Pre-Revels ’18: Crescendo

Zamir

Zamir, being the first event of Pre-Revels’18, certainly lived up to its hype. This eastern vocal solo event organized by Crescendo managed to turn a mundane Monday evening into one filled with melodious tunes and cheerful applause. As each participant took the stage, the nostalgic Bollywood songs and Indian classical music attracted a huge crowd in front of the MIT Food Court. Each participant had three minutes to charm the audience and judges with their voices. The partakers varied from trained vocalists to bathroom singers giving it a try.
The event, which was spread over two days, witnessed a total of 44 participants competing to get a chance to perform at Revels’18. “This year, Revels is all about redefining tradition. I think Zamir perfectly encapsulates this theme. As we move into the future, it’s important that we don’t forget our roots. Zamir reminds us of our rich cultural heritage”, said Category Head, Umang Agarwal along with Event Head, Aashna Arora.
Zamir definitely amped up Manipal’s excitement for Revels’18.

Serenata

Seranade – A piece of music sung or played in the open air, to entertain others.

That’s exactly what happened at Serenata, a Pre-Revels event under the category Crescendo, where students of MIT came to let loose on stage and win the audience’s hearts. Each contestant was allotted three minutes to perform, beyond which they’d lose out on marks in the final grading. The two-day event saw mainly solo contestants except for a few, where one sang and the other played an instrument. They were allowed to sing in any language except Hindi, which led to an evening filled with some of the greatest hits; ranging from the ‘70s to this decade. The turnout, however, was greater on the first day as compared to the second. The event was judged by Ms Charlotte and Mr Rajkumar, former faculty.

Virtuoso

A beautiful medley of music cut through the quotidian silence of the MIT Central Library on Wednesday evening, as the instrumental section of the musical category Crescendo commenced. A myriad of songs was performed from all genres. From the gentle strumming and technical intricacies of classical music to the quick-paced spirit-charging beats of hard rock, this event had it all. Many performed their own original pieces, combining the sounds of multiple guitars and beats using Loopers (devices that record and playback music) to create a mesmerizing tune. Even without vocals, and with a time constraint of 5 minutes, the musicians conveyed their passion with perfect clarity. Unfortunately, the event was marred by the lack of an audience, which is a pity, for the performances were definitely a sight to behold.

Harmony

An event for those with a passion for musical duets and collaborations, Harmony by Crescendo was a truly spectacular display of talent and teamwork. The event took place outside the MIT Food Court, and saw a vast audience, including a few of our canine friends!

The anchors for the evening, Kartikeya Yadav and Ishaan Narain were amazing at keeping the audience entertained, and the energy at an all-time high. The rules allowed only two vocalists per team, with an optional additional member on a musical instrument. Alternatively, a backing track or instrumental was also allowed. The performers were to follow a time limit, failing which, points would be deducted for each additional minute. The crowd saw renditions of both English and Hindi songs from various genres, something for everyone to enjoy.

The event was just a taste of what’s to come in Revels’18. As the anchors said, “There are no stars in the sky right now because all the stars are up on stage!”

Unplugged

Unplugged was the event to be in for all budding musicians. An event under the category Crescendo, bands engage in a musical battle against each other without using any electronic instruments.

The event witnessed an amazing turnout of fourteen bands, with a maximum of six members in each. They performed songs of different genres, with a few of them performing their original compositions. Only the bands qualifying in Pre-Revels will be able to perform at Revels’18.

“I think Revels is going to be great this time in terms of music, considering the line-up we have”, said Event Head Aditya Nad.

Battle of Bands

The MIT Quadrangle was already buzzing on Sunday evening, as the onlookers waited eagerly for the event to begin. One of the most awaited event of Revels, Battle of Bands by Crescendo is the ultimate experience for music lovers across Manipal. The stage was set, and the performers were ready to go.

At around six in the evening, the hosts welcomed a cheering crowd and proceeded to list out the rules. Each team would consist of a minimum of three and a maximum of six members. At least two instrumentalists were compulsory. Moreover, no previously recorded audio was allowed. The use of any kind of profanity on stage would result in disqualification. Each band was allotted 9 minutes of stage time, including sound check, after which the audio would be immediately cut off. Bands performing original
compositions would be rewarded a ten percent boost in score.

The first band took the stage, much to the now slightly impatient audiences’ delight. The performances kept coming, each one a little different, yet united in their sheer talent and energy. We heard a few crowd favourites- like ‘Fix You’, ‘Skyfall’, and ‘R U Mine?’. True to the Revels’18 theme Riwaayat, the bands truly re-defined traditions by incorporating unique elements into their performance, like flutes and violins. One band even performed a metal/rock version of a classical Carnatic Raag. This year’s Battle of Bands even witnessed amazing original pieces, that won over the audience in the first few bars itself.

Apart from minor issues with audio, the event took place with no mishaps – thanks to the organisers lead by Category Head Umang Agarwal, and Event Heads Ashika and Adithya. The atmosphere was positively sparkling with energy, fueled partly by the bands on stage, and partly by the music enthusiasts gathered there. An evening of rhythm and heart-throbbing baselines, the time flew by as the performers gave it their all, in hopes of being one of the two finalists that would get to perform at Revels’18.

When asked about the event, the participants said, “We shouldn’t really care about the competition. It’s art right? We just want to win an audience, rather than first place. As long as we make an impact and create good music, that’s all that matters.”