All-woman band 'Lotus' to perform in Chennai on Women's Day

CHENNAI: Imagine the flow of strong and confident female energy when five female instrumentalists from different parts of the country perform at a gig. Lotus, an all-woman band, comprising five experienced artistes will be performing in the city on International Women’s Day. Ahead of their all-instrument performance, we caught up with the saxophonist of the band, MS Lavanya. This instrumentalist has carved a niche for herself in the Limca Book of Records for being the only accomplished female saxophonist in the country.

She is the disciple of legendary Kadri Gopalnath, and specialises in classical, fusion and jazz music. “The upcoming concert is special. Five of us were handpicked by Event Art run by Lakshmi and Saraswathi. It’s quite common for the instrumentalists to get sidelined in a performance with the focus falling on the vocalists. Here we will be in the limelight,” said Lavanya who currently lives in Mumbai. She has been playing saxophone since 16.

Along with Lavanya, four other women were selected for the gig. The band comprises Rageshri Dhummal from Nashik on the keyboard, Siddhi Shah from Indore on drums, Soumya Sanathanan from Bihar on percussion and Somdatta Sen from Chennai on guitar. A musical gig with just instruments has its ups and downs. “Every instrument is different.

All of us come from different schools of music and training. It was important that we understood each other’s limitations and came to terms with our difference of opinions. The next challenge was to find a time slot for jamming sessions. Every one had their schedules and concerts lined up. Whenever we found the time, there would be a jam session,” said Lavanya. 

Their upcoming two-hour concert is going to have three main pieces — world fusion, pop and folk songs. “Chennaiites love loud music. Considering it’s going to be only instruments, we’ve made sure there’s a variety to keep them grooving throughout.

The choice of songs stem from the ulterior motive to celebrate feminine power. The numbers on our playlist are bold and meaningful songs. The performance will resonate all aspects of womanhood and its challenges. We five soul sisters will come together to spread the message of power and freedom for women through our music,” said Lavanya. Lotus will be performing on March 8 at Phoenix MarketCity from 6.30 pm.

Jazz conversations 
MS Lavanya is the disciple of legendary Kadri Gopalnath. She has performed in over 5,000 shows, and for many renowned musicians. The artiste specialises in classical, fusion and jazz music.