What's one thing common across all IPL stadiums? Different jerseys, teams, fans, theme colours, players, and cheerleaders, but one thing in common – the tune of the trumpet
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has built an identity of its own among the plethora of franchise-based T20 domestic leagues organised in various parts of the world. Moolah flowing, film stars engaging with fans, the best players on the field, glamorous jerseys and power-packed performances – all these elements have plummeted the IPL into the best T20 domestic league on earth.
Others have tried, like the Big Bash League or the PSL, but none comes close to the aura of the IPL. There's another element that has helped IPL gain its identity—a musical identity, to be precise—the tune of the trumpet that gets us pumped up in the stadium.
Well, it wasn't really the entire African continent's time, but 2009 saw the IPL secure a move to South Africa due to the Lok Sabha elections in India. Security forces simply could not offer enough protection to the tournament, and it had to move away from India.
The move turned into a big hurdle for the organisers because the IPL started in 2008, which means it was only in its second year in 2009—bringing fans into the stadium for unknown teams and generating revenue from them was going to be a major challenge.
In short, IPL needed a strong marketing campaign to ensure that South Africans had something relatable during the matches even though all the teams represented Indian cities or states.
For the unversed soul, Francois Pienaar is a former South African rugby player who played as a flanker and is best known for leading South Africa to the Rugby World Cup in 1995.
Given Pienaar's association with rugby, he saw what happened in France when the French nation hosted the Rugby World Cup 2007. All the stadiums in France played the four-second trumpet sound, which pumped the fans and gave the stadium an unmatched vibe.
South Africa won the 2007 Rugby World Cup, and the trumpet tune reached South Africa as well. Pienaar realised that South African sports enthusiasts associated themselves with the trumpet tune, and if the same tune was played in IPL matches—Bang! The job was done; South Africans had something relatable in the IPL.
According to an ESPN Cricinfo article, the trumpet tune is from the intro of a Spanish instrumental pasodoble track, "En Er Mundo", composed by Juan Quintero Muñoz. For the record, a similar song is used during bullfights in Spain.
Since 2009, the trumpet tune has struck a chord with Indian cricket fans. Whether you are coming back from the office in an auto or sitting in a café, the moment you hear the trumpet tune, you know it is from an IPL game – that's what the tune has done for IPL – a musical identity of its own that resonates with crores of Indians.
