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The Asian Age

Dinner in Mumbai
Aug 25, 2014 - Lakshmi Govindrajan Javeri

Roger Hodgson’s over 40-year-old dream finally came true over the weekend when the former frontman of one of the hugely popular rock bands of the 70s, Supertramp, came to town. Hodgson finally visited Mumbai for a private performance at an industrialist’s wife’s birthday party, and boy was he overwhelmed! “I had absolutely no idea the kind of fan following Supertramp has in India. It transcended generations and it was most gratifying to receive that kind of appreciation in a country we hadn’t visited in our prime,” says Hodgson in an exclusive interview.

Supertramp enjoyed a number of major hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including Bloody Well Right, Give a Little Bit, Take the Long Way Home, Dreamer, Breakfast in America and Cannonball. Hodgson, like most of the artistes and bands of that time, has been deeply intrigued by Indian culture and spirituality, and even today continues to write on related topics.
Rock music in India was growing in the early 70s with an entire generation inspired Woodstockian melodies took to the likes of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Supertramp and more. Hodgson believes that had he chosen to visit India in the 70s, he probably wouldn’t have gone back. “I have no idea how India didn’t figure in our tour radar, particularly since we really did tour a lot. Also, the Indian influence on the Western world through Ravi Shankar, the Beatles and yoga, received much international press. Nevertheless, if I had visited India back in the 70s, I would have certainly stayed back. There’s such a strong, almost overwhelming vibe to the place. It’s hard not to get hooked onto it,” says the lifelong-vegetarian while digging into some paneer tikkas.
Hodgson spent all of three days in India while in the middle of a Germany tour and promises to return. “All this while I wanted to come to India for its spirituality. This trip has made me realise that I should be here for the music too. I’ll definitely come back,” he says.

Source:
http://www.asianage.com/music/dinner-mumbai-092