Riyaaz: Shaking up Hong Kong's Live Music Scene with 'The Zero Point'

Live music event The Zero Point will make its debut at Grappa's Cellar on December 10. This celebration of South Asian sounds caused such excitement in Hong Kong that tickets sold out within days of release. For sneak peeks and news of future events, keep your eye on the Facebook page.

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For all you live music junkies whose itch for shows cannot be scratched by a mere weekend of Clockenflapping, fret not. Hong Kong musical group Riyaaz is bringing a new and unique South Asian line-up to the city at its first event, The Zero Point. A game changer for Hong Kong's live music circuit, The Zero Point aims to revive the intimacy of the scene in the 852, with acoustic vibes from artists across the globe in the cosy living room setting of iconic venue Grappa's Cellar.

From funk, RnB, and soul, to sufi, folk, Bollywood, and Hindustani classical, The Zero Point promises not to be your average gig. We catch up with the four women behind the group Riyaaz - Muskaan Samtani, Suhani Jain, Supriya Mundhra, Radhika Ahuja - ahead of the big night to find out how they want to change live music in Hong Kong.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58arwgreXs8[/embed]

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 What's the inspiration for bringing Riyaaz and The Zero Point to Hong Kong?

We've all had amazing experiences collaborating with South Asian musicians throughout our lives, but after moving to Hong Kong we felt a void. There wasn't a collaborative space for musicians to try new things without the pressure of competition, or the worry of filling up a show. In addition, the South Asian music scene in Hong Kong is almost non-existent, other than huge Bollywood music nights or celebrity DJ acts, which are completely misrepresentative of the musical reality in the subcontinent. There are amazing things happening, like live shows with independent and alternative music. In countries like India and Pakistan, shows like Coke Studio and MTV Unplugged have a real focus on the artist and their music - and they're hugely popular. Riyaaz came about because we, the four of co-founders, all shared the same musical vision. We wanted to try and blend aspects of the various genres of music that exist within South Asia. We all come from slightly different backgrounds and enjoy different types of music like movie tunes, independent bands, classical songs, sufi ghazals, pop tunes, and sounds from around the world; jazz, RnB, pop, folk, soul, Persian folk, and Latin fusion. The Zero Point is our first show together, along with about 20 others who were searching for an outlet to collaborate, discover, and perform music. We've created a more fresh and interactive listening experience than what people are used to, by choosing an intimate venue, featuring a young and dynamic cast, and showcasing music that is current and edgy, yet tasteful.

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Tell us about yourselves and the roles you play in Riyaaz ...

[caption id="attachment_77214" align="alignleft" width="120"] Muskaan - The Budgeter[/caption] Muskaan: Aside from being a singer and a performer, I have the crucial task of raising funds, making sense of excel sheets, and keeping a strict eye on budget. Outside of Riyaaz, I head business development for an Edutech firm in Hong Kong while being a new mommy on the block. With a strong background in events management in Canada and Hong Kong, I most recently served as assistant producer for In Harmony, a novel music show which debuted last year.