My first experience of watching the Naval Band perform was when I was in college in Pune. I was so impressed I bought the CD while leaving the performance. A couple of years back, attending the Beating the Retreat even at Raisana Hill, I found that the naval contingents were the most spirited and fun and eye-catching. This recent video of the naval contingent practising for the Republic Day Parade went viral recently and it is easy to see why:
The band can be heard playing the song Parda from Once Upon A Time In Mumbai and we even hear the rousing Monica O My Darling refrain. As the men in uniform keep time to the music, they clearly seem to be enjoying themselves and we can hear a few hoots as well.
This actually is representative of the fauji life where the social life is great. Personnel and their families form close knit communities with farewells and welcome parties as well as unit events such as Rum Punch, Bada Khana and so on.
Military personnel devise their own entertainment. Stationed often in remote locations, it becomes necessary to do this. Some interesting and amusing traditions have also been built over the years. The Air Force for instance has the tradition of everyone getting together to toss the departing officer up in the air at his or her farewell party – something called Chuck Luck.
The video posted by a GoI handle went viral because people tend to enjoy these glimpses into the life and work of our men and women in uniform.
Indian military bands usually have a mixed bag of old marching tunes that date back to colonial times along with new ones, patriotic songs and other melodies from Hindi films. Those who play for the various military bands are very talented musicians – and the bands will often perform original compositions created by the band conductor or other band member.
Living and working with other dedicated, enthusiastic young personnel, the morale of these units is high; their passion infectious. These guys are clearly having fun and this is good to watch.
The Republic Day Parade is a significant event each year where India’s culture, as well as military might, is showcased. These spirited young men are indeed something that we can all be proud of.
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