'Music an integral part of India’s rich culture and heritage'

Loya, IHCL-Taj: Loya is the pride of the Taj Group, being its flagship restaurant that aims to showcase authentic and long-preserved dishes of the north of India. Now, in a first-of-its-kind move, the brand has launched its very own music album, which has been composed by musician Shreyas Patkar. 

“Loya is an invitation to experience the sheer grandiosity of the North — ranging from the spirited festivals to the mellow folk tunes. The lunch hours emulate the latter, with a brighter, more soothing ambience featuring tastefully placed lights and soulful music. In contrast, during dinner hours, we dim the lights and accentuate the tables with Indian diyas. And the discography switches to a lively mix of upbeat tracks from the new Loya Album. At all times, our ambience remains elevated yet comfortable, so our guests can settle in and feel truly immersed,” says Taljinder Singh, Senior Vice President and Brand Custodian of IHCL. 

To understand about the concept and the idea behind the launch of the music album specifically made for Loya, BW HOTELIER spoke with Singh in detail. 

Excerpts:

Can you talk about the inspiration behind launching a music album?

Music is an integral part of India’s rich culture and heritage and at Loya, we wanted to offer our guests a sensory experience that is unique, immersive and showcases their commitment to bringing together the best of the region and the world.

Everything we do at Loya is heartfelt just like our beverage philosophy of Panjj or Paanch, meaning ‘five’, is our take on drinks inspired by the number ‘5’ and its great significance across India. From the five rivers of the North to the five senses, the five elements of life, and closer home, in the five tenets of Loya’s cocktail philosophy — Harmony, Experimentation, Authenticity, Reverence, and The Spirit that come together to signify the HEART of the North. 

Guests can immerse themselves in the Paanch sections of this menu for a taste of the North’s botanical abundance, time-honoured techniques and heirloom ingredients. A truly heady journey, enabled by a selection of potent Indian spirits.

What role does music play in enhancing the guest experience at restaurants?

This album is an evocative collection of classical, indie, and instrumental sets, including the anthem. The music is a perfect blend of regional folklore, poetry, and instruments, offset by international tonality to cater to the tastes of global patrons.

We invite our guests on a musical journey that celebrates the cultural diversity and heritage of North India. The album was born out of a desire to offer customers a complete sensory experience. This album is a testament to our passion and creativity that goes in every dish we serve.

How does the music album encompass the spirit of Loya? Can you briefly talk about the collaboration and production process? How does it complement the overall dining experience?

The music philosophy of Loya manifests itself into an evocative album featuring our anthem and a medley of classical, indie and instrumental sets composed by the accomplished Mr. Shreyas Patkar. He offsets regional vocals — a blend of Northern folklore, poetry, and instruments — using international tonality, to capture the diversity of the region.

For early diners, who may be business-orientated guests, the music, while louder in volume than lunch hours, is never deafening, and does not interfere with conversations is focused on the instrumental tracks from the album like Tantu Waltz – The appetising waltz of Jugalbandi – a western rhythmic pattern and Jugalbandi – an Indian classical feature of Indian instruments. 

Post 9 pm, the tempo and pace of the music increases. The volume gets louder, the tempo gets higher, and the pace is racier. It invites a younger set of guests, encourages gatherings at the bar, and gets feet tapping with tracks like Soundhi March – An ode to north Indian farmers and their devoted efforts, male vocals for this track are from Punjabi Folk singers 

What are the future plans for Loya in terms of expanding their culinary offerings?

Inspired by the local term that means “gathering for a feast”, Loya is a coming together of the most cherished recipes from the North. Our search for the authentic and the long-preserved dishes brought us here. There is a sense of theatre to the menu — the drama of “dhungar” or smoke, slow cooking that results in rich flavours, the energetic pounding of spices by hand, and the final flourish of flavour from the "baghar" or tempering of spices in hot oil. 

Taking these authentic techniques now to Bangalore in another iconic hotel of Taj – Taj West end and then open in Mumbai by late this year.