In light of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, the unprecedented increase in the number of Coronavirus positive cases in Mumbai, and the curbs set up by Maharashtra government to curtail its spread, most concerts, private gigs and stage events in the city stand cancelled or postponed.

Live performances that had picked up quite well in the last quarter of 2021, have all quieted down to a large extent under the current circumstances in Mumbai, despite it being the season for live music shows, concerts, events, college festivals and wedding gigs. The Maharashtra government has banned large gatherings and also put restrictions on the number of people that can attend events. That apart, in the last few days, Mumbai’s singer-musician community has had multiple Covid-positive cases including Sonu Nigam, Vishal Dadlani, Shankar Mahadevan and others. While musicians agree that the situation is tough, they urge fans to mask up and stay safe, and also talk about how this current phase will impact the music industry, once again.

“About 80% of the events have been postponed. It is extremely saddening for the people who work in the live entertainment industry, especially those who survive on daily wages. It’s also very difficult for musicians. I have already started getting messages from people who are worried about what’s going to happen, but I am positive that this won’t last for very long,” says Rahul Vaidya.

Shalmali Kholgade says, “I just got back from a holiday, ready to begin working again, but it looks like I will have to wait. Although I would have loved to get back to it, several of my shows are either cancelled or postponed. Unpredictable is the new normal and we must adapt to that as well, just like we’ve adapted to other things in the past. I’ve decided to focus my energies on completing my album.”

Kavita Krishnamurti shares, “All my engagements have been cancelled. Though concerts were beginning to start a couple of months ago, the pace was still slow compared to the pre-COVID scenario. It’s going to be very difficult for artistes who depend on live gigs for their livelihood. The situation is really bad now and I do hope that some organisations raise money for these artistes through online events and fundraisers.”

Arko says, “I’ve just arrived in LA from Chicago after a music video shoot and judging a singing competition. My recording has been cancelled as my music producer and family tested positive. So, I understand the loss of work due to this pandemic again. But we have to be patient. A couple of years of difficulty will be forgotten in the long run, but we can’t afford to be ‘penny wise pound foolish’ by ignoring the health scare.”

“Just as we began to go back to normalcy, events started to get cancelled. But, this is something that we have to live with now. Musicians and performers have to work out a way to live and we have to work out an alternate way of life. The performance industry has really suffered in the last two years and it’s about to suffer some more now. These two to three months are crucial for us because there are a lot of weddings, concerts, college festivals that usually happen. The earnings of musicians, performers, people in the events industry, stage artistes are affected. Having said that, I’m still performing at some events and I feel grateful about that. These are small private gatherings and weddings in smaller cities,” the musician shares.

Akriti Kakar says three of her gigs have been cancelled in January itself. “Just when we felt that things were getting better, with artistes travelling extensively, and weddings and concerts returning, this new variant came in to walk all over us again. I hope this phase passes soon and we can resume our work again. If it does not, then it will severely impact those who depend solely on live gigs, just like in the first and second wave,” she shares.

She says, “It was exciting to start travelling again for concerts. Things were picking up in November 2021 and it felt incredible to be on the road. But, things have gone quiet again and almost everyone I know seems to be catching the new variant. I find myself feeling low quite often and it's counterproductive. There’s a lot of studio work to do from home, but the heart is hurting from all of this, making it hard to make music.”

“It’s heartbreaking to see that just when we were all gearing up for a good season, events are getting cancelled or postponed. It’s both depressing and scary. But yes, health is a priority, so let’s hope we get through this quickly. Everyone please mask up and stay safe,” the singer urged.

Composer duo Sachin-Jigar shares that they have cancelled many of their gigs keeping the current situation in mind. “The whole live entertainment industry will take a hit because of this situation. January to March was slated to be the peak shaadi season, but we are hoping the situation improves by April-May. The last two years have been terrible. We know a lot of musicians who left Mumbai and went back to their hometowns for alternative means of income.”