Welcome to the Groove, the latest music store in town. Correction, music destination. It's where Raageshwari, Shaan and Leslie Lewis pick up their cassettes and CDs. And you might want to as well. Not just because it would give you an opportunity to rub shoulders with the stars of the music firmament but because it's a cool place to hang out and enjoy music.

There are a lot of things that go into making the Groove a music destination rather than just a store. First of all, there's lots of that which commands the biggest premium in Mumbai: space, 6,500 square feet of it. Which makes it by far the biggest music shop in Mumbai. Well-designed space at that.

Architect Sunil Bhansali's aesthetic vision is atwork here. And if you've been to the Bowling Co., you'll know rightaway that both places are designed by one and the same man.

Besides rack upon user-friendly rack of cassettes and CDs, this space is also devoted to other things of interest to music lovers. There are music magazines like Rolling Stone and Spin. Accessories like CD racks and head cleaners. Even a clothing section where you could, for example, buy a T-shirt displaying a buffalo in camouflage. It's captioned with the title of the famous Bob Marley number, ``Buffalo Soldier.''There are listening posts at the Groove. Each of these units allows the shopper to listen to 3 different CDs through a headphone. The music selection at the music posts is made by Groove staff based on their own appreciation of the music scene. It is a nice mix of popular and off-beat stuff. Aficionados of jazz and classical music are in for a special treat: there is a separate room reserved for them. Elsewhere in the store one bears loud popularmusic, but here one can enjoy other categories of music which are often neglected at other music shops.

The Groove regularly brings in musicians who perform tracks from their latest albums, sign autographs and generally mingle with fans. KK, Mehnaz and Shankar Mahadevan are some of the artistes who have already performed. Besides these shows, there is a twice-a-day programme of recorded concerts called Centrestage, sponsored by Pepsi and Afternoon. These concerts are shown on a huge back-projected video screen plus 26 TV sets around the store.Groove wants its customers to eat, drink and be merry. Therefore there's a cafe as well. As well as, it's worth mentioning, toilets -- one for Boyz II Men and the other for West End Girls.

To find out how the Groove came about. I spoke to Customer Promotions Manager, Michel (who, like Madonna, doesn't use a surname.) He told me that the Khambata group, who are music lovers, had space available in the Eros Cinema Building. A year ago they approached Brian Tellis, whohad coincidentally been toying with the idea of opening a music store. And he took on the mantle of CEO. Michel, who earlier worked in FM radio, came on board soon thereafter. Together they took the music destination concept forward.

The Groove is totally committed to the idea of the music destination. ``We have no intention of becoming `not just a music store' anytime in the future.'' The Times of India is starting its music store soon. The store, called Planet M, will also be on a grand scale. But it will sell things not related to music as well. The Groove welcomes competition. ``It will help us be sharper about what we do.''

I must say things are looking very sharp already. Sure, there are a few loose ends that need to be tied up yet at the Groove. The cafe, for example, doesn't have much to offer right now. But these are early days still. And, as Michel put it, quoting the Fab Four: ``It's getting better all the time.''