Friday May 2nd 2008 at 6.30 pm
Black Box, Kala Academy, Campal, Panjim, Goa
KALA ACADEMY and ALESSANDRA L'ABATE Present:
SAMSKAR
(HARMONY BETWEEN TRADITION AND INNOVATION)
D.Swamy Aranya Kumar & Chinmaya Dunster
Three musicians from very different backgrounds unite to present a unique
charity concert of Indian Classical music, fusing traditional ragas with
exotic elements. The concert is in aid of the Bhairavi Music School, (run by
Naada Yoga Ashram in the district of Belgaum), whose activities aim to give
to rural youth an opportunity to study Hindustani classical music.
ARANYA KUMAR is a 28-year old sitarist from Karnataka, India. His
grandfather was a renowned Italian violinist, which might explain why Aranya
began to play a wide variety of instruments (including harmonium, tabla,
flute and esraj) with great skill and agility by the age of six. He studied
sitar under Pt.Sudhir Phadke (the noted disciple of Smt.Annapurna Devi) and
has been teaching at the Karnataka University of Dharwad, since 2003. In
2006 Doordarshan, the national channel of Indian television produced a
documentary focusing on his musical journey. He is the founder of the
Bhairavi School of Music.
DUNDAYYA SWAMY, born to a farming family with no musical background in
Belgaum Dist of Karnataka, started tabla seven years ago at the age of 15,
first under the guidance of Aranya and then with Pt. Suraj Purandare. He
completed Bachelor of Music with gold medal from Karnataka University and
was listed in Youth Scholars of the Year 2007-08 of Ministry of Culture.
CHINMAYA DUNSTER, born in the UK in 1954, is an established recording artist
whose music blurs the boundaries between cultures. After discovering the
sarod in 1979, he embarked on a fifteen-year training in Indian Classical
music, under Pt Shekhar Borkar of Pune. Along with his backing ensemble, the
Celtic Ragas Band, he has over the past twenty years explored unique ways to
merge Indian with Western music. This has drawn accolades from, amongst
others, Sir Paul McCartney, who invited Chinmaya to perform at his wedding
in 2002.
Entry from 6pm (donation welcome!)
Seating is limited to 120 seats.
CHIEF GUEST: Sri Jitendra Deshprabhu (Vice Chairman, Kala Academy)
Program:
1. Rag PURIYA DHANASHRI, alap, jor, gat in vilambit teental ARANYA KUMAR
(sitar)
2. BHATTIYALI (Bengali folk) and drut gat in Rag Desh
CHINMAYA DUNSTER (sarod), accompanied by ARANYA KUMAR (dilruba)
3. JUGALBANDI (sarod and sitar) in Rag Bhairavi, ada tal and drut teental
with
DUNDAYYA SWAMY: tabla
NAVEENA GOFFER: tanpura accompaniment
In the Rehearsal Hall from 7.30 to 9.00pm Music lovers are invited to view a
display of khadi textiles and designs, and participate to a hand weaving
workshop promoted by the Weavers' Wheel network. These are intended to
illustrate another way in which modern India blends tradition and
innovation.
A Vegetarian REFRESHMENT prepared by Mrs Aruna Kalsi "Mama's Kitchen" -
Saligao
(Veg North Indian delights) will be available after the show.
BACKGROUND
BHAIRAVI SCHOOL OF MUSIC
In the rural-semi urban area of Bailhongal, aims to give local youth an
opportunity to know and study Hindustani classical music. It plans to
develop an audio video library and purchase a collection of instruments for
talented young musicians who are suffering from financial problems and are
unable to purchase musical instruments of their own. Its urgent need now is
for extra tablas, plus a keyboard and a rhythm pad. In the longer term it
has also plans to provide accommodation facilities to students who want to
stay there for training.
The school is one of the activities run by Naada Yoga Ashram, created 30
years ago, by order of, a religious guru, who sent a couple of his devotees
to live close to the village of Gajaminahal, where 300 families of Bedara
Nayakas (ST) had chosen to follow his guidance. The ashram is run by Italian
Sarasvati Amma since the death of her husband Maddeppa Ajja. It is on four
acres of land in the hilly countryside of North Karnataka and has a long
tradition of hospitality. Its philosophy is not to accumulate money or
property and to live sharing constantly with others, and is inspired by the
spiritual ethics of the Sharanas, twelfth century Shaiva mystics. The legacy
of such spiritual tradition is still very much alive in this area where the
concept of Dasoha is not only practiced in a religious context but permeates
the local culture. Dasoha's basic idea is that resources must be accessible
to everyone and the income they generate must be redistributed. Therefore
everybody must be given a chance to work and the fruits of his/her work must
produce benefits for others as well.
The ashram's Naadabindu guest house was recently built to accommodate the
increasing flow of visitors attracted by the practise and study of
meditation, yoga, music, natural farming and spiritual research. Naadabindu
is a Sanskrit word meaning the primordial sound from which the universe
expanded, which is why music in India is considered a spiritual experience.
ALESSANDRA L'ABATE (Jai Chandra) and the WEAVERS WHEEL Network
Born in Italy in 1963, Chandra is a hand weaver and textile designer trained
in Italy who has lived and worked with rural weavers' and spinners'
communities in South India since 1997. She is inspired by the Gandhian
principle of Sarvodaya (welfare for all) and is active in promotion of khadi
& malkha textiles. Since 2004 she is associated with Kasturba Memorial Trust
(Goa branch). In 2007 Alessandra received the Guglielmo Zucconi award
(Modena) for her dedicated social service in creating a new generation of
traditionally inspired textiles artists and artisans within a modern
context.
Samskar gratefully acknowledges the support of Kala Academy in making this
event possible.
CONTACTS:
Naada Yoga Ashram: (08288)292191 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Aranya Kumar phone: 09448536264 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Chinmaya Dunster [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Dundayya Swamy 099 64077736 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Alessandra L'Abate (khadi and malkha network) 9764683447
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Aruna Kalsi, Mama's kitchen, Saligao, phone 9225785176.
Kala Academy www.kalaacademy.org Tel 0832 2420451/52/53/54
