KAPADIYA IMPRESARIO
Expat entrepreneur who engineers the A-list of cultural exchange
This 1983 photo shows Anant Kapadiya with the legendary Lata Mangeshkar in Kuwait. Kapadiya has lived in Kuwait for more than four decades, and throughout these years, he has enriched the cultural tapestry of the country by curating and presenting some of the finest performers India has produced in recent memory.
Anant Kapadiya has lived in Kuwait for more than four decades, and throughout these years, he has enriched the cultural tapestry of the country by curating and presenting some of the finest performers India has produced in recent memory. In the process, he helped create an appreciative audience not only among his own compatriots but with other nationalities as well, strengthening cultural ties. Having lived in Kuwait for more than four decades, Kapadiya has closely observed changes in the cultural landscape as he nimbly made his way through restrictions and limitation to assuage the thirst for live performance in the country. Here the Mechanical Engineer turned businessman speaks of his journey while sharing his early memories of Kuwait, the joys and tribulations of organizing live shows in a country not used to such events, risks involved, and the changes he observed as Kuwait moved into a more ‘liberal’ space.
Arab Times: What brought you to Kuwait, and how long have you been here?
Anant Kapadiya: I moved to Kuwait without knowing much about the country. I was fortunate to have been offered a job by a prominent Kuwaiti company. My initial plan was to live here for two years, save funds, return home and establish a business. But my plans kept changing every year, and I am still around after 42 years. The company I joined had employees from across the Arab world, India, Europe, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Money was good and beyond expectation, and work was satisfying. After 13 years, I amicably parted ways with the company to establish my own business. It was a difficult and uncertain move, but I believe it was a good decision.
AT: Kuwait must have been different in those days. What was life like here?
AK: Life in Kuwait has always been peaceful, comfortable and enjoyable. Kuwait is an ideal country to live in many ways. If we respect and follow the law, life moves on smoothly. Forty-two years ago the total population of Kuwait was slightly over a million which has since then grown to over 4 million. Life in the 1970s was very simple, but we had all the comforts and amenities. Public transport was very different. Taxis were owned and driven by Kuwaitis. There were fixed routes for the taxis — point to point and KPTC bus service with limited routes and service hours. Commuting was a bit inconvenient in those days. We had to share taxis with unknown people. Because there were no ring roads and expressways, it took about an hour to travel from Seif Palace to Salmiya and a good 50% more to Fahaheel. There were not more than two or three decent Indian/Chinese restaurants suitable for families. There were Shawarma and Falafel joints located in certain commercial pockets. Mubarakiya was the main vegetable and fruit market. The gold souk at Mubarakiya was the only major one in the country. There were cooperative societies as well. Both Kuwaitis and expatriates could buy basic food from the municipal outlets at highly subsidised prices. Fahad Al Salem Street in the city and Salem Al Mubarak in Salmiya were the main shopping centres for families. We enjoyed window-shopping on the weekends on these streets. Sheraton and Hilton were the only 5-star hotels in the country until 1978. Families enjoyed weekend picnics at the Salmiya seafront and the two prominent parks — one in Kuwait City (redesigned and now known as Shaheed Park) and Ahmadi Park. In those days, recorded music tapes were a good source of entertainment. Radio Kuwait and Kuwait TV had very limited service only during the evenings. There was only one TV channel in Arabic that played English cartoons, a movie or a serial show over the weekends and a Hindi movie once a month. There was only one cinema theatre that played Hindi movies mostly on the weekends.
AT: It was around this time you began to organise shows and concerts for the expatriate community. What got you interested in doing live shows?
AK: At school and university I was actively involved with theatre and stage both as a performer and as an organizer of cultural events. And I wanted to continue with my passion in Kuwait.
AT: What made you take the first step and what was your first show like?
AK: In the seventies, there were no live musical concerts or shows on a large scale in Kuwait. A couple of ghazal singers did visit Kuwait on personal invitations from rich fans, and private programs were held at homes for a small group of friends. That was when I realized there was an opportunity to do big shows that would reach out to the general public. I organised my first concert in 1983 featuring the legendary Lata Mangeshkar. It was like a dream come true for people here. We had two shows for a total audience of 4,000, and the shows sold out in a week’s time. Tickets were pretty expensive at KD 50, 25 and 15 per person per show and people willingly paid the price. Some members of the audience attended the concert on both days.
