Rocking the Hall with Music. (Vasudha Badri Paul | Siliconeer)

Bollywood music fans crowded to San Jose to watch the legendary Shankar-Ehsaas-Loy trio perform. The location was San Jose State University Event Center, April 29, the agenda was to raise funds for the non-profit, Sankara Eye Foundation. (@Siliconeer, #Siliconeer, #Bollywood, #ShankarEhsanLoy, #SankaraEyeFoundation, #Sankara, #concert, #Music)

Bollywood music fans crowded to San Jose to watch the legendary Shankar-Ehsaas- Loy trio perform at San Jose State University Event Center, April 29. The agenda was to raise funds for the non-profit, Sankara Eye Foundation. San Jose, CA is the first performance for the team, followed by tours to four other cities in the U.S. – Seattle, Dallas, Austin, and Newark, NJ.

Let there be “Smart” light show. (Vasudha Badri Paul | Siliconeer)
Let there be “Smart” light show. (Vasudha Badri Paul | Siliconeer)

The musicians played a mix of new and old songs, not at all surprising, as the team has been performing for 20 years. A tribute to R.D. and S.D. Burman imparted nostalgic memories of the father-son composers. The popular song “Kal Ho Na Ho” was well appreciated and its chorus amplified by singers in the crowd. The lively audience danced to upbeat songs and showered the singers with their appreciation. Some Tamil, Marathi, and other regional songs were interspersed with Hindi songs, much to the delight of the diverse Indian audience.

The previous evening, the team had a date with the press at the Hilton in San Jose, Calif. The questions by the press revealed the inner working of the team. In response to questions about what inspired them, they said that they were influenced by many genres of music – Pop, Blues, Rock, Jazz, and Classical. The fluidity and adaptability of their music attests to this. They are constantly adding new flavors to their composition. Shankar mentioned that even Pop singers such as Taylor Swift have been an influence in their music creation, as represented by their current tracks.

Artists at a press meet at Hilton in San Jose, Calif., April 28. (Vasudha Badri Paul | Siliconeer)
Artists at a press meet at Hilton in San Jose, Calif., April 28. (Vasudha Badri Paul | Siliconeer)

Shankar says he owes it to his mother for his journey into music. He has a song that is dedicated to mothers that is ever so popular. “Do you fight over music?” “All the time” was the quick response. Different ideas bring healthy arguments and helps innovate. Siddarth Mahadevan, Shankar’s son was also present at the tour. The younger generation of singers on stage also included Prakriti, Sukriti, Raman, and Rasika.

Siddarth mentioned that he was excited about his first tour outside India and he would be performing a few of his recent songs.  He says the team has taught him to keep music above everything else and stay original, fresh, and innovative. Shankar stated that quality in music counts as it will bring you longevity in the current industry where non-musicians can bring a song to become #1 in the charts.

Talented ladies perform. (Vasudha Badri Paul | Siliconeer)
Talented ladies perform. (Vasudha Badri Paul | Siliconeer)

Funds from the proceeds from the musical events are for the charity organization, Sankara Eye Foundation. Sankara Eye Foundation gives free eye surgeries to children and adults in India who are visually handicapped. Sankara has a chain of 13 eye hospitals comprising a team of 200 doctors, 600 paramedical professionals, 275 support staff and total bed strength of 1,800. It has treated and performed more than 1.2 million Free Eye Care surgeries and every day about 500 eye care surgeries are performed in Sankara Hospitals. The movement was founded by Dr. R.V. Ramani and Dr. Radha Ramani in 1977. Currently there are 13 hospitals all over India, from the South to the North, with 3 more opening in the near future, in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Hyderabad.