"Something’s missing”. That’s the thought that ran through the mind of city-based vocalist, composer, and music educator Sachin Shankor Mannath in 2015, when he started focusing exclusively on ghazals. “In South India, people know ghazals, but they don’t know how to have an intimate experience at the concerts that people used to get in North India. I always wanted to bring that back and reinvent the sound of ghazal. That’s why I started the Global Ghazal Project (GGP) in 2015-17,” explains Sachin.
Though he had an interest in ghazal since childhood, he began concentrating more on the details, learning Urdu, and reading more poetry for the Global Ghazal Project. At one point, he travelled to Kolkata just to simply sit with a tabla player and understand how to sing ghazal.
Clarifying how easily ghazal is assumed to be associated with Hindustani classical, Sachin says, “Ghazal is a mix of poetry and music, and the focus is on the poem more than the music itself. Different artistes sound different.”
When GGP debuted in 2017, Sachin collaborated with Matt Bacon, an American guitarist living in Chennai. They reworked ‘Zindagi Mein To Sabhi’, originally composed by Nashad and sung by Ustad Mehdi Hassan, and released it. However, following that, his focus shifted towards films and international albums. Later, the pandemic happened.
“For the past two or three years, I’ve been thinking about how to redo it. I thought this was the right time to bring it back because people want to go and relive such experiences,” says Sachin, as he relaunches the project with a four-person ensemble and a bigger plan than before.
GGP is all set to return to the stage this Saturday. Sachin says, “I want to bring a mix of everything (different ghazals) and also educate the audience. They will get a programme note explaining each song, including its meaning and context. In between songs, I’ll also explain the context of the song and the structure of the ghazal. So even without any prior experience, anyone can enjoy it.”
Notes of collaboration
The ensemble includes Sachin as the lead vocalist, Matt on acoustic guitar, Rajesh Dhavale on tabla, and Debtanu Dutta on harmonium and keys. Rajesh has previously collaborated with Sachin on several projects, including AR Rahman’s Sufi Ensemble, while Debtanu joins the musicians for the first time.
Sachin sat down with each member individually before bringing them together for a practice session. Throughout the arrangements, he was sure he didn’t want the instrumentalists “to adapt to our style”. He adds, “I want them to show their independent musicality and fuse it with our sound. That way, we can bring an overall new sound to what we are presenting.”
Explaining what each musician brings to the concert, Sachin says, “Matt gave me the chord patterns, including some flamenco-style elements, which he’ll bring into certain songs along with some improvisations. Singing ghazal with tabla is a very difficult job, so Rajesh and I tried to get the tempo right and worked on maintaining the rhythm. I chose Debtanu since I wanted a harmonium player who could also handle other keyboard instruments.”
He also hints that the setlist includes ‘Ranjish Hi Sahi’ by Mehdi Hassan, a famous ghazal in Raag Yaman; a Punjabi geet by Ghulam Ali; two popular ghazals by Hariharan, especially as a tribute to Jagjit Singh; and a film song that follows the ghazal structure.
Beyond the stage
For Sachin, this performance marks only the beginning of a wider ambition. Recalling his debut world music album in 2019, ‘Ghats of Gondwana’, he says, “I collaborated with a lot of international musicians. I can imagine the Global Ghazal Project doing something similar next year by collaborating with music artistes from outside India or bringing them in as guest artistes in the lineup for our future concerts.” He is also interested in researching Urdu poetry and poets, especially ghazal singers. “With GGP, I want to take it to different music festivals, celebrate, and pay tribute to great artistes and their mastery while bringing my own interpretation,” he says.
Reflecting on the place of ghazals in today’s cultural landscape, he says, “Sometimes we’re too caught up in our phones, reels, and many other things. But we also want to go out, meet people, and have a good experience with music. That’s why we should also celebrate literature and music as art in their own right.” He adds that since ghazal is already in that segment, we needn’t do anything new to create space, just return to it.
I think audiences should come with an open mind without thinking about the language barrier. Since most ghazals are about love and lost love, anyone can relate to those emotions.
Witness The Global Ghazal Project live on October 31 from 6 pm at Max Mueller Hall, Goethe-Institut Chennai. Entry is free; register at ggp.sachinmannath.com