 |
|
|
Museum
that Houses Rare Folk Instruments of Punjab CHANDIGARH: Punjab has a cultural history of instruments and rhythms so rare and dynamic that their sounds stir the soul. The State's musical tradition that may have slipped into obscurity over the centuries has been revived at a special museum in Chandigarh housing rare folk instruments of Punjab and momentos of some legendary stalwarts in the field. It's a coming together of the finest that the Punjabi folk music tradition has boasted of over the centuries. The legends and the instruments that made them so unforgettable for generations. Sardar Amar Singh Shaunki, master of the Dhadd instrument which dates back to the Sikh gurus, becoming an intricate part of Punjab's folk fabric. The Nightingale of Punjab, Surinder Kaur, for most of the 20th century enthralled audiences - army jawans, civilians and connoisseurs alike. And the gaiety of the tumbi of Yamala Jat is another of the rich memories. Rajinder Singh, one of the curators of this museum and an expert of Punjab's folk tradition, says, "Punjab has for centuries been a cultural gateway to India. Hundreds of cultures have visited this region. And because many of the invaders came only this far, Punjab became a melting pot of many cultures, customs and arts. That's why one can find here touches of the traditions of all parts of India and the world. Many features which were lost have also been preserved here." The music gallery in the premises of the Punjab Kala Bhavan in Chandigarh is an ambitious project of the Punjab Sangeet Natak Academy begun last month. The idea is to re-acquaint with some rare, partly forgotten folk artifacts - the sarangi, algoza, bagtu, dauroo, and a favourite - the snake charmer's flute. Ramayana
from Bali (Go
To Top)
KOCHI: A dance troupe from Bali enthralled people in Kochi with a spectacular performance of the traditional Balinese dance based on Ramayana on Friday. The 18-member group from the State College of Indonesian Arts performed 'Sendratari' to a packed house in the Kerala Fine Arts Centre. Dr I Wayan Rai, director of the college, said the plot of Balinese Ramayana is based on Valmiki's Ramayana. Balinese Ramayana as we know is based on Indian literature Ramayana and is translated into all Japanese language and mixed into Balinese tradition, but the basic story is still the same, just the way we interpret it into Balinese dance drama," he said. The Indonesian dance troupe was in India at the invitation of Kalaskshetra Foundation as part of a cultural exchange programme between the two countries. The performance of the Indonesian group brought to focus the cultural difference between Balinese and Indian interpretation of Ramayana. Music Concert for a Cause (Go
To Top) MUMBAI: If music be the food of love play on, said Shakespeare, and it was a colourful evening at the magnificent Gateway of India where music was the staple diet. It was a night to remember, as the mighty monument stood brightly lit in the tri-colour and some of the best musicians performed for a great cause. Darkness set the scene when suddenly a burst of light and sound emerged at the centre of a stage 120 feet long, 65 feet high. Cameras panned, dollied and trollied as singer Mrigya presented fusion music with qawwali and sufiana kalam. "Sounds of the sea" concert was in aid of "Save the Children" and "Action Aid India Society". The concert was a collage of music styles from different parts of India and the world. The occasion was special for the performers. It marked the launch of Mumbai for a change with Save the Children India and a coalition of other NGOs, for creating shelters for homeless people and night schools and education opportunities for street children in Mumbai. Talking about the initiative, Jerry who is the event organiser said, "We looked at groups which have some kind of social responsibility, groups which do performance on human rights and things like that - that's how we got a way out and Gautam Ghosh, Mrigya who won the tap water award for peace and communal harmony, so we have taken the groups which have social responsibility". The artistes were all well-known that included Sivamani, Niladari (percussionist-sitar), Bobby Cash (Country Music Solo Act), Mrigya (Fusion with Qawwali and Sufi), Indian Iranzit with Gautam Ghosh (World Music and African Tribal Music) and Silk Route (India's favourite Pop Rock Band). The lights captured the mood of the moment, and the sound was the envoy of them. Drummer Shivamani produced just the right rhythm with every instrument which came to hand. AR Rahman Takes Home Town by
Storm (Go
To Top) CHENNAI: It has finally happened. AR Rahman performed live for an audience of nearly 30,000 as part of the Unity of Light world tour. Darkness set the scene when suddenly a burst of light and sound, on a cascade of fire with AR Rahman at the centre of a stage 120 feet long and 65 feet high, emerged with his silhouette on a giant screen behind. Cameras panned, dollied and trollied about as famous female playback singer of south S Janaki burst into "Kottai Pakkum", a song from a Tamil movie. Accompanied by 23 violinists, 10 backup vocalists and 45 musicians all on stage, including the beaming Sivamani. AR Rahman live, for the first time in his hometown, Chennai. The show certainly lived up to its hype. Like all live shows, there were glitches. But it hardly mattered at the end of a concert that tracked the career of a man who has captured millions of music-loving hearts. The concert was organised by the Mahesh Memorial Trust to raise funds for those afflicted with cancer, especially children. Rahman, describing about the show said, "In Kolkata we did mostly Hindi numbers though there were lot o queries for Tamil numbers then. There were lots of people who wanted to listen Chandralekha and songs like that. And in Hyderabad, 80 per cent Hindi and 20 per cent Telugu. Here we planned to have 80 per cent Tamil since it's a base and this is where it all started". Rahman, Sivamani as well as Christy and Rashid did a variation of Chandralekha - "Konjam Nerruppu". Next was a medley of Dippu dippu, Muqqabla muqqabla and Uppu Karuvadu performed by Shankar Mahadevan. Sixteen dancers backed by brilliant choreography by Terence got the place rocking. Rahman has never been keen on live shows in Chennai. But this time he was overwhelmed by the cause and that's why he made it live-in. Rahman said, "I think this is one of the first events done here. Though I wanted to avoid and come a bit later, I couldn't refuse for this cause. So I made a point that we do this here and spread the message". Each singer played part to perfection. Almost all the greats - S Janaki, Chitra, Hariharan, Shankar Mahadevan, Srinivas, Sujatha, Sukhwinder Singh, Swarnalatha, Anupama, Minmini, Karthik, Blasse and Rashid Ali - lent a touch of world music to the evening. Rahman's rendition of "Vande Mataram", both in Tamil and Hindi, held the audience swaying. Young fans were simply overwhelmed. It was a superb show. The lights captured the mood of the moment, and the sound was excellent and as for the accompanying artistes, flautist Naveen's soulful playing made a big difference to the overall impact. Percussionist Sivamani was subdued, but provided the right rhythm. The string section led by Kalyan deserves special mention. Sufi Music Festival
(Go To
Top) NEW DELHI: War may be thrust on Iraq by the US, but India took time off to host the third world Sufi music festival in New Delhi. A medieval mystic poet's compositions on peace and love waffled through. It was a three-day festival which began last week in an attempt to bring the world together against the backdrop of a war in the Middle East. Music of all forms - classical and folk, Iranian and Arab, medieval and contemporary - brought into focus the 3rd international festival dedicated to 13th Century Sufi saint Amir Khusrau. The festival, 'Jahan-e-Khusrau 2003: Realm of the Heart,' was held at the 16th century Mughal ruler Humayun's tomb in New Delhi. The festival brought together artists from Bangladesh, India, Iran, Pakistan, Morocco and the US on one stage. The first was a classic item presented by the noted Pakistani vocalist Begum Abida Parveen. After her performance she told reporters, "It is these people (literary writers) who with the grace of god have made this music. Be it Mohundeen Chesty, Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia, Hazrat Amir Khusrau, Kutubuddin Bakhtiyar ... all these people are leaders of the masses but at the same time they are also servants of the society. And it is these people who had worked for peace and love". Khusrau, who wrote in Persian, Hindi and Urdu, lies buried near his mentor Nizamuddin Auliya's grave in Delhi. He died of grief six months after Auliya's passing away. Writer and film-maker Muzaffar Ali, the man behind the show, explained the aim and objectives of the get-together. It was essentially a message of love and peace. Muzaffar said, "This function gives the message of love and is based on Khusrau who spread the message of love. It is also about the other fakirs who had given the message of love and it is with the help of musicians and artists we have tried to spread the message and, by doing this both we and the audience enjoyed each other". Traditional wind and string instruments like the sarangi, the rabab, the sitar and the sarod fused with Khusrau's lyrics and the lilting voices of artists like Abida Parveen made people forget the pain and sorrows of the outside world. The festival, organised by the Delhi Tourism Department, was first held in 2001. Apart from Begum Abida Parveen's performance the festival also featured qawwals of different colours from the Dargahs of Ajmer, Delhi, Hyderabad, Awadh, Kashmir and Rampur, a form of music influenced by Sufism. Talking about the event, the sponsor of the Delhi Tourism's Managaing Director Rajiv Talwar said, "Getting best of musicians from all over the world, in fact right from Iran, Bangladesh, Morocco and of course Pakistan, we feel this is the festival which will carry forward the message of peace all over the world and definitely within this country". People who had the opportunity to attend the festival got a glimpse of rare sufi music. The response from the audience was overwhelming and the show had to be extended beyond its scheduled time. Mohsin Arabi, one of the admirers of Khusrau who attended the event, said, "Abida Parveen - she is a Pakistani and was performing with Iranis. And on one side it was Moroccans and on the other side there were Indians. So the language of music does not have any national boundaries. They trnscend all boundaries. It speaks one language, the language of love irrespective of caste or religion". Jahan-e-Khusrau brought together the visible and the invisible masterly works of the great poet. It attracted a group of young people who feel their effort can add to this compelling fragrance. Original graphics have flowered like a garden of love, expressing this formless experience of beauty. It is the coming together of talent that thinks and acts from the heart. Khajuraho Temples Come Alive
with Festive Fervour (Go
To Top) KHAJURAHO: Come spring and the 1,000 years old temples of Khajuraho, situated in Madhya Pradesh, come alive to the resonating sounds of chiming bells in anklets as dancers perform to the rhythm of classical drums. For seven days in the month of March, these ancient shrines belonging to the Chandella dynasty spring to life with festive fervour, for an annual festival of Indian classical dances.
A large number of people from across India and abroad throng the Khajuraho temples, situated about 372 km from Bhopal, for the week-long dance festival. Dan Grunerbam, an American tourist, enjoyed the ambience though he failed to appreciate the nuances of Indian dance forms. "My first time to Khajuraho, I enjoyed it very much. I mean it's a bit hard to understand what is going on as a foreigner and not being familiar with the dance forms and the kind of music but it's very beautiful," Grunerbam said. As dusk falls, the calmness is broken by the sound of "ghungroos" (heavy anklets, laced with tiny chiming bells, worn by Indian dancers) and the staccato beat of tabla, even as the temples come aglow with dreamy lighting. "I feel it is a very important festival. I was pleased about the quality of the dancers, also the organisation and the lights. I was very surprised to see such quality here," Joanna, a Swiss tourist, said. The festival offers an opportunity for amateur artistes to rub shoulders with the exponents. For many of them a performance in Khajuraho is the opportunity of a life-time. "This is actually a dream platform for me, I have been always wanting to perform for this festival. It's actually a dream come true for me. I'm really delighted to be here. What a beautiful ambience I must say. Artistes from all over participating all together in one platform makes one feel really nice," said Pooja Mani, a Bharatnatyam dancer. A cluster of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples dating back to 950-1050 AD, known for its erotic sculptures, has endowed Khajuraho with international fame and recognition. The festival was started by the Madhya Pradesh Government in 1975 and now entices the whole world. Over a span of two and a half decades, about 250 of the country's most talented classical and modern dancers have performed on Khajuraho's coveted stage. Conserving the beauty, versatility and tradition of Indian culture, the festival has now been awarded an international status under the Government of India programme categories. -ANI |
|
