July 14, 2016, New Delhi: Staying true to its credo of ‘Pursuit of the Perfect Sound‘, the 70-year old German audio brand, Sennheiser, had announced the second edition of Sennheiser Top 50 – a battle of Indian bands to compete and make their way to the coveted list of Top 50 best bands in India on 20th June 2016. Post an outstanding response and requests for extending the date of registrations from bands across the country, Sennheiser has now extended the last date of registration to 25th July 2016. The event is being managed by Rolling Stone India – India’s most popular rock music magazine and every Indian band’s choice.
Sennheiser is raising the stakes this year with an irresistible jury, prizes that will make a musician’s heart skip a beat and taking the finale on ground! The jury this year constitutes of the stalwarts of the music industry – Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Raghu Dixit, Papon and Ashish Manchanda. The winning band will take home a Trophy, evolution wireless 500 G3 vocal microphones and HD 280 Pro for the band, 2 Year endorsement deal with Sennheiser which will give them access to Sennheiser gear, opportunity to perform at an acclaimed music festival and be the face of Sennheiser for the next two years across catalogs & brandings. The second edition will create stir with an on ground finale where the Top 5 bands will battle it out to be number 1.
The first edition of Sennheiser Top 50 saw tremendous response and engagement. Over 300 bands across all genres – pop, rock, fusion, classic, metal, jazz and blues participated in the contest. It gave bands a golden opportunity to rock the world with their talent. The Top 3 bands – ‘The Local Train‘, Shadow and Light‘ and ‘Purple Fusion‘ won the prestigious Sennheiser evolution wireless D1 microphone sets.
Mr. Vipin Pungalia, Director, Sennheiser Professional Segment, commented on Sennheiser-Top50 saying, “The overwhelming response in the first few days of registration from all across the country has further proved the potential that lies in the country. Amazing response and requests from bands across the country is the reason behind us extending the date of the registrations. We are excited to welcome more bands into the Sennheiser family and look forward to providing them a platform to accomplish their dreams.“
Renowned composer and singer trio, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, said, “We are excited to be a part of this innovative hunt for India’s best bands for the second time in a row! It is a great platform for budding musicians to not just showcase their talent but also start their journey to become the next big thing in the music industry. Sennheiser is doing a great job by helping the music industry in discovering unique talents. We are expecting diverse talent across genres and can’t wait to start this journey!”
Internationally reputed Singer – Songwriter, Raghu Dixit, said, “I find the concept very exciting, unique and interesting! It’s great to see how a brand is putting efforts into discovering hidden talent across the country. I believe that India has plethora of talent that needs to be nurtured and Sennheiser Top 50 is the right platform for it. I am hopeful that bands will recognize the potential that lies in this platform and start their journey to the top.”
Popular Singer & Composer, Papon, expressed his excitement saying, “Music is present across all corners of the country and I can say that confidently since I belong to Assam which hosts a plethora of extremely talented bands waiting for the right platform to help them turn their dreams into reality. I believe that Sennheiser is a brand that has always focused on revolutionizing the music industry and its quest to give the country musicians who could become the stars of tomorrow is something I really appreciate. I am excited to meet new people, experience their passion and understand their music.”
Noted recording engineer and music producer (Flying Carpet Productions), Ashish Manchanda, expressed, “I have come across a lot of bands and music, and the talent these emerging bands possess is undeniably impressive. Last season, I had the chance of interacting with a few of these bands. The experience was enriching, and this year I am expecting a lot more since Sennheiser has raised the bars.”
Registrations begin on 20th June and will be on till 20th July post which the top 100 shortlist will be announced basis the entries submitted. This decision will be made by the jury. The next phase will involve jury decision(70%) and public voting(30%) which will reveal the ranks 6 to 50. This will be followed by the on ground finale where top 5 bands will fight it out in front of the jury to reveal the top 5 ranks.
Bands can register on http://sennheiser-top50.com/
