By Papri Das

Admirers of Indie music queen Monica Dogra, who have complaints with her newfound mainstream role as a reality television show judge, should be happy to know that she has no plans of giving up her ?do what your heart says? attitude, that so many independent artists resonate with.

Her appearance at the launch of Colors Infinity?s magnum opus reality show The Stage as one of the judges clearly reflects that thought. Right from her oversized gingham jacket cape designed by one of her patron labels Urvashi Joneja, her white Christian Louboutin stilettos to her yellow Alexander Wang shorts -- Dogra?s unique ensemble spoke for her undaunted spirit that is unafraid to tread on unchartered territories. 

While her flair for fashion has enamoured several fashionistas in the country, Dogra feels she is a ?dress down kind of a girl.? ?I am not a gown sequin lover? even when I have to dress up, my style today is what I usually go with,? says the leggy lass, who takes half the credit for assembling her look for the day along with Neha Bhogal and Sahdev Hooda.

Apart from this, Dogra also carried off her long sleek hair in a straight back brushed style courtesy Avni Rambia, who also did her make up.

Given her carefree yet stylish fashion statement, we couldn?t help but ask if she considers herself a fashionista. ?I approach art from every arena, including fashion or presentation as I would rather put it. I present myself in a way that helps me convey who I am. It changes, and I do experiment,? comes her quick response. She further explains how her love for music is deeply connected with her need to express herself through every means available. ?Lights, stage, costume, hair, video and dance -- all of that is as important to me as singing, music and voice,? she asserts.

For her look on The Stage, which goes on air on Colors Infinity from 10 October, Dogra has worked closely with Hooda. Her hair and makeup was done by her good friend Elton J Fernandez who also happens to be the face of Maybelline India.

?I am friends with a lot of filmmakers, artists and stylists. So we definitely collaborated throughout the show. It is exciting to be on mainstream media. I didn't take my look on screen lightly. I wore designers who support me and I support them back,? says Dogra before preparing us for some of the experiments she pulled off on screen. ?I have experimented my looks with ball gowns, Mohawks and weird jewellery. For me it just another method of self expression.?

Though the show is yet to go on air, Dogra is confident that she has been able to create a mark of her own fashion statement through her get ups. She already has a following for her on stage image -- be it dressing like her to copying her signature three dot tattoos on her face. ?It is an amazing feeling when I see a young artist expanding their vision through not just music but all other senses. It?s an expression of how people are not afraid to be who they are. Women are especially confident enough to have a voice and stick out in a way that isn't objectifying and still maintain their sensuality. That includes intelligence and self expression,? explains Dogra.

As a judge, viewers can expect Dogra to keep a keen eye on the contestant?s stage presence and their presentation along with their singing. ?Human beings are born to be different. We all have our own unique thumb print and and DNA and the same goes for fashion and personal style.What suits my body and my taste, may not necessarily suit you. So I won't have a set standard on which I will judge all the contestants. I have mostly gone with my instincts and tried to feel what makes them shine, and tried to guide them to achieve that potential in my own way,? Dogra signs off.

The glitz and glamour of fashion and entertainment world often blinds us to such an extent that we forget the people who are responsible for making our favourite stars and supermodels look the way they do when it's show time.

It is thanks to the hours of hard work and innovation that beauty experts and make up artists put in, that we we get an enhanced experience of movies and fashion shows, and stay up to date with international standards. Thus, Indian Beauty and Makeup (IBM) Awards remains one of the pioneering award shows in India that gives these unsung heroes their due acknowledgement.

This year?s chapter was a black tie evening that brought together Divyanka Tripathi, Harshali Zine, Singer Purva Mantri, Aakarshika Goyal, and other big names in the industry.

?These are the talents that create the characters we see on screen,? said Tripathi. ?Hand picked from a bevy of over a thousand nominees, these winners were curated by the special jury of Indian Beauty Awards 2015.?

Speaking on the importance of giving due credit to make up artists, television actress Zine said, ?Finding good hair and make-up artists is very crucial for our work as they help us understand our best look for various occasions and are updated with the latest Red Carpet Trends. I am sure the winners will be the ones who stole the spotlight with their craft this year.?

Apart from the awards to the best in hair and makeup artists, the evening also had some special awards for persons and companies for outstanding contributions to the industry.

By Jigar Ganatra

It?s time for the music lovers to be transported to a world of unadulterated music and dance. Vh1 Supersonic is back with its third edition and promises to take you yet again to the land of sand, surf and EPIC fun ? Goa. Supersonic?s definitive dance music experience has pumped up to bring together some of the world?s best artists on a common platform. The festival is to be held from 27 - 30 December, in Candolim, Goa.

The launch party of the event was recently held in Mumbai, where major names of the brands and artists who would enthral the music fans this year were announced. Talking about the launch of the third edition of the music festival, Viacom18 SVP and business head (LIVE)  Jaideep Singh said, ?Today?s announcement is a testimony to the spirit and promise to our fans to provide them with a holistic experiential experience. The third edition, with its exciting line-up of artists and association with the global music fraternity, will be an experience that fans will remember for a long time to come.?

The festival last year tasted success with around 100,000 dance music fans surrendering to the enigma of music played by famous artists such as Paul Van Dyk, Dash Berlin, Above & Beyond, Infected Mushroom, The Chainsmokers, BL3ND and many more. What's more? This year, it is touted to be a grander affair, by finding its way into the India?s must experience music festivals.

The festival will witness an interesting line up of three artists - Mexican American DJ Deoro, Canadian electro music duo Dylan Mamid, or DC and Zach Rapp-Rovan, better known as Zeds Dead and an English electronic music duo Howard and Guy Lawrence, popularly known as Disclosure.

Others in the line up include the UKF & Arm House, which was voted as the most amazing stage by Supersonic 2014, promises an enthralling experience by curating the Drum and Bass Stage for its fans. Adding to the excitement at the festival, will be one of the best techno organisations in the world - The Awakening ? who will curate the techno stage at the festival. 

Talking about LIVE Viacom 18, which organises the festival, Singh said, ?Our vision at LIVE Viacom18 is to reach out to aficionados of music, ignite the collective passion for dance music and fulfil the needs of devoted music lovers.?

By Jigar Ganatra

RP ? Sanjiv Goenka Group owned music label Saregama India has launched a new mobile app for music lovers. The Saregama Classical App was launched in Mumbai with blessings of the country's legendary classical musicians from the country - Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt. Jasraj, Gulzar Saab, Dr. Balamuralikrishna, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pt. Ajay Pohankar, Amaan and Ayan Ali Khan.

The Saregama Classical app launch event was a grand affair and began with the legendary sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons, Amaan and Ayan performing Rabindranath Tagore?s famous ?Ekla Chalo Re? and ?Raag Bhairavi.?

This is a one-of-a-kind and first mobile application, which makes Indian classical music available on the digital platform for download on iOS and Android platforms. The library consists of 8000+ musical works, 400+ artists and 50 radio stations across Hindustani, Carnatic and Fusion music, and is available in 172 other countries.

Saregama India managing director Vikram Mehra said that the app is for all those who enjoy classical music, and not only for those who are have technical knowledge about it. ?Research shows, with the decline of CDs ardent music lovers in India and across the globe find it difficult to discover and consume music by their favourite artists. Hence we decided to launch this unique app both for music connoisseurs, as well as those who want to be exposed to classical music. From the first recording of Ustad Bismillah Khan?s shehnai to fusions by Amaan and Ayan Ali Khan, the app encapsulates, through its radio stations, loads of anecdotes about artistes, instruments and ragas which will surely appeal to the Smartphone savvy music lover,? he said.

Talking about the associations and promotional strategies, Mehra said, ?We will be associating with a lot of concert halls across cities, as the target audience and visitors includes a lot of concert and music lovers, including youngsters too. Further, we have both ambitious targets and marketing budget to promote the application.? According to Mehra a lot of requests come from the market and customers themselves, and the app updates will be catered depending on their needs.

The Saregama Classical App is available for free on a seven-day trial period, post which a cost of Rs 99 would be applicable per month on activating the app. Saregama made this a paid app as not everyone values things available for free. However, Saregama has made sure that a discount of 33 per cent is available to those who opt for the annual plan. Several payment options have also been designed for the app.