Q4music: February 2009

Friday, February 27, 2009

Satiyana Rangeela - a memorable performance by Mame Khan Manganiyar at KSC Abu Dhabi

A group of Rajasthani performers captivated the audience at the inaugural day of the 3rd Indo Arab Cultural Festival held at Kerala Social Centre Abu Dhabi on 26th February 2009. The programme titled Satyana Rangeela was really marvellous.

The programme was presented by Sri Mame Khan Manganiyar and the style of music is called Manganiyar music.

Mame Khan Manganiyar has been born in a small village named Satto, situated close
to the Golden City of Jaisalmer. Since his early childhood his father Rana Khan,
who was a great singer and of the Manganiyar community, was his teacher and
source of inspiration. From him he learned a wide range of traditional folk songs
and Sufi music. These songs belong to the history of the Manganiyars since generations.

To enable him to develop his musical skills he got at the age of 12 a sponsorship
from the CCRT -Centre For Resources And Training, New Delhi-. A growing
number of concerts all over India is the result of years of rehearsal. He was invited
to play on many occasions for example in Mumbai, Delhi, Madras, Kerala, Bangalore,
Calcutta, Ahmadabad and many cities more.

Coming from a small village, it was a great step for his professional life to play in the USA first time in 1999. Since that time he is performing his music on the stages all over the world and fascinates the audience with his outstanding performance and unique voice. The numerous journeys to Europe, USA, Canada, Asia and
the Gulf Countries gave Mame Khan the opportunity to establish many

successful fusion projects in order to keep his old tradition alive in new ways.

Sri Mame Khan can be contacted on mamekhan@hotmail.com, mame_khan@yahoo.co.in
Their website is : www.mamekhan.npage.de
Mobile: 00 91 98 29 725 721

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Amrita TV Super Talent - Peter from Cochin on Mouth Organ

Amrita TV Super Talent - Peter from Cochin

Mr. Peter (Peter chettan as we can affectionately call him) was one of the contestants in the 2nd round of Amrita TVs Super Talent reality show. Opting to perform using a mouth organ, he did present an excellent effort considering his age, limited opportunities, and shows he has presented. At the end, he also proved that Talents could not be tied down, whatever be the circumstances, there will be an opportunity one fine day, somewhere destined for a talented artist who keeps on practising and nurturing his / her skills. I always call it "Playing in the mind" and this is one example of such a talent. Not worried about his exit, as he stated, and now that he has become one of the available SUPER TALENTS, may his creative skills improve with each opportunity he gets from now on. As one of the judge Sri Mukesh rightly said, this is also an opportunity for the instrument "Mouth Organ" to come into spot light once again and may this exhibition of talent and skill bring out many artists, irrespective of their age to learn, practise and promote this handy instrument.

Amrita TV Super Talents - Arjun and Aromal on Tabala

Amrita TV Super Talents (in making) - Arjun and Aromal on Tabala

Congratulations dear Arjun and Aromal. Excellent performance. Keep continuing the hard work, focus, concentration, innovativeness, improvisation and mutual understanding. God Bless and have a great journey ahead. Let Super Talent be the stepping stone in your life to greater heights in the world of performing arts.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Mesmerising magic at the Music Academy

Mesmerising magic at the Music Academy

Saranya ChakrapaniFirst Published : 23 Feb 2009 11:48:00 PM ISTLast Updated : 23 Feb 2009 04:12:54 PM ISTCHENNAI: LET the curtain rise on the maestros!” boomed PC Ramakrishna’s voice. It was a moment of a lifetime; everyone who sat within the familiar walls of the 80-year-old Music Academy knew it. Ghananjani 2009 was different. No, it wasn’t the red curtain that enticingly, slowly revealed every inch of the setting on stage. It wasn’t just the sandal-scented air and the colourful lights that paved the way to the commemoration of a musical evening. This moment that had just made our hearts skip a beat, was a bit more than all of that. It was an evening of five musical geniuses, who were all set to give us a little peep into their souls. It was an evening dedicated to the still loved and immensely missed founder of the Shakti Foundation, Velan Raghuvir, and thecause so close to his heart.

Sheer magic emanates from instruments in the hands of maestros like Zakir Hussain, Sivamani, Dominique Di Piazza, Stephen Devassy and U Shrinivas. Like PC Ramakrishna rightly put it, referring to Mandolin U Shrinivas, “There are musicians who get their names from an instrument. But here is an instrument that has got its name from the musician.” The world knew the magic they were capable of, after witnessing their previous performances through Remembering Shakti. This time around the canvas had two more colours splashed on it - the shy, Frenchman who strummed magic on the bass guitar and refrained from speaking too much due to his ‘strongly accented English’ , Dominique Di Piazza, and the 27-year-old, highly enthused pianist, Stephen Devassy.

Raw, mellow sounds erupted like smoke and filled the air as Shrinivas took the lead for the evening. Ustadji, eyes shut, allowed the music to seep into his system, and soon started playing in tune with the mandolin. Stephen Devassy, Dominique and Sivamani exchanged glances in silent communication to jam their own kind of music and began midway to join what Hussain and Shrinivas were intricately sculpting. The harmony was like a melting pot, gently guiding our ears and our senses to a spectacular confluence of any beat and sound that made music.

The chemistry between Ustadji, Sivamani and Shrinivas, reached a new high time and again. Sivamani played like a man possessed, making music out of everything from an old suitcase to a plastic bottle to his sophisticated drums and the pair of ghungroos he wore on his feet. Dominique’s strums soothingly, seductively made melodies and depths of six strings. Stephen Devassy’ s music seemed to reflect his own self, quickly transforming the laid-back, dreamy mood to electrifying magnetism.

They kept the best for the end. When Zakir Hussain playing, every fan in the audience was ready for him, keeping time with their hands, tears flowing down cheeks, lost in the magic his music creates. While he was capable of drowning us in the intensity of rhythm, he was also capable of beguiling us with his unassuming, humourous side. For, when Shrinivas congratulated him on his second Grammy, he gently lifted the tip of his silk kurta and took a little bow, the way, a timid ballerina would do, to an applauding auditorium.

Later, the kids of the Shakti Foundation, garlanded the musicians and posed delightedly for a group picture. Shati’s Ghananjani 2009, had the audience leave with the memories of a Saturday evening they’d carry for the rest of their lives.

saranyachakrapani@epmltd.com