There can be only so many variations in the basic notes of music. In a nutshell, it is like making steel from gold as great musicians of the past have done, or making tin from copper as so-called musicians of today are doing."

Besides striking the right chords and transcending barriers what are they doing individually? The more outspoken of the two, Milind sings us a whole new song as he announces with grandiose, "An album of mine with a Dutch artist released two months ago in Holland which has been doing pretty well. Five more albums are in the works in few months with Puneites. A company in Europe has offered to publish my work and some offers have come up from other places. Watch out, I am getting there."

Uday the more reticent of the duo, flashes us one of his rare grins and tell us, " I have an album that released in New Zealand a few months ago called `Nectar of Wisdom'. Composing is what I do best and it is what I intend to keep doing." The first experience that comes to mind thinking of this musically inclined partnership performing is at the Splendor Country Club poolside where they not only mesmerised the audience with their music, but also with their sense of camaraderie. It felt as if they were not just generating a symphony of sounds from their instruments, but that they were in total synch with each other as they expressed the sounds of music with absolute ease. They ribbed each other through their music and cajoled one another to different pitches and paces. On the lighter side, it's remarkable to see the way these two resemble their instruments. On this ability of blending with such ease, "Chemistry comes from working together," asserts the reed magician, "and we have been together long enough to know each other's moods and needs when playing. And it's a completely different thing onstage with the audience demanding a certain kind of mood and flow. Impromptu performances are nothing new to us." Uday believes the magic to their rhythm "is almost as if we were practicing composing together on the spot and as we go along the flow we know we are with each other. It has worked so far and should only get better. ."
The Future...
What does the next millennium hold for these two rising stars? "I am a composer and would like to remain that way," chimes Milind. "There are several pieces I plan to work on in the near future. The most interesting one is a sonatas written for the flute and piano or guitar. Except fusion i am also into learning all i can about western music and master as much of it." Uday too has composing as his focal point, "As a tabla player, I do not have a parallel instrument used in the classic Western music. There was percussion, but it can't be adapted to the sound or style of the tabla. I would principally be with the Indian music field and with fusion." Both Milind and Uday are passionately involved with their work on stage and almost simultaneously agree that stage is the only true art form that exists. Uday confirms, "There is no way that technology can ever achieve the blend of what makes a stage performance. The fact that stage has the certain primitiveness, elevates it to a pure art form. Sound effects can change any imperfection, but what you are on stage is what you are. Period. There are no compromises or changes that you can make. What you see or in this case, hear, is what you get." On that note, we leave them to make music with the birds and the bees at the Zen Gardens.