The Swedish-Indian Food-Music Fusion at Cidade

A cool evening of funk-jazz-rock-Indian-fusion defying genre definition was delivered hot by three cool Swedes escaping from their cold ice-clad hometown and basking in the warm glow of Cidade de Goa hospitality and the enthusiastic audience.

The gently hush hushing sea and whispering breeze that caresses the sighing palms fringing the tastefully lit party lawns were silent witnesses to the festive grandeur of the event. The music motif was echoed in the outsize musical instrument decorations, the detailed three dimensional watermelon carvings and the cuisine labels.

Mathias Eklundh, guitar, came on stage after a golden day-long sun bath, pink as a well cooked lobster sprinkling his crisp music making with brisk comments, a total delight. Jonas Hellborg, bass and leader of the trio, tapped, strummed, plucked, glissandoed his way into the soul of his music and the hearts of his listeners, and Niklas Campanioli, drums, kept the pulse of the music at high pitch.

Their virtuosity was amazingly mind blowing. Their fingers ran everywhere. Every nook and corner of their fingerboards received their magic touch

The fluid outpouring of notes in an unending unstoppable cascade of sounds, sometimes smooth and gentle, suddenly explosive, sometimes spraying into the audience with energy that flung them back and kept them glued to their seats with the sheer impact of it all. I was shaken but not stirred. The music often surrenderd its peaceful delight to the wild vivacity of the performers.

The sharp notes were machine-gunned at us with a precision that riveted us with intricate patterns. The incessant percussive intensity of the drummer stretched all the skins on his drum faces and our eardrums as well. The music often sounded like a god yearning in pain. The melodious discord and sometimes not-so-melodious noise kept each other company in their journey through strange new worlds which invited us to open our minds and let our fantasies unwind.

The compere joked about the undanceable music, relished the sudden loud explosions and challenged us to unravel the complex interplay and integration of styles. The performers revelled in their quick change artistry. The fast paced masterful music making was devastatingly irresistible.

Music of all types flowed into each other to create a rich sonic mix. Indian patterns wove into innovative western patterns to create mosaics of sound particularly in tunes like “Kalighat” and “Savitri”. The guitars echoed Indian instruments in flashy flourishes that infused rich colourations. The global grasp of styles was woven into the fascinating textures that they created. Our ears reached out to swallow these unusual soundscapes that danced in the awestruck air of the Cidade party lawns. Our eyes popped as the musicians pushed their instruments to the brink of unbelievability. Our jaws dropped and our tongues rolled out to savour the unusual delicacies spread out for enjoyment.

The equally unusual buffet with a global air catered to all tastes and was laid out with the usual Cidade flair – inviting, enticing, memorable. The music theme was spiced with a touch of humour. So we had “Grilled Fish in G Minor” and “Beef in A Flat”, the “Third Sonata of Cattle Drums” and a “Quartet” (dessert), the “Pan Flute Florentine” and “Fretless Slider Chicken”, the “Rice Fields of Denver” and “Nocturnal Melange”, you get the idea. The vegetarian cuisine drew many confirmed non-vegetarians like me to savour the varied tasty spread. The mushroom shashlik tossed on the hot tava with a delicious sauce still lives on my tastebuds. And I have not sunk my teeth into a more memorable softer crunchier Turkish baclava.

The Jonas Hellborg Band wrapped up the delicious evening with an encore “Purple Haze”, an intricate collage of sonic styles dished up in their unique blend of sound pictures. We look forward to an encore of this evening’s food and music feast at Cidade. Please make it soon. We are all hungry for more.