BANGALORE: Although fusion music is frowned upon by purists, it cannot be denied that it has an enthusiastic audience, and is gaining popularity, defying age barriers. It is a fallacy to think that fusion music attracts only youngsters who are not rooted in Indian classical music. What goes as fusion mostly is a mishmash of different genres of music, put forth by a huge orchestra where established names are just one or two, robbing the experiment of interest and substance.
Offering a distinct taste of the East and West, while coming together through melody and rhythm, is ace violinist Mysore Manjunath, who is putting up a fusion music show for the first time in Bangalore, bringing together international musicians of repute for a musical outing that will please “both the laity and the cognoscenti”.
The line-up of artistes is impressive — Praveen Godkindi (flute), BC Manjunath (mridanga), Madhusudan S (tabla), Arun Sukumar (drums), and Uday Kiran (keyboards), will team up with Ned McGowan of Netherlands on the western flute, and Rainer Pusch of Germany on the saxophone, for ‘Celebrations’, at the RV Dental College, JP Nagar, at 7 pm, for a unique musical experience.
“The wonderful elements of four genres of music - western classical, jazz, Carnatic and Hindustani — will be projected with their individuality, while coming together in the essential unity of music itself,” says Manjunath who is holding the reins of ‘Celebrations’.
He and Godkindi have composed numbers specially for the event. The East and West genres will see an interplay of compositions in their own distinctive styles, while presenting their music too. Finally, it will be “a majestic way of interpreting fusion”, where the combination of wind, string and percussion instruments will reach a crescendo, says Manjunath.
What promises to set apart Celebrations as a substantive venture is that it is a unique cooperative effort of established artistes who have mastery over their form and instruments, and who are coming together with individual inputs.
“Celebrations has no gimmicks, the purity of the individual forms will be retained, and it is trendy without sacrificing the essence of traditional music,” he says. Another speciality is that Ned will be playing the 6-ft-long Contrabase flute, a special western flute played by very few, where the technique of playing is itself difficult and different.
Siblings Mysore Manjunath and Nagaraj are known for their technical expertise and the reposeful nature of their violin playing, elements expected to come into play in the fusion too. Entry to the Ananya Arogyadhara concert is free.
jyoti@expressbuzz.com