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The Hindu
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
A song that captures the vibe of Bengaluru's Cubbon Park
A young couple walks along a lane in Cubbon Park, each carrying a single long-stemmed rose, shoulders grazing, eyes interlocked, clearly in the courting stage. A few yards away, in the parking lot, a young man wearing silver cufflinks and a barrister's band, is getting into his car while on the lawns beyond, a few older men are in deep siesta, their rhythmic snores interjected by the squeak of bounding squirrels, the caws of crows and the rustle of leaves dancing in the wind. Adjacent to this, at Queen's Park, a young woman in a sari fixes her camera to a stand and begins recording her Bollywood-style dance moves, while tourists convene near the statue of Edward VII aka 'Bertie', their casual jeans, sneakers and backpacks, starkly contrasting with the former king's close-fitting breeches, long cloak and dapper shoes. It is this laidback, eclectic vibe of the park that a recently-released song, 'Cubbon Park', is trying to capture, explains Derek Mathias, who wrote this song last January while on a flight to Nagaland. 'I was on my laptop, and I thought I'd just write something because I hadn't written anything for a while,' says the Bengaluru-based musician and leader of the band, Derek & The Cats, as we settle on one of the benches situated amidst the undulating green of the park, insulated from traffic and the general bustle unfurling around it. The song made him feel ' content and happy… like a Sunday morning.' For Derek, a true-blue Bengalurean and trained classical pianist who began learning to produce and record his music in college, Sunday mornings are also inevitably linked to Cubbon Park. 'I was trying to visualise this Sunday morning feeling, and since I've come here on Sunday mornings, calling it Cubbon Park seemed like a really apt thing. This place has had a positive impact on my life.' 'Cubbon Park', which was released on YouTube on June 1, is an ode to the park, offering an immersive experience of what the city's green lung looks and feels like on a weekend morning. In the video, a live performance of Derek & The Cats at the park is interspersed with footage of trees and lawns, bounding dogs, people playing badminton and frisbee, taking a ride on the toy train or boat, having breakfast at Airlines Hotel, and some regulars offering sound bites about what makes the park special. 'You come to Cubbon Park in the morning, take your dog for a walk, enjoy the space, go to Airlines, relax under that big banyan tree, have masala dosa and coffee and go home,' says Derek. 'That is the full experience…the emotion I wanted to capture.' The journey The band, which consists of Derek on the piano, Adesh Vinod on the guitar, Joel Rozario on percussion, Vishal Varier on bass, Kenneth Besterwitch on drums, Gautam David on saxophone and Anand Murali on keyboard, began working on the music video in March this year. While they had already been playing the song at various venues nationwide, testing and modifying it based on how people responded to the music, Derek wanted to release it only once the video was ready. 'I was particular that it had to come out with a video,' he says, pointing out that since the band makes instrumental music, 'it is hard for someone to just hear a melody, and think, Cubbon Park. We needed to find a way to document it.' Since professional photography is prohibited in Cubbon Park, they had to get creative, using an iPhone 16 Pro, a GoPro, Insta360 and RayBan Meta glasses to document the park over several weekends. 'I am an engineer: jugaad is the way to do things,' he says, with a laugh. They even borrowed Appam, a friend's dog and attached the GoPro to his leash to 'document Cubbon Park through their (dogs') eyes,' he says. In May this year, the band performed at the century-old bandstand in Cubbon Park, which has been revived recently, 'one of the best gigs I've ever played,' admits Derek. Unlike in a regular gig, where the performance takes place in dark, smoky venues at night, this gig occurred early in the morning, he recounts. 'There was greenery, Sunday morning breeze, completely open…it felt so inspiring to perform our music there…such a great way to start the day,' he says. 'We were just really happy.' Derek hopes that 'Cubbon Park', which will be included in the band's second album that will be released in August, will make an impact. 'If a person from Bengaluru watches this video, they should feel nostalgic. And if someone from outside watches the video, they should say 'Wow, this is a place I'd like to go to',' he says. In his opinion, people do not know enough about Bengaluru, and he hopes the song will help change this. 'We are a Bengaluru band, and if a band from Bengaluru doesn't spread its culture, who will?' he asks. 'Most of us in the band are born and raised here, so it has to be us.' You can listen to Cubbon Park at
The Hindu
07-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Hindu
This Garden Cafe in Bengaluru will make you feel like you are dining in Lalbagh
Bengaluru loves a cute cafe. Foodstories is the new gourmet grocery store at Lavelle Road in Bengaluru. And the store has a picturesque cafe, aptly titled The Garden Cafe, adjunct to it. Along with an old school charm, the cafe prioritises fresh produce and wellness, with ingredients such as sea buckthorn, moringa, marine collagen, ashwagandha and hemp oil. After a busy morning, I head to there for my brunch fix. Located next to the famous Airlines Hotel, the cafe catches one's eye from the street. Interior designer Vinita Chaitanya is the brains behind the 70-seater. It has a charming greenhouse style, Victorian lamps and fans, and floral arrangements on each table. It is reminiscent of the Bengaluru's iconic Lalbagh greenhouse. We start with a tour of the store. It offers gourmet products, and several experience and interactive centres. Homegrown and international brands are stocked on the shelves. Sip of wellness The glass roof makes the cafe rather warm in the afternoon, something I hope the team fixes soon. The beautiful rattan fans did little to help. The coffee here is from Nandan, a Mumbai-based brand that sources its beans from an estate in Kodaikanal. The coffee menu has options such as lattes and flat whites, selections of cold brews, and the house specials. From the specials I try the seasonal yuzu cold brew tonic. Fizzy, citrusy and refreshing it is perfect for a summer morning. The raspberry latte is pretty and delicious; the drink is topped with dried raspberry for an added crunch. From the juicery, I try the coco chia cooler. Coconut water, tender coconut, chia seeds and marine collagen. All the drinks can be levelled up with wellness ingredients such as hemp oil, vegan collagen, moringa, ashwagandha, sea buckthorn or protein powder. What we ate The food menu has all day breakfast, salads, small personal plates and large plates. A pomelo and mango salad is the first to arrive. The dish has shredded pomelo, baby spinach, arugula, small cucumbers, mango, and for texture: puffed rice. The dressing is light. You can top this up with roast chicken, or curried prawns. Next on the table is the chili mac and cheese. The menu said it comes with a homemade cheese sauce, but to my surprise it is a green pesto-like sauce. The nomenclature mix-up aside, the dish was creamy. I try a pinsa, a hand pressed flatbread from Rome. Mine is topped with burrata, roasted pumpkin, pine nuts and artichokes. I am not a fan of this style of bread, however the toppings are fresh and tasty. The Ligurian croissantwich is a delightful croissant-sandwich. The freshly baked croissant from the store is stuffed with basil pesto, burrata cheese and heirloom tomatoes. This is a hit around the table. For dessert, we try the trendy and viral Gianduja croissant cube. Croissant-style bread is baked into a cube shape. The pastry is not only topped with Gianduja chocolate, it also has a chocolate stuffing. The pastry is flaky ,while the chocolate is decadent. I enjoy this sweet treat. Unfortunately, the service is slow and erratic; I hope these are teething issues that are resolved as things settle down. With some climate control, the Garden Cafe can be Bengaluru's new favourite pretty spot, thanks to its proximity to the city centre and Cubbon Park. ₹1,500 for two. At Lavelle Road. For more details, call 9004171401
