‘Micless with Merakee’ unites music lovers in song
Well, the unique musical gathering, ‘Micless with Merakee,’ where the onus of the singing lies on the audience is truly a haven for music enthusiasts in Hyderabad.
Hyderabad: Isn’t it a dream to be able to jam with your friends to your favourite tunes, uninhibited, and without anyone to judge you? All the while hundreds of strangers join the harmonious singing, embracing the sheer joy of music?
Well, the unique musical gathering, ‘Micless with Merakee,’ where the onus of the singing lies on the audience is truly a haven for music enthusiasts in Hyderabad.
Orchestrated by the Telugu band ‘Merakee,’ a brainchild of Ganesh Krovvidi, the lead singer of the band, and his cousin Vidya Sivalenka, the musical event is usually hosted bi-monthly. However, currently, Ganesh performs in clubs and events in the city as ‘Ganesh Live’, a subset of ‘Merakee.’
The Telugu cover band includes Sunny and Raj on guitar, Vishal on drums, and NVP Sai on keys. While Vidhya and Ganesh take centre stage, additional musicians join the ‘micless’ events based on scale and participation.
“We kicked off the micless gig with just 40 of us at the cosy Terresan Café back in 2019—mostly friends and mutual friends. Fast forward to August this year, our 11th edition rocked Satya Sai Nigamagamam with a massive turnout of over 1,000 folks. It’s all about connecting with fellow music buffs and carving out our little corner. Singing with strangers and sharing the music vibe is just pure bliss,” shared Ganesh.
Ganesh acknowledges that the initial idea for the concept was borrowed from Badri Sheshadri’s ‘Mottomaadi Music’ in Chennai. According to Ganesh, when the team approached Badri to inquire about creating the Telugu chapter, he not only gave immediate consent but also expressed gratitude for seeking permission. Notably, Badri didn’t ask for any royalties and readily granted legal approval for them to bring the concept to Hyderabad.
Lavanya Allam, a music enthusiast who participated in one of these sessions, says, “It’s a refreshing break for those who love Telugu live music. These sessions create a strong sense of community. Unlike traditional music events, here we sing at the top of our lungs, regardless of how well or badly we sing.”
While Band Merakee would update the dates of the event on its Instagram page, Dinesh, who started Merakee in 2018, is also looking forward to releasing his original compositions every month, starting next year. Additionally, he plans to revert the name of ‘Ganesh Live’ to ‘Merakee’, a change made in 2021 for unforeseen reasons.