Interestingly, the black market turned active and tickets were resold for double the price by scalpers. Senior Kuwaiti managers of the Kuwait National Cinema Company who had been sceptical of the commercial success of the concerts were shocked at the brisk sale of tickets. They asked me to extend the concert by two more days, but it was not possible due to Lataji’s heavy commitments back in India. The management of Kuwait National Cinema Company promised me their full support for future events while the audience requested me for more such shows in the future. This encouraged me to go ahead, and in the following years, I organised many such largescale events with prominent artistes.
AT: Were these shows only restricted to Kuwait or did you take these shows elsewhere?
AK: I was blessed to have promoted several concerts tours and shows in India, Kuwait and other GCC countries for a host of eminent artistes including Lata Mangeshkar, Pt Ravi Shankar, Asha Bhosle, R.D. Burman, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, Mahendra Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Jagjit Singh, Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt Bhimsen Joshi, Pt Shivkumar Sharma, Ustad Alla Rakha, Ud Amjad Ali Khan, Ud Zakir Husain, Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhat, Ud Rashid Khan, Dr L. Subramaniam, Shahid Parvez, Ud Shujat Khan, Pt Anindo Chatterjee, Pankaj Udhas, Anup Jalota, Suresh Wadkar, Hema Malini in ballet, Anand Shankar in ballet, Shabana Azmi and Paresh Rawal in plays and a host of other maestros.
AT: What about the audience? Were they made up of only Indians?
And did you organize only shows featuring Indian artistes?
AK: Having the Indian Ambassador as the Chief Guest at the concerts helped bring in many other Ambassadors to the shows. The Ambassadors of USA, USSR, Switzerland, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Yugoslavia, Germany, Japan, UAE and Bahrain were regular attendees. The Ambassador of USSR along with some other diplomats requested me to promote artistes from their countries. That led me to present the famous Bolshoi Ballet, Red Army Music and Dance Ensemble, Cossack Dancers and Ballets, Vienna Choir Boys, Eaton College Choir, Shirley Bassey, Harlem Globe Trotters and many others. Seeing the success of these shows, commercial sponsors from the UAE approached me. I also received requests from various artistes to promote them in the GCC. Frankly speaking, it made me feel like a star.
AT: What about the Kuwaitis — did they attend these shows?
AK: Many Kuwaitis and Arabs attended the shows on a regular basis. Their enthusiasm and appreciation encouraged me tremendously. The soft power of Indian music and fine arts brought various nationalities closer.
AT: What is the most momentous concert you have organized?
AK: It is not easy for me to single out a concert as momentous. Many of the 150 events I have organized are special. Every artiste is unique, and each one of them creates an unforgettable impact. However, if I have to choose one, then I would choose the Lata Mangeshkar concert. The total cost and expense involved were very steep. She was the first major artiste to be promoted in Kuwait on a large scale. As I mentioned earlier, 4,000 tickets sold out in a week. As a courtesy, I had invited the management of the cinema company for the inaugural show. They confirmed their presence with a request that they should be allowed to leave after the first 30 minutes. However, as the concert began and Lataji’s songs reverberated in the auditorium, I saw the smile on their faces. They were spellbound. The deafening applause at the end of every song was overwhelming, and Lataji never paused. In one stretch she sang a dozen songs leaving a gap of 4 to 5 seconds for applause. It was a magical experience. She created history in Kuwait, and the shows made me a star overnight.
AT: It could not have been easy organizing shows on such a scale — how did you handle it?
AK: Events such as these especially the ones featuring prominent artistes involve huge funds. Moreover, there is a lot that goes behind closed doors that can make an organizer tense and nervous. Patience, experience, conviction, confidence and tact are necessary to overcome hurdles. There can also be unexpected developments which can take a person by surprise. I believe I have all the necessary qualities to handle any situation. Experience and success gave me the confidence to do bigger and better concerts. Sincerity, hard work and passion also matter. Even the artistes noticed it, and they cooperated with the promoter. One successful show led to another. Word spread in the industry back home. Various artistes approached me and expressed their desire to perform in the Gulf.
AT: Organizing shows of this stature has its share of risk – what are some of the risk factors?
AK: In general, show business is filled with risk and uncertainty. For instance, the stature and nature of the artiste matter. Popular artistes can be very sensitive, and they lose their cool for silly reasons and can be upset at critical times. Moreover, the health and mood of the artiste on the day of the concert is very important. At times one may find it challenging to comply with some of their strange demands. Other factors that have to be taken into consideration are obtaining the necessary Ministry permissions, license and visas on time, providing the proper venue, sound and light arrangements, arranging suitable flights, hotels, local transport etc. There are many other factors as well including the weather on the day of the show.
