When East Meets West!

When East Meets West!
A review of the performance that spelt fusion from the word go...

Art allows its audience to extend its experience in different and often unexpected ways. It does so through creative juxtapositions and fresh aesthetic arrangements, in the process, often generating a new aesthetics. Fusion music, whatever the synthesis, begins by surprising, then drawing you into the unique space created by the coming together of two very different traditions.
When the strings, drums and wind instruments of the Australian Art Orchestra came together with the Sruthi laya Ensemble at Lalitha KAla Thoranam on 21 january, a blend was created that was less fusion than a union of rhythm and melody. Beginning with a piece composed by Adrian Sherriff that centred around the classical South Ondian flute (played by B.V. Balasai) and the trumpet (played by Scott Tinkler) the artistes wove their way through a total of seven compositions, some of which leaned westward and others, toward the east' in spirit and in structure. They ranged from the sprightly Into The Loop composed by keyboard artiste Alister Spence to the soulful The Sacred Cow's Tail created by saxophonist Sandy Evans. Niko Schauble, on the drums, put together a piece written especially to commemorate their first visit to Hyderabad, dubbed Hydera-dub!.
The synergy between the two groups of artistes was visible-and audible- particularly the rhythmic energy of the three percussionists, Guru Karaikkudi Mani on his mridangam,Suresh on the ghatam and Schauble on the drums. Entering the musical conversation with their own rich and textured playing were guitarist Carl Dewhurst and Steven Elphick on double bass, along with Durga Prasad on the gottu vadyam.
The highlight of the evening was a composition by Karaikkudi Mani titled Vasantha Pravahamoriginally composed in the Carnatic tradition and later arranged for a jazz ensemble by Adrian Sherriff, who was at the time studying the mridangam under his tutelage. Re-christened, 'Into The Fire", the piece brings together the entire instrumental in a resounding celebration of