Pitbull rocks Mumbai, quite literally

Date    : 3rd November, Saturday(6 pm)

Venue : MMRDA Grounds, Bandra

Pitbull literally rocked Mumbai. And, in more ways than one. Virus Ferreira got a ring side view of all the rocking elements at the concert: Pitbull’s cheeky statements, skimpily clad women and a look of dejection on fans’ face at such a high price.

Cuban American singer-songwriter, Pitbull, performed at Bandra’s, MMRDA Grounds on 3rd December to a packed house. The crowd consisted of mostly teenyboppers, who constitute a chunk of Pitbull’s fan base in India, with a few families bringing their kids too for the show. A few young ladies who attended the show looked either they had lack of cloth on their bodies or wished to impress the males lurking around. From mini – skirts to micro minis, short pants to transparent tees, the women were in their element. This was probably in keeping with Pitbull who glorifies women in his videos.

Though the crowd had collected by 7pm, the show started only around 8.55pm, when Pitbull leaped on stage in his trademark suit and black sunglasses along with a backup bongo player, keyboardist and a drummer. Known for his powerful dance songs, he started his show with the famous ‘Hey Baby’ which he originally sung with T-Pain. This was followed by songs like, ‘Give Me Everything Tonight’ and ‘Welcome to Miami’. After every two songs, the rapper thanked the city for inviting him to perform. He also frequently spoke about India and its women.

Just as the crowd was getting hooked onto his catchy pieces, he surprised all by saying, “It’s time to take some women to the hotel,” which incidentally was a precursor to his song, ‘Meet Me at the Hotel Room’. His next big tracks included the Marc Anthony duet ‘Rain over Me’, and ‘Get on the Floor’ a song he collaborated with Jennifer Lopez.

But just as the crowd was getting into the mood, a sudden fireworks display lit the sky, announcing in no uncertain terms that it was time to bid goodbye. While we looked up the lit sky, Pitbull raced over and sang his last song and bid farewell, his show ending at 9.40pm.

Many at the venue began grumbling, for not only was the concert the shortest one had seen, it also saw the star lip-syncing to a few tracks. Not only was this clearly visible on the large screens put next to the stage, but also there were variations in his voice while talking to the audience and during singing. Besides, most of the tracks Pitbull performed were short versions of his songs. An experienced performer like him who has only a handful of hit songs, should’ve extended his songs which in turn would clock atleast an hour and a half, but sadly 45 minutes was just too short by Indian standards. People who paid Rs. 3999/- and Rs. 2499/- for tickets felt cheated. His fans came to hear him perform a concert and not a promo; instead they were treated to some supporting act – a boring DJ who belted songs for more than 90 minutes. While those who attended the show enjoyed themselves, the short concert was the only drawback. Guess if Pitbull ever makes it back to India, fans would think twice before attending the event.

Also the last minute cancellation of the media covering the event was another downer. Hours before the event, the PR agency messaged and also sent SMS to all those who were invited, saying the media was not allowed to attend and cover the event. The message read. “This sms is in reference to the Pitbull concert to be held this evening at the MMRDA Grounds, Bandra. Due to some unfortunate and unavoidable circumstances, the media shall no longer be allowed at the Pitbull concert. We regret the inconvenience caused to all.”

So much for Pitbull and his music concert.

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