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 sounds 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 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 imperceptibly raises 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.