SOUNDS OF PEACE

The Sounds of Peace concert, presented by RAY (Relief and You) Trust, was a runaway success. You could not have expected less with a concert by two maestros, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma and Ustad Zakir Hussain. A dance performance by Actress Shobana, with a group of dancers from Kalarpana, added colour to the whole show.

The show began with a multi-disciplinary dance extravaganza that consisted of various styles such as Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Break Dance and Folk Dance.

A traditional invocatory piece, called Mallari, in Ragam Gambhira Nattai, was the first piece, performed by Shobana and her dancers. Unfortunately, their costume and jewellery were dull and drab. They were ensembles in cotton, with blouses that lent a filmy touch to their whole appearance.

A group of little girls though, who were also part of the troupe, were brightly dressed in green and purple Bharatanatyam costumes. These young dancers performed their part well. Their entries and exits were seamless and very professional.

The next item was a Nritta (Rhythm) item. It was performed only with instrumental and percussion support. Shobana and her troupe of ten dancers performed the dance. The girls had a good sense of rhythm. They made use of space, weaving interesting patterns across the stage, though one felt the sychronisation between them could have been better. Also the frequent use of spotlight on Shobana was distracting. The dance on the whole was interesting - a good creative effort that made no pretensions.

The second part of the programme was the much-awaited performance of Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma on the Santoor and Ustad Zakir Hussain on the Tabla. Pandit Sharma chose the Raga Jhinjhoti for the evening. During the alaap itself, he fascinated all with his mastery over the instrument. The sparkling cluster of notes he struck on the Santoor, the way he wove the notes into a rythmic framework was truly enthralling. The meend (gradual gliding between two musical notes) at the lower octaves drew loud applause. 

Zakir Hussain, true to his reputation of being a genius tabla player, displayed the uncanny ablity to make the tabla talk. The resonant sound that came from the drums through his magical fingers and the amazing speed at which he played certain sequences were phenomenal. He drew repeated applause from the spellbound audience. Both artistes got involved in an engrossing session of musical interplay.

The housefull attendance at the massive Kamaraj Arangham, reflected the immense popularity that Hindustani music has in the Carnatic music bastion of Chennai. The Trust which organized the event (RAY) was founded by Vidya Singh, and provides financial support to the Annai Special School run by the Karunai Trust.

BLUES NIGHT AT THE VINEYARD CENTRE

Be it a broken heart or just plain boredom, Blues is the music to wipe away those blues. So blues it was on the night of 9th February at the Vineyard Centre. A relaxed night of soothing blues performed by Octave, a collection of Chennai's veteran musicians. Being in the local music scene for a long time and associated with many popular bands like Nemesis Avenue and The 11th Commandment, the members gelled excellently and produced some wonderful covers.

Some of the famous names covered were JJ Cale, BB King, The Doors and John Coltrane. But the crowd 'connected' most with "Still got the blues" by Gary Moore. With Karthik on the Saxophone and the metal flute, the band was at its best in the performance of several instrumental numbers.

To finish off the show, they played a hit number from the first ever boy band...The Beatles, (probably to rouse the crowd with some Rock N Roll, after the night of Blues). And the crowd responded with energy. Octave finished off with "Its been a hard day's night", (may be just hinting that they had to go home early).

Certainly, a good live performance can just beat the blues away, after a hard day. That's what the Vineyard Centre does with its regular music events. And Chennai definitely needs more nights like this.

|