How often have you wanted to sit back and enjoy the live music at a restaurant but been unable to do so because some other guests were being just too loud? The guys at Sofar (Songs from a Room) Sounds totally understand your predicament. In fact, it was this very reason that made Rafe Offer and Rocky Start decide have a low key intimate music gig in their flat in London back in 2009. They got a musician friend onboard to provide the music and invited a few pals over. What began as just a great way to unwind and enjoy some great music uninterrupted soon began to spread over to other cities as other buddies there decided to try out this great idea too.
And gradually Sofar Sounds began to take shape and gain ground the world over. Today, the group has it’s presence in 398 cities and is only growing. In India presently there are about 11 chapters. The Goa Chaper was started in October 2017 by Nupura Hautamaki.
“Every city has a different team which is independent and all of these are volunteers driven by the love for promoting original music and providing the right kind of audience,” explains Nupura. Gigs are organised once a month in private spaces like home gardens or patios. “Sometimes we do gigs in semi commercial areas too as long as certain guidelines are followed,” says Nupura. Firstly the team at Sofar Sounds Goa curates the guest list. “Not everybody who registers gets in. Usually Sofar gigs have a maximum of 80-100 guests. In Goa however we have kept the limit between 30-50 only. This way the experience is more intimate. Also, with this being a new concept still, I wanted to start small and ensure that the right audience was getting through,” says Nupura.
When one registers as an audience member for a show on the website, the team can see how many shows he or she has previously attended, how many got a confirmation and how many shows the person actually showed up at. “If you don’t show up for a show too often after getting a confirmation, your chances of getting through for a new show are less. The more shows you apply for and attend, the higher your chances are of getting in,” explains Nupura.
The guests are not told who will be performing for the night. “This way they come only for the music and because it is a well known singer,” says Nupura. In the past, pop singer Ed Sheeran has done quite a few shows with Sofar in the US. Noted artist Madame Gandhi has also been a part of Sofar gigs. “Usually we have two- three artists per gig so as to give the audience a range,” says Nupura. During the performance, audience members are not allowed to talk or take videos or photographs. “We want them to just sit and listen and enjoy the whole experience,” explains Nupura.
Another interesting aspect is that the locations of these gigs are kept secret. Once a guests slot is confirmed , he or she is emailed the location only 36 hours prior to the show.
While these shows are ticketed aborad, in India at present funds are generated only by passing the hat around during the event. “Usually we only need to pay for the sound, Sometimes if artists have performed in other cities however they may want to be paid but even this isn’t a big sum,” says Nupura. Another important feature of Sofar Sounds is that if a musician has performed at a gig, he or she can walk into any other Sofar in other cities and request to perform there. “If they have a slot they will fit you in at once,” says Nupura.
And while Goa is noted for it’s music, Nupura has struggled a bit to find local musicians for her gigs. “I was in Europe earlier and had attended Sofar there. When I came down I expected Sofar to be here in Goa. It was quite a few months after we began talking about having a Goa chapter that we finally began in October last year. However, most local musicians don’t seem to have the time as they are too busy with their own gigs or they want to be paid. Many don’t have original content either and this is the biggest challenge I have faced,” she says. Of the four gigs that have been organised so far, only three of them were of Goan origin. “I personally am not happy with this and would prefer having atleast two Goan artists per gig. I want Konkani artists also to come onboard. I am also looking at getting the traditional ghumot and other cultural folk music and instruments,” she says, adding that they will be having their next gig on February 20 in Siolim.
