The 'Attakkalari India Biennial 2013', opened with its inaugural piece, 'The Manganiyar Seduction', at the front lawns of the Jayamahal Palace in the City, recently. While the music was soul searching, the unique setting added to the grandeur of the event.
Set against the backdrop of Hawa Mahal and the red street in Amsterdam, the set was a magnificent four-storeyed wall with red windows, in which each performer sat. It was conceptualised by Delhi-based theatre director Roysten Abel.
This was quite a delight for the eyes and the ears. The Manganiyars hail from Dedariyar, Siyani, Beshla, Barmer, Nembla, Satto, Mayoloor, Barna, Dhoba, Deddha, Lanela, Kisshola, Jodhpur, Janra and other places in Rajasthan, while the music displayed authenticity and diversity.
The high and trembling notes the vocalists rendered, the energetic beats of the drummers and the sensational notes of the kamancha, a stringed instrument, left the audience impressed and appalled at the same time. The performance started with just a lone, single cubicle which lit up and released the first strains of kamancha.
This followed by another window cubicle, with a performer on vocals. And then came performances from other windows. The windows had borders of bulbs and highlighted according to the flow of the music.
Each musical strain led to the opening of newer windows with their red velvet curtains. The performance saw artistes play the dhols, algozas, dholaks, sarangis, bhapang, kamancha, morchang, murli and kartal, and the conductor Deu Khan danced across the stage while directing each note.
The music wavered in this 70-minute show, with the show of light and music,
moving row-wise and column-wise, creating a mesmerising effect. The music was a blend of qawwali tradition with expressions from the poetry of Rumi and Hafez. The night closed with a song led by Deu Ram.
Sonia K, an IT professional, who had taken great efforts to reach from as far as Whitefield to be at the show, said, "I saw a short clip of this piece on the internet and I knew I had to go see the show. And I'm so glad I could make it. It was truly an out-of-the-world experience." John Vernice, an expat student in the City, was enthralled by the show.
He commented, "I've never seen anything like this. This has to be one of the most impressive beginnings to the Attakkalari festivals, in all the past years. I have been a regular at most of their events and at other contemporary art events, but Roysten Abel's piece has definitely seduced many a heart today."
Set against the backdrop of Hawa Mahal and the red street in Amsterdam, the set was a magnificent four-storeyed wall with red windows, in which each performer sat. It was conceptualised by Delhi-based theatre director Roysten Abel.
This was quite a delight for the eyes and the ears. The Manganiyars hail from Dedariyar, Siyani, Beshla, Barmer, Nembla, Satto, Mayoloor, Barna, Dhoba, Deddha, Lanela, Kisshola, Jodhpur, Janra and other places in Rajasthan, while the music displayed authenticity and diversity.
The high and trembling notes the vocalists rendered, the energetic beats of the drummers and the sensational notes of the kamancha, a stringed instrument, left the audience impressed and appalled at the same time. The performance started with just a lone, single cubicle which lit up and released the first strains of kamancha.
This followed by another window cubicle, with a performer on vocals. And then came performances from other windows. The windows had borders of bulbs and highlighted according to the flow of the music.
Each musical strain led to the opening of newer windows with their red velvet curtains. The performance saw artistes play the dhols, algozas, dholaks, sarangis, bhapang, kamancha, morchang, murli and kartal, and the conductor Deu Khan danced across the stage while directing each note.
The music wavered in this 70-minute show, with the show of light and music,
moving row-wise and column-wise, creating a mesmerising effect. The music was a blend of qawwali tradition with expressions from the poetry of Rumi and Hafez. The night closed with a song led by Deu Ram.
Sonia K, an IT professional, who had taken great efforts to reach from as far as Whitefield to be at the show, said, "I saw a short clip of this piece on the internet and I knew I had to go see the show. And I'm so glad I could make it. It was truly an out-of-the-world experience." John Vernice, an expat student in the City, was enthralled by the show.
He commented, "I've never seen anything like this. This has to be one of the most impressive beginnings to the Attakkalari festivals, in all the past years. I have been a regular at most of their events and at other contemporary art events, but Roysten Abel's piece has definitely seduced many a heart today."