When the invite came in early Jan to perform at the Bangkok Jazz festival, I couldn't believe my ears!  This was simply out of the blue - the organisers liked our sound and our profile, would we be free to perform at the fest?  I hit the send button after typing a hurried 'yes, we would love to...". After that it seemed like a roller coaster as we scrambled to get the contracts done, the ticketing, visa process details.  We couldn't wait to watch and perhaps meet names like Steve Lukather of Toto, Lewis Prakasam, Bob James, Randy Brecker, Robbenford, Rodney Holmes.  And then just a couple of days before the scheduled date for our flight came the news that the fest might be called off as there was local civil unrest which was simmering for some time now.  After surviving some anxious moments and with the help of Madhuri's uncle's friends Sudhakar and Hari in Thailand, we managed to obtain a cell number of the Director and were reassured that everything would be fine and we would be travelling!  You bet we were! The Bangkok Jazz fest was being organised in a square at one of Asia's second largest shopping mall, the Central World Plaza on two stages.  Our performance on the open stage was outdoors and was an intense performance. We had to once again turn down requests for our album saying it would be ready only by July. We went across to watch the other international star performers -Randy Brecker's Soulbop with Lukather, Robbenford, Daryl Jones, Rodney Holmes, Gil Evans set the tented venue on fire with their brand of jazz!  It was another to go backstage and exchange notes - Karthik demonstrated a small Konnakol for Rodney Holmes while Steve Lukather came over and asked us " How did it sound? "  On the last day, we watched the Asian Fourplay with Bob james, Jack Lee, Nathan east and Lewis Prakasam doing an all familiar Fourplay sound and some of Jack Lee's beautiful compositions.
Post our performance, we had time to sample Bangkok's amazing street food, a visit to the Gem museum in tuk-tuk and Kenny and I the famed night life...you better ask Kenny for the details!  Thai hospitality, Thai food - it's been a heady and unforgettable week, Kapunka!