February 8, 2014 - The Hindustani Classical Concert
Unrehearsed. That word describes the Hindustani Classical Concert where the trio of Iman Das, Nikhil Patwardhan and Partho Mukherjee performed to a rapt audience at Ms. Nithya Reddy's sprawling property - a sanctuary in the making.
It should come as no surprise that this concert was no different from the previous one in terms of the musicianship demonstrated.
Put simply, Iman Das hit every note possible and Nikhil Patwardhan played his heart out in a manner that would make the likes of John McLaughlin and the late Pandit Ravi Shankar proud. And one couldn't help but smile while thinking of the way music truly transcends all boundaries.
There's a good reason why a phrase such as this one was coined in seeing a distinct similarity between Hindustani classical music and its western counterpart, jazz.
Unrehearsed, as I said. As the musicians explained: they hadn't played this 'raag' before, and were improvising throughout the concert. Yes, a concert that lasted almost two-and-a-half hours and for an audience that barely moved.
And that's putting it lightly since the first part consisted of Iman Das (vocals) and Partho Mukherjee (tabla) doing the 'Raag Saraswati' and a selection of 'Thumris'. During the second half of the program, Nikhil Patwardhan (sitar) and Partho Mukherjee (tabla) truly made our experience all that more richer.
No, I'm not going to use any superlatives or adjectives to describe how it felt being there yet am tempted to use an analogy for both performances.
The notes – how they flowed – first, in a trickle and then, as a babbling brook would. Yet the crescendo only served to remind us of a mighty river destroying all in its wake and leaving innocent bystanders in its awe.
Those final moments was worth the wait as it always has and will especially if you have listened to a few selections of Hindustani classical music in the past.
It was different, indeed.
Yet most of all, it reminded of me of how music, much like Life is so much better, when unrehearsed.
February 9, 2014 - The Third Art Mart
It was a quiet Sunday morning. The third Art Mart was a subdued affair, to be honest. A few people walked in and out amidst the din, thanks to a series of cricket matches being played much to the delight of the locality.
As soon as I stepped in, I met Suchira Iyer in person – who enthralled (and I mean, enthralled) me with the etymology of the terrarium which, by definition, is a plant that is grown within a glass container.
It's petite but very pretty. In the meanwhile, and as always, a number of tasks were being attended to as Sreela not only ushered in interested students but also held a tea ceremony for a couple who had seen our article in the Bangalore Mirror only a few days ago.
On the other hand, another couple walked in so as to get a recommendation letter from Sreela for their daughter, who had studied art in the very first batch.
Suchira's parents, particularly her father, also spoke of time during Raja Rammana's times while being served some tea and spoke on a number of topics related to nuclear power, atomic energy, Russia, India's track record when it comes to nuclear energy related accidents and so on and so forth.
So, despite the absence of the hustle-bustle from the last Art Mart, we still managed to sell a few cakes, thanks to the Swirls & Sprinkle bakery, and a few terrariums that were probably just as desirable.
Nothing to complain about, really especially since Artea Matters enjoyed some press coverage in the Bangalore Mirror recently.
Unrehearsed. That word describes the Hindustani Classical Concert where the trio of Iman Das, Nikhil Patwardhan and Partho Mukherjee performed to a rapt audience at Ms. Nithya Reddy's sprawling property - a sanctuary in the making.
It should come as no surprise that this concert was no different from the previous one in terms of the musicianship demonstrated.
Put simply, Iman Das hit every note possible and Nikhil Patwardhan played his heart out in a manner that would make the likes of John McLaughlin and the late Pandit Ravi Shankar proud. And one couldn't help but smile while thinking of the way music truly transcends all boundaries.
There's a good reason why a phrase such as this one was coined in seeing a distinct similarity between Hindustani classical music and its western counterpart, jazz.
Unrehearsed, as I said. As the musicians explained: they hadn't played this 'raag' before, and were improvising throughout the concert. Yes, a concert that lasted almost two-and-a-half hours and for an audience that barely moved.
And that's putting it lightly since the first part consisted of Iman Das (vocals) and Partho Mukherjee (tabla) doing the 'Raag Saraswati' and a selection of 'Thumris'. During the second half of the program, Nikhil Patwardhan (sitar) and Partho Mukherjee (tabla) truly made our experience all that more richer.
No, I'm not going to use any superlatives or adjectives to describe how it felt being there yet am tempted to use an analogy for both performances.
The notes – how they flowed – first, in a trickle and then, as a babbling brook would. Yet the crescendo only served to remind us of a mighty river destroying all in its wake and leaving innocent bystanders in its awe.
Those final moments was worth the wait as it always has and will especially if you have listened to a few selections of Hindustani classical music in the past.
It was different, indeed.
Yet most of all, it reminded of me of how music, much like Life is so much better, when unrehearsed.
February 9, 2014 - The Third Art Mart
It was a quiet Sunday morning. The third Art Mart was a subdued affair, to be honest. A few people walked in and out amidst the din, thanks to a series of cricket matches being played much to the delight of the locality.
As soon as I stepped in, I met Suchira Iyer in person – who enthralled (and I mean, enthralled) me with the etymology of the terrarium which, by definition, is a plant that is grown within a glass container.
It's petite but very pretty. In the meanwhile, and as always, a number of tasks were being attended to as Sreela not only ushered in interested students but also held a tea ceremony for a couple who had seen our article in the Bangalore Mirror only a few days ago.
On the other hand, another couple walked in so as to get a recommendation letter from Sreela for their daughter, who had studied art in the very first batch.
Suchira's parents, particularly her father, also spoke of time during Raja Rammana's times while being served some tea and spoke on a number of topics related to nuclear power, atomic energy, Russia, India's track record when it comes to nuclear energy related accidents and so on and so forth.
So, despite the absence of the hustle-bustle from the last Art Mart, we still managed to sell a few cakes, thanks to the Swirls & Sprinkle bakery, and a few terrariums that were probably just as desirable.
Nothing to complain about, really especially since Artea Matters enjoyed some press coverage in the Bangalore Mirror recently.
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