What’s a bar without good music?

General manager of Ista Hotels, Vishvapreet Singh Cheema and DJ Jasmeet discuss the importance of music and a night life in an urban landscape...

Jasmeet: You are handling one of the most important hotels in the city that has an interesting bar attached to it. So, what kind of music do you listen to?
Vishvapreet Singh Cheema: I listen to all kinds of music; however, the kind of music we play in Liquid is quite selective. Since, we have a lot of expats coming to our hotel; we give them a flavour of world music. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t like Bollywood music. That’s the kind of music we connect with too...

J: That’s great and yes, what’s without Bollywood music in the house. So, if you have to choose your favourite bar in the city, which one would you pick?
VSC:I think it would be my bar (laughs). Ours apart, I really like Blue Bar. Be it the ambience or the kind of cocktails they serve, I think that’s my favourite in the city. They have positioned it really well.

J: Since you are from Mumbai, what do you think about Bangalore clubs and pubs? And, what do think a good bar should comprise of?
VSC: I think every place has its own charm and face and we need to accept them in that way. Whenever I visit a bar, I need a face to connect with it. The service — starting from the bartenders to the food they serve, needs to be consistent. There are a couple of places here, where the service has been consistent. But there have been times when they boggle up with their service. And not to forget, even music plays an important role for bars.
 
J: I completely agree to what you say. And, yes, a bar is nothing without good music. However, there have been cases where bars and clubs have gone down because of the wrong music. I also find people with severe identity crisis. For instance, many people here deny playing Bollywood music because they don’t think that’s ‘cool’. What’s your take on this?

VSC: Though every bar has a face and USP, I think we need to give a taste of Indian music to the expats who visit the bars. But, now the scenario seems to be changing, with a day dedicated to Bollywood music. Be it hip hop, Bollywood or live acts, I think Bangalore seems to accept them all. The people here too, are very polite and that’s what I really like about the city.