CHENNAI: Music is universal and infinite, this much has always been known. Every culture and language has traditional tunes that have been integral to it since their inception. In India, chanting the Vedas and shlokas started the legacy of ragas. For instance, hymns in the Sama Veda were sung as samagana. Did you know there are about 7.2 million ragas in carnatic music? Only around 300 are used today. But it isn’t always about independent music. Times have changed, so has music, with a blend of different musical cultures and instruments — a fusion — groovin’ all over the world. Some might even say that it brings about a better sound.
“Change is the only constant. The interaction and integration of different musical styles areeasier and more variable with better access to technology. In today’s age, the coming together of artists from different parts of the world brings distinct flavours together, and it is this fusion that is responsible for better sound,” says singer Mahima Dayal Mathur, who will perform with French band Bo Bun Fever at the October Fusion Festival at Phoenix MarketCity today.
Indian fusion music began quite early, with non-resident Indians sponsoring concerts abroad and bringing Indian legends to a global audience, such as Ali Akbar Khan’s performance in the United States in 1955. Rock ‘n’ roll Indian fusion began in the 1960s and ‘70s. According to records, sitar maestro Pt Ravi Shankar and jazz musician Bud Shank were one of the first pioneers of the trend when they experimented with combining jazz and Indian classical music. It set off a trend of creating fusion music with Western and Indian music (remember Timbaland’s ‘Indian Flute?’) and also gave birth to raga rock (revisit your Beatles collection and you’ll find something interesting). A recent example would be Yo Yo Honey Singh.
But what will happen when African music meets Indian classical? Afrocentric musician trio Blessing Bled Chimanga from Zimbabwe will be seen in harmony with Carnatic violin exponents and sisters Lalitha and Nandini.
“African music and violins together will sound unique because it’s a union of two completely different genres to form a new sound. There is a lot that violins can do in African music — from providing a strong string section to strengthening the rhythm section,” says the 24-year-old Blessing, “All I want to say now is that it’s beautiful because music is a universal language and fusion is just the true interpretation of this statement.”
Jamming sessions are always fun and creative but have you heard of one that began as sounds from strangers and tuned into a musical rhythm? In movies, yes. But listen to this real incident. Surprisingly, Bo Bun Fever’s collaboration with Mahima and Amrit Rao began at a railway station nearly two years ago!
“It happened the very first day we all met,” recalls the band. “So, the three of us (Bo Bun Fever) were coming back from a long tour in Thailand. We arrived in India with no money, lost, and had no idea how to get back home. Somehow, we managed to get a job with the Indian Railways.”
One day, Amrit was travelling by a train leaving from Calcutta. He was hungry and went to the food-car where Quentin was making huge dosas. Mahima was there, lying on a bed and singing. Leo was in a corner, cleaning the floor. “All the sounds they were making started to blend to create one sound,” they add.
Then Theo eventually entered the car. He was selling postcards while playing an old Bollywood song on the harmonium. “Suddenly, all these noises created a sound...music that was never heard before. Then the five of us exchanged instruments and kept jamming this way together until we reached Chennai. This was our first fusion experience, the beginning of a long story,” they laugh.
October Fusion Festival is held today at the Phoenix MarketCity from 6.30 pm onwards. For details, call 32214344