A talented Callander piper has been enjoying a trip to remember as part of a trade mission to India.
Ross Walker, who has been playing the pipes since he was 10 years old, has previously performed in Australia, China, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Norway.
But aboard HMS Defender in Mumbai last Saturday, Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo piper Ross took part in a glitzy event to entertain dignitaries including Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.
He teamed up with a top Bollywood dance troupe in a fusion of Scottish and Indian entertainment which included a performance of the popular Indian song Mera Wala Dance, from the hit Bollywood movie Simmba.
The 25-year-old said: “Covid meant we could not travel abroad for the last two years so it’s been great to come to India for another international adventure.
“To play a gig like this was one of those pinch yourself moments. The crowd absolutely loved it when we played the big Bollywood song Mera Wala Dance.
“We’d never done anything as wild as playing bagpipes to a Bollywood track before but we like a challenge.
“We obviously play lots of traditional piping music wherever we go so it was fun to show the pipes are not as rigid as people think.
“The dance troupe had sent us six options of popular Bollywood songs and this was the one we felt worked best so we’re glad it went down so well.
“I don’t think the crowd had seen anything like it before and it was a big surprise for them.”
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Ross joined The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2014.
And in March he played for the Queen and the Royal Family at Westminster Abbey for the Commonwealth Day last March.
Shanaya Irani was one of eight Bollywood dancers who performed at a series of events with the Tattoo pipers.
Shanaya, 25, said: “Scotland and India have such unique cultures so to bring them together was fantastic fun.
“It was a lovely collaboration and I think it shows what our nations can achieve when we work together for a common aim.
“I’ve danced all over the world and we like to blend the culture of places we go to into our performance – but we’ve never done anything with bagpipes before.
“We were sitting back open-mouthed listening to the music and trying to visualise in our head how to bring an Indian flavour to it with our dancing. It’s been such a fun challenge.”
Shanaya – a dancer with Mumbai-based Kormuzd Khambata Dance Company - now hopes the successful performance means she gets a chance to perform in Scotland.
She said: “It would be a dream come true to bring this performance with the Military Tattoo to Edinburgh Castle so Scottish people can enjoy it.
“The sight of the Scottish pipers in their kilts and Bollywood dancers dressed in shimmery, sequenced outfits with lots of sapphires on our head gear was spectacular.”
