Hyderabad : ‘Ananda Fusion Band’, a Hyderabad born Indian fusion band enthralled the audience with the fusion of 
contemporary and classical music here at Our Sacred Space in Secunderabad on Saturday evening. The band comprising of Bhanu Prakash Umapathi (Vocals), Pramod Umapathi (Flute), G. Prakash (Tabla), Balaram (Drums) and Sai Prakash (Keyboards) enthralled the gathering with a mix of their own compositions and interpretations of existing kritis and keerthanas. Organised by Hydourite, an initiative celebrating the spirit of Hyderabad with 100 days of celebrations, Ananda Fusion Band’s performance had the audience swaying and foot tapping to their compositions. The performance was an enriching blend of traditional Carnatic vocals with Hindustani flute and subtle western instrumentation.
The evening started with the composition ‘Bliss of Life’ based on Raga Hamsadhvani; followed by it was a keethnana on Lord Krishna ‘Pawana Guru Keerthana’ in Raga Hamsadhvani. ‘Sound of Nature’ – performance by Pramod Umapathi on Flute was a folk style composition with flavours of Hindustani style music that attempted to bring to life through the music the rural environs, sounds of the birds, etc. It was a soothing and heart-touching composition. Also performed were a keerthana of Lord Rama and another composition on Flute ‘Simply Joy’ based on Raga Mohanam.
The last performance of the evening was Ananda Fusion band’s own composition ‘The Mystical Journey’ in Raga Hemavati which was dedicated to the Hydourite event. The performance awed the people present in the Our Sacred Space mini-amphitheater and left them wanting more.
Ananda is a Hyderabad born Indian Fusion Band and is an outcome of an idea of the musical brothers Bhanu Prakash Umapathi and Pramod Umapathi who come together, to give a form to the innovative and creative possibilities in music in the form of Fusion. The word ‘Ananda’ literally means Joy and the band aims to provide the same through its performances. Ananda as a band tries to bring a mood of Joy and all other emotions through the universal language of music.
Hydourite is an initiative celebrating the spirit of Hyderabad with ‘100 days of celebrations’. In the coming days it will play host to exquisite performances from varied fields of art, dance, music, theatre and much more. Apart from bringing in artists from across India to perform in the city, Hydourite will promote local talents too, informed Achanta V. Ramakrishna, Manoj Chandrasekhar and Capt. Anand, the people behind Hydourite.
Hydourite means ‘Our Hyderabad, Our Favourite’. Hydourite which is in its second year celebrates the spirit of Hyderabad and will have ‘100 days of celebrations’ with various kinds of events woven around the spirit of Hyderabad. Hydourite has been conceived to get together all the Hyderabad loving people on to a single platform, to feel the rich diversity of this great city through various events and thereby feel proud of being a Hyderabadi. Hydourite is a brand owned by KPMA and has a strategic alliance with MIRA Events. These two companies have come together to take the spirit of Hyderabad to greater heights. A spirit which reverberates – ‘Me and My Hyderabad’.