AT: I think you once mentioned a show that was threatened by unexpected bad weather.
AK: Yes. It was an Asha Bhosle/R. D. Burman show which was held in an open-air theatre in Bahrain The day was bright and shining, but towards the evening we noticed an unexpected gathering of clouds. There were about 6,000 people seated in the open air theatre. One hour into the concert heavy clouds emerged, and it started pouring. The audience and the artistes took shelter nearby and but many got drenched in the process. Luckily we had enough tarpaulin sheets to protect the sound and light equipment. The artistes were taken to a hotel nearby. They were not happy with the situation but luckily did not lose their cool.
In the seventies, there were no live musical concerts or shows on a large scale in Kuwait. A couple of ghazal singers did visit Kuwait on personal invitations from rich fans, and private programs were held at homes for a small group of friends. That was when I realized there was an opportunity to do big shows that would reach out to the general public. I organised my first concert in 1983 featuring the legendary Lata Mangeshkar. It was like a dream come true for people here. We had two shows for a total audience of 4,000, and the shows sold out in a week’s time. Tickets were pretty expensive at KD 50, 25 and 15 per person per show and people willingly paid the price. Some members of the audience attended the concert on both days.
It rained for almost 45 minutes before it finally stopped. Soon the audience returned, and the concert restarted and continued almost until midnight. The artists gave an unforgettable performance. But the risk was that the rain had continued the show would have been cancelled, and tickets would have been refunded. We were happy that it ended well. Next day we travelled to Qatar for another show in the evening and later took the tour to the UAE.
AT: What about political exigencies? That too can cause problems I think.
AK: Yes, it is possible that license may be cancelled at the last minute due to sudden adverse political developments in the region, and this can be very costly and disappointing. I have had this experience a few times. In 1998, we planned a big show in a stadium to promote drugs and cancer awareness in the country. It was supposed to be a free show. Amitabh Bachchan together with prominent artists and musicians from the Indian film industry were scheduled to participate. I had personally met and convinced Mr Bachchan to participate. He was very gracious and generous in accepting the invitation and offered to participate free of charge. The preparations were in top gear for two months. But just two weeks before the event-date Iraq sent missiles that landed in Kuwait territorial waters. Due to security concerns, the event was postponed, and the entire project fell flat.
AT: But despite these problems, you continued to organize shows through the eighties. What happened after the invasion? If I remember correctly, you took a long break from organizing shows.
AK: I went on organizing shows until 1990 when Kuwait was invaded. Immediately after the liberation of Kuwait, I got very busy re-establishing my core business which was related to construction activities. I stopped doing events for almost three years. I restarted when life got normal, and people began to settle down. And today I continue to organize concerts. They say old habits never die and in my case “passion never ceases”.
AT: You are the Vice-President of Indian Business and Professional Council Kuwait, and as such this organization has been very active in strengthening Indo-Kuwait relationship through cultural activities.
AK: As an active Executive Committee member of the Indian Business & Professional Council-Kuwait (IBPC), I continue to organize events for the Council on a regular basis. IBPC is an association of the Indian Business and Professional diaspora in Kuwait. The aim and objective are to promote businesses and cultural ties between India and Kuwait. The events are free of charge and open to the general public.
AT: Have you noticed any changes in the cultural scene in Kuwait in recent years, and are they for the better?
AK: The cultural scene in Kuwait has changed considerably in the past ten years.
There are several reasons for this improvement. The Government of Kuwait appears to have taken the lead in encouraging promoters and embassies to showcase and promote cultures from different countries. Presently, non-commercial shows are permitted in school premises without formal permissions and license from the ministries. This is a big development and has encouraged many cultural events. There is also considerable improvement in the availability of local commercial sponsors willing to support events unlike in the past. Several Indian organisations have sprung up, and they organize events on a regular basis. Some Kuwaiti, European and American promoters are also actively putting up local and international events. The newly built state-of-the-art Sheikh Jaber Al -Ahmad Cultural Centre draws prominent artists, popular musicals and plays from all over the world. The National Council for Culture Arts and Letters actively promote free events with cooperation from different embassies. Dar Al Athar Al Islamiyyah has been very active in organizing events throughout the year. In fact, there are times when several interesting events take place on the same day making it difficult for us to choose and decide which to attend.