Coffee, cupcakes and guitars

CHENNAI: If you've always wanted to learn the guitar but somehow never got around to it, perhaps now is the time to start. The city's first guitar cafe, Amaria, was launched recently. Quite the opposite of an instrument store or a music school arrangement, this one-of-a-kind establishment is geared up to attract more youngsters to music with its 'informal' set up. Says owner K J Mani, "I want people to walk in and feel comfortable to pick up a guitar and jam over a cup of coffee." The mantra is quite the opposite of most music stores in the city where youngsters sometimes feel inhibited by the silence and are even requested not to touch the instruments. The best part? If you don't know how to strum a few chords, there will always be someone around to show you the basics right there, while unwinding over cupcakes and a chilled mug of coffee with your friends."The idea came to me about seven months ago," says Mani's, Tanya. She smiles, "I recently finished a Masters in Gourmet baking and was looking to start something on my own, when we figured why not just combine the two!" One couldn't be sure whether it was her delicious pink icing topped cuppies or the three rock and metal acts that took the stage, but Amaria saw a crowd packed with school and college goers on its opening night. The evening was kicked off with The Untitled who got music lovers warmed up with popular covers such as Aicha (Outlandish) and an acoustic version of It's My Life (Bon Jovi). Next up was No Compromise, newcomers to the city's music circuit who added a touch of gospel to the setlist. The cheers no doubt got the loudest when popular metal band Nailed hit the stage. No surprise considering their lead vocalist and growler is a 13-year-old. They had the audience hooked all the way, especially when they got down to their own metal rendition of I Shot the Sheriff (Bob Marley)."We plan to do a lot of acoustic sessions," Mani reveals, and adds, "promote western talent in regional languages as well." Given that this guitar store-cum-cafe boasts of custom prints that range from skull faces to Hello Kitty, one can be sure that versatility on this musical platform is perhaps just a strum away.