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  Life   More Features  11 May 2019  Slice of Goa in the city

Slice of Goa in the city

THE ASIAN AGE. | NIRTIKA PANDITA
Published : May 11, 2019, 7:04 am IST
Updated : May 11, 2019, 7:05 am IST

Goa’s live band True Blue known for their covers, is all set to entertain and spread Goan vibes in the city.

True to the nature of a live cover band, the goan musicians promise high energy and good vibes on Sunday.
 True to the nature of a live cover band, the goan musicians promise high energy and good vibes on Sunday.

To end your weekend on a musical note combined with relaxed goan vibes, the True Blue band from the emerald land on the west coast is all set to captivate you with slow rock acoustic covers mixed with their originals.

Formed in around 2013, the band is known for its extreme energy, versatility and for leaving the room enchanted with explosive performances. With Zubin da Cruz on vocals/acoustic guitar, Clinton Mascarenhas on drums/vocals, Jerry Correia on keyboards/vocals, Elton Fernandes on electric lead guitar, Revellino Fernandes on bass guitar/vocals; and Kris Saldanha as lead vocals and percussions, the band will mostly be playing rock, retro, pop numbers and a few Bollywood ones for melophiles of the bay.

“As of now we are more of a cover band than an original band. While we do originals, mostly we sing covers. We have a vast repertoire consisting ballroom music and classic rock to name a few,” says Zubin da Cruz the founder of the band.

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From playing rock songs like Coldplay’s Yellow, Led Zepllin’s Rock and Roll; to retro ones like Tom Petty’s Free Fallin’ and Shaggy’s Angel to pop hits like Girls Like You by Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B and Dura by Daddy Yankee, the band’s repertoire is a reflection of their deep love for music.

True to the nature of a live cover band, the goan musicians promise high energy and good vibes on Sunday. However, surprisingly, the spirited band doesn’t follow a set but rather goes with the flow.    

“It is very important because you got to read the crowd, their pulse. You have to go ready but if you go with a set list, I think you are in trouble, because if someone puts a request you are in a fix. We have a huge repertoire of 200 plus songs. Going with the flow always works with us,” smiles the 26-year-old Zubin, adding, “When you are a cover band I feel it is important — since we attend all kinds of shows — for us to know all kinds of music.”

While fans often place a demand for their version of AC/DC, Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams songs, the band will also be playing one or two of their original slow rock numbers. But as far as their unique renditions of the covers are concerned, it completely depends on the genre. “For some rock songs we do the acoustic version. There are some songs that we pep up a bit by giving it a rock feel and it works for us. We try our best to avoid doing the cover like the original. We try to put in a bit of our own tadka,” shares the vocalist.

Having performed at corporate events mostly, this is the band’s first performance in a public space in the city. And they can’t wait to enthral their Mumbai fans. “We have a lot of people from the city who come to Goa just to listen to us. We are going to have a lot of our own crowd,” smiles Zubin.  

Portguese culture has had a strong influence on Goa, and the band will be playing a few Portuguese and Spanish songs too. “We will also play the pop Portuguese song Mulher Pequena by Brazilian artist Roberto Carlos. But we don’t add any twists to this song and stick to the original. It has a rhythm which is very good for Foxtrot dancing,” he shares.

Talking about the culture of live bands in India, Zubin informs us that English music is not easily embraced by the audience. “But a live band in Hindi is much easier to sell. Now, with places like Bangalore and Mumbai, there is scope to sell original music. In other parts of India it is difficult to sell original music. In the end, people want what they are familiar with. That is why we do cover music, but also put in a couple of originals to keep ourselves happy,” he concludes.

—Tomorrow, 5 pm onwards,At Estella, Juhu Tara Road

Tags: true blue