Encased in the majestic Umaid Palace, the Trophy Bar offers a visually immersive cultural experience that serves as a comfy reading salon during the daytime, when most guests are away sightseeing but gets busy from the evening onwards.
We created a sonic ‘time machine’ to transport the listener to the final splendors of Imperial British India, using textures – discrete, periodic crackling sound of old radio and vinyl records -ear-picked historical recordings and contemporary works that honestly revisit the era or unearthing very rare, contextual recordings – such as a Hindi song praising the Viceroy and recordings of early Jazz in India.
To this ever-evolving music library, we are adding works that illustrate the early age of aviation in India, of which the Maharaja was a pioneer, with masterpieces from the large semi-arid zone that stretches from Jodhpur to Nouachkott.
Guest flow, too, influenced our musical selections. The afternoon music is at once artful and poetic to create a witty storyline punctuated by quirky and beautiful elements, yet has an easy-listening quality to avoid demanding too much attention from the guests. The sequencing production enhances this easy-listening quality, each track length ranging from 30 seconds to less than 4 minutes, to ensure a fast sequenced continuity of eclectic moments so that even a non-musical guest is never trapped in a difficult moment.
In the evening, the Music Curator player changes to the Sunset mood, also called ‘The GM’s Drink’, customized to delay the guests-flow to the restaurants Pillars and Risala. Later at night, it moves to a more mainstream vintage Jazz selection that raises imperceptibly the energy level for post-dinner drinks.
The richness and the very uniqueness of this selection make it a museum of aural curiosities and memorabilia, which is a pleasing invitation to engage and be inspired while being absolutely in tune with the room decor and the fantasy of its history.