13 February,2011 08:30 AM IST | | Urvashi Seth
Heavy entertainment tax forces city restaurants to drop live music plan on V-Day
Freelance musicians aren't feeling the love this Valentine's Day. Because of the entertainment tax (see box) introduced in August 2010 by ex-revenue minister Narayan Rane, many restaurants across the city will not hire musicians for V-Day.
Pravin D'souza, who plays for the band In-Kontrol says, "I used to receive at least four to five calls from restaurants or hotels every year. Not this time."u00a0D'souza is spearheading the campaign, 'Please don't kill live music.' "Days like these mean good business for small musicians like us, but this year, I've received only one invite for a private party at a residential building," he grumbles.
Pianist Ernest Flagnan agrees. "There are a few special days in the year when there is a demand for live music, and we can make good money." Upset that Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat's promise to look into the matter has borne no fruit, he says, "This is the beginning of the end of live music. If the government doesn't take action, we will lose our bread and butter."
It will be the first time that Meldan D'Cunha's Soul Fry restaurant in Bandra will not play live music on Valentine's Day. "We cannot afford to pay Rs 50,000 a month. Clubs can easily hire bands because their customers shell out huge sums. We do not charge customers for live performances we host," he says.
Another small time musician, who did not wish to be named, had a gig at a Bandra restaurant cancelled at the last minute when the owner realised the amount he would have to shell out as tax. "Private functions do not pay us much. We need five-star hotels to hire us," he says.
Vernon Noronha, a vocalist and guitar player, is one of the lucky few to has good work this V-Day. "I am performing at a five-star hotel in Malad. I consider myself lucky when a lot of other musicians are jobless."
Guitarist Adam Avil will be holding a live performance at Oxford Bookstore at Churchgate on February 18, as part of the 'Please don't kill live music' campaign.
"We need support," he says. Jazz critic Sunil Sampat, who organises jazz workshops across Mumbai's colleges echoes Avil's sentiments. "This is unfair. Musicians passionate about their craft will die out. The government needs to repeal the tax structure."
Bombay Entertainment Duty, 2010
Rs2 lakh: Monthly charges for pubs in 5-star hotels
Rs 50,000: Charges for permit rooms, beer bars with orchestra
Rs 1 lakh: Monthly charges for pubs other than those in 5-star hotels
Rs 1.8 lakh: Annual charges for live performances
