Indian Air Force band regales public with lilting tunes
By ANISunday, February 27, 2011
NEW DELHI - Visitors to the Central Park at Connaught Place were given a pleasant surprise late on Saturday evening, when the Indian Air Force Band arrived to play some of its famed lilting tunes.
The band played ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon’ and other popular tunes in its repertoire.
The audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy the ambience created by tunes that ranged from the soulful ‘Havana’ to the sensational ‘Waka Waka’; ‘Dancing Queen’ to ‘Zubi Doobi’ to ‘Kaisi Kaise Paheli Zindagani’ and many other musical scores by the popular choice.
From the earliest times, music has been a soul stirring accompaniment to the men of arms, acting as a catalyst of exciting passion and inspiring them to go forth and conquer. Military bands enliven the spirit, strengthen the mood and help in promoting pride and camaraderie.
The first Air Force Band was raised in the year 1944 at the Royal Air Force Station, Kohat, in North Western Frontier Province.
Today there were eight bands in the Indian Air Force. Progressing from the delightful martial music, successive conductors of the bands enhanced the range of its repertoire to include arrangements of symphonies, overtures and concertos as well as other forms of contemporary music including the Indian Classical.
These bands have been performing at various ceremonies and official functions.
A member of the worldwide Military Music Society, the Air Force Band has performed in India as well as abroad at Bangkok, Finland, France, Italy, Kaula Lumpur International Tattoo, ILA Berlin Air Show, French National Day Celebration and recently on India’s Independence Day Celebration at Dhaka, Bangladesh. (ANI)
