pictures have all remained with me. Please thank everyone connected to the concerts as well. The orchestra and I were very honored to be treated so warmly and it gives us all great pleasure to feel that our time there, albeit short, was sincerely appreciated. All the best and until the next time, David Stern”.
  
  
• Jagjit Singh - a legendary name in Ghazal singing, is a versatile artist who can fill your heart with his meaningful and melodious song in any language. A great supporter of the BSPCA, Jagjit Singh has always agreed to give free concerts to promote the BSPCA's efforts in animal welfare. Jagjit's ghazals brings out the emotional side of ghazal and poetry lovers. His ghazals do a wonderful job in delivering tranquillity (where "mai-khana" is involved), passion, serenity, pain ("sweet pain" in love), deepness, grief, love and a reminder of one's own personal past. His voice, a true gift of God has the pain that an "ashiq" feels after loosing his beloved, the love that a mother seeks for her child, the tranquillity that a "saaqi" delivers, the strange fear in a boy when she walks in the room. His deep voice holds the key to perhaps every emotion locked within onself.
  
  
• Julian Lloyd Webber cellist extraordinaire - Widely regarded as one of the most creative musicians of his generation, Julian Lloyd Webber has collaborated with an extraordinary array of musicians from Yehudi Menuhin, Lorin Maazel, Neville Marriner and Georg Solti to Stephane Grappelli, Elton John and Cleo Laine. He has many outstanding recordings including his Brit-Award winning Elgar Concerto conducted by Yehudi Menuhin (chosen as the finest ever version by BBC Music Magazine) the Dvorák Concerto with Vaclav Neumann and the Czech Philharmonic, Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations with the London Symphony under Maxim Shostakovich. Julian has also recorded several highly successful CD's- "It would be difficult to find better performances of this kind of repertoire anywhere on records of today or yesterday" - Gramophone.
  
  
• Trilok Gurtu - To quote the L A Times from another concert of Trilok's “ … What made his playing so fascinating was its constant aura of surprise.”. New York Times says that Trilok's World Music as One-World music, promising mutual understanding along with a delight in exotic differences.
  Gurtu is a successful blender of Eastern and Western fusion music. “We make bridges, not barriers,” says Gurtu. Son of Shobha Gurtu, a celebrated vocalist, Gurtu's career began with tabla classes, and progressed to international instruments where he collaborated with the legendary trumpeter Don Cherry, and a band with Shankar, Jan Garbarek and Zakir Hussain. He's also performed with John McLaughlin (the fusion guitar virtuoso) in albums and on their world tours, and has people like Joe Zawinul (Weather Report), Pat Metheny, Neneh Cherry and Angelique Kidjo working with him - on albums and on his tours.
  Trilok's music is even used as samples in UK's hottest dance clubs today. Bhangra electronica to juju soul, Afro-Asian funk to raga-pop. Like our other artistes, Trilok has a few awards to his credit - 5 time Winner of Best Percussionist in DownBeat's Critics Poll; awarded Best Percussionist in Drum Magazine Readers Poll amongst others. So come and listen to him in January 2006 when he creates magic for the BSPCA in Mumbai with a great new team of musicians.
  
  
• Zakir Hussain - Ustad and Tabla maestro performed a fusion concert at the Taj Mahal Hotel for the BSPCA; an exclusive event sponsored by ING Bank , which was very well received by all the invitees. Khansaheb's table wizardry is unique and like his renowned father, they create images and sound on the tabla which are unimaginable and cannot be copied by any other tabla player.
  
  
  
  
• West Kazakhstan Phi lharmonic Orchestra with Marat Bisengaliev - is always happy to be in Mumbai and his orchestra, with Spanish conductor Carles Coll performed at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre. Marat also performed with John Lenehan, one of Britain's leading pianists today who regularly partners Julian Lloyd Webber and Nigel Kennedy. Bisengaliev, whose family includes two golden retrievers and two cats and who says he is "quite taken by the quality of Mumbai's venues and its very knowledgeable public", has graciously agreed to lend his talent to our fund raising activities.
  
  
• La Traviata - BSPCA was fortunate in being able to associate with the NCPA in supporting Festa Italiana. They brought La Traviata to Mumbai and BSPCA had a full house to see Paolo Olmi conducting it, with Valeria Esposito, Cristiano Cremonini and Paolo Coni and generous support from Regione Emilia Romagna and Provincia di Forlì. It was a pleasure to see the superb sets so that the true grandeur of the opera blossomed.
  
  
  
• Usha Uttup Show- UshaUthup has never learnt music formally.With her gifted, velvet, smooth voice she is the only artist to have recorded six albums in English with HMV/EMI. She sings in more than thirteen Indian and eight foreign languages. With her music and charm, she has transcended the barriers of caste, creed, language and nationality. She has sung for Prime Ministers and Presidents - Indira Gandhi, Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel Arap Moi and Nelson Mandela have all been her ardent admirers. Usha's endearing charm and powerful vocal chords have given her fans of all ages across the globe. Her tantalizing foot tapping concert for the BSPCA was a total sell out. With her trademark passion and a speed of delivery that would wear out wannabes a third her age.
  
  
• Madama Butterfly- Madame Butterfly is an opera by Giacomo Puccini with an Italian libretto. The opera set in Nagasaki tells the story of an American Naval officer's love for a Japanese Geisha and the subsequent interaction and misunderstandings that occur. The opera is based on events that actually occurred in early 1890s. Today, the opera is enjoyed in two acts in Italy, while in America the three-act version is more popular. The NCPA had brought in leading Opera stars and BSPCA co-sponsored the event to a star audience of animal lovers and socialites who came to support our cause.
  
  
• Gary Lawyer Show- Gary Lawyer is the 'man with the golden voice'. He is regarded as the finest Indian artiste in the field of western popular music. A bass baritone, who sings just as easily in the tenor range, Gary is equally comfortable with every genre of music - be it rock, pop, jazz, country or folk. With his varied musical influences and classically trained voice, Gary began his singing career in New York in the 80's, singing at showcase theatres and nightclubs. His concert for us was very popular and as an animal lover and dog owner, he has always supported the BSPCA cause. Thank you, Gary.
  
  
• Barefoot in Mumbai- A play directed by Hosi Vasunia, on our 125th Anniversary, was an extremely popular theater production; bringing in the crowds as well as raising a record sum of money in donations through a play.