Our performance for the jawans was an emotional one: Prakash Sontakke

Bengaluru-based musician Prakash Sontakke’s band, Dr Prakash Sontakke Group, was recently invited by the Indian armed forces to perform for the jawans at Siachen and Kargil. And the musician recalls it as an experience of a lifetime.
This was the fourth time that Prakash performed for jawans, but this time was unlike any other before. “I think it was the first time in history that civilians have been allowed to enter the army base camps at Kargil and Siachen.Earlier performances have been in auditoriums where jawans come to attend the performance, but this time we took the performance to them,” says Prakash who has visited Leh thrice before to perform and cheer for the Indian army.
The band’s latest performance will always be special for them since it was at the main base camp in Siachen and Kargil. Being a heavily-guarded facility, they had to leave after a couple of hours. Prakash tells us that the band entered the performance area with just one thought. “Our goal was to create an enjoyable experience for our soldiers, so that they can relax and destress. For this, we had an interesting concoction of fusion, with old Bollywood songs and patriotic numbers. The songs resonated with the armed forces, as many joined in to sing,” he says.
Did the band members face any challenges with performing at such high altitudes? “The eight-day-long stay was nothing compared to our earlier performances for the armed forces. Adjusting to singing and performing at such high altitudes is hard. It took us three days to acclimatise. It was an emotional experience, as we got to learn first-hand the tough conditions that our jawans have to be in to protect us. I would love to go back again to perform for them,” Praksh says.
The six-member band consists of Kartik Raman (vocals), Karthik Bhat (tabla), Vishal Naidhruv (keyboard), Col Venudhar Singh Sisodia (bass guitar), Anurag Sontakke (acoustic guitar) and Prakash (slide guitar and vocals).