My India tour was intense: my band and I packed six shows in three cities (Delhi, Goa, Mumbai), and it ended with the cherry on top of the sundae—-a show at the Royal Opera House in Mumbai.
The day before our show, the flooding in Mumbai was quite massive. My mom chided me over the phone, “remember never to tour again during monsoon season”—and she was right. The previous tour I did in India too, was during the heavy monsoons, and I performed at the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in such inclement weather that I thought that the concert would be cancelled. But this is Mumbai: the residents are resilient, and even rising water levels don’t prevent locals from venturing out.
The day of our “Spirit of New Orleans” show — July 26, was actually perfectly clear and sunny. I got my hair done in the morning to make sure that it looked presentable for such a formidable occasion, and the entire band (Joe Lastie on drums, Shashank Das on bass, my sister Sharmi on vocals and myself on piano) went to the Opera House for a really early soundcheck, at 2:30 p.m.
The Royal Opera House in Mumbai
Before our show!
A bit of history…and all that jazz
The Royal Opera House is India’s only surviving opera house. The original idea for the space was conceived of in 1908 by Maurice Bandmann, a famous entertainer from Calcutta, and Jehangir Framji Karaka, who headed a coal brokers’ firm.
In 1911, King George V inaugurated the Baroque edifice and the design blends Indian and European details (the Italianesque marble statues in the foyer, for instance). By 1917, the Opera House became a cinema in part, like many other theaters of the time. The Maharaja of Gondal, Shri Vikramsinhji, bought the Opera House in 1952, and it opened after a renovation in 2016.
To perform in such a space and watch the audience (over 500 seats spread over three floors) from the stage, is a very special experience. The soundcheck was smooth, the show started on time, and my sister opened the act for me with her originals and a particularly beautiful version of La Vie En Rose. We were off to a great start!
We commenced the show with Preservation Hall classics: from Basin Street Blues to Louisiana Fairytale. There is something truly timeless in these songs, reminiscent of the good old days. The crowd went wild over Joe Lastie’s drumming...he was truly sensational. I’ve never heard such applause. My sister and Joe sang “What a Wonderful World” and the entire audience sang with us, and it moved me to tears.
After the intermission, the program was completely devoted to my albums RAGAS & WALTZES and RAGS & RAGAS. I have to say that I was not expecting the glowing praise and feedback for the raga jazz…people loved it so much. Kajol Srinivasan, one of India’s most famous stand-up comedians who came to my show, gushed on social media:
I was so elated!
After the show, I sold a lot of my limited-edition posters which the band signed, and met some of the audience members. It was great to meet Zara Dmello, a journalist who wrote this glowing article of the show on Luxebook, and some of my late father’s friends.
My adorable nephews were ever so helpful in selling the merch in all my shows in India…
The Royal Opera House was a indeed a triumphant night to remember, for all of us. For a reel on some of the architectural footage of the place, check out my Instagram post.