Tarang, a musical extravaganza that showcases the India’s appreciable diversity, took place post-midnight on Monday. Bands from visiting colleges around the region perform a song of their choice—either a cover or an original composition. Although delayed by the late arrival of the judges, Tarang took place in front of a packed auditorium. The judges were the members of a band called Hansraj Projekt, a well-known contemporary fusion ensemble in the Delhi circuit.

The curtains opened to a performance by the Music Club, BITS Pilani. They played a well-blended mix of classical and rock music which had a uniform pace to it. Their guitarist stood out in particular, pumping up the crowd with his guitar solo. Their drummer wrapped up their performance with an impressive roll. Next up, NIIT played covers of old Hindi songs like Om Shanti Om and Urvashi. Their elaborate lights and sounds check raised everyone’s hopes, and the act did prove to be as good as promised with a powerful vibe maintained throughout.

Gurukul, BITS Pilani, also played an infusion of classical music and rock. The male and female lead vocalists combined to form a pleasant contrast of voices, delighting the home crowd. Their strong drum beats gradually faded into a slow, groovy keyboard tune towards the end. PDM University introduced the theme of their songs with punchlines, and delivered a stellar performance with recognizable songs like Dil Me Baji Guitar, that the crowd loved. The musicians from IIT-BHU presented an original composition titled O Haseena. While their quality music could be appreciated by even a casual music lover, their performance was relatively mellow and lacked the energy of the previous acts.

After a short break for the judges, the competition resumed with JIRS’s upbeat Phir Se Udd Chala. The band had more vocalists than others and their retro music had a uniquely resonant quality which enthralled the audience. They also introduced the first Hindi rapper of the event, who delivered a strong solo. The event had now extended into the wee hours of the morning, and the crowd had considerably thinned. Manav Rachna University arrived to a half-asleep crowd, but to their credit, managed to get things going again with a powerful performance. Soulful vocals which were well complemented by drummers generated a loud round of applause.

St. Xavier’s Jaipur had a confident vocalist and a crew that seemed to be just enjoying the moment. As opposed to wild guitar or drums sequences, they chose to display quiet, confident renditions of original performances. Trinity College performed last, with a unique fusion of Sufi and rock. Their performance was an amalgamation of lead voices with varying ranges, which sounded melodious and had rich undertones. Theirs was the only act to include beat-boxing, which provided an interesting touch to their performance.

Each team presented a fresh, individual perspective, employing different techniques to pull off unique performances that made the event competitive and filled with variety. The Department of Controls is expected to release the results soon.