Mumbai’s first one-man band

Playing a number of instruments since a young age, Gladson, an otherwise ordinary Mumbai boy, has discovered a new way to put smiles on people’s faces. He is a one-man band, a concept new to India and often misunderstood. Largely practised by musicians abroad, a one-man band refers to the ability to play a number of instruments all at once by the same person. In order to appreciate this art, it is important to understand its complexity and the effort put in to bring alive a band, orchestrated by one person alone.

The history

Starting off with NSPA (Natural Streets for Performing Art), Gladson has performed publicly on the ukulele. Recently, he fixed his goal on doing something unique, as he built his own set-up for the band, which would go as a harness on his back. “When I was in the eighth standard, I illustrated my dream on a piece of paper. My dream was to play a number of instruments all at once and to bring forth music that is wholesome,” he says.
“The idea of a one-man band goes way back into history; it’s not a new style,” he adds. If you have watched the famous music video by Coldplay titled A Sky Full of Stars you may be able to get a sense of the concept. However, each instrument has its own drawbacks in terms of the genre that you can play. Gladson expressed a conflictthat he faces. “I can only play upbeat tunes and not soulful music, which has a beauty of its own because it sets the mood right away.”

What’s hot

Currently teaching music to others, Gladson is also gearing up for well-known talent show, India’s Got Talent. Clearing all the preliminary rounds, it came as a surprise to him when he got through to the qualifying round of the competition, which is likely to kick-start around end of May.
It’s fascinating to watch him wear more than 12 instruments and play them in a coordinated fashion. Some of the instruments used by him are the bass drum, snare drum, hit-hat cymbals, acoustic guitar, pianica/melodica, harmonica, kazoo, slide whistle, tambourine and ghungroos.When asked whether he preferred one instrument over the other, he says, “The drums and the ukulele have always been my favourite instruments, but I’d never shy away from experimenting with new methods of making music.”
Perched perfectly on his back the whole set-up weighs more than 25 kg. Yet, with a smile on his face, Gladson continues to practise near his residence as passersby wait to watch, cheer and applaud. You can catch the one-man band soon on the much-awaited India’s Got Talent, or you can watch him play live at various venues across the city via the NSPA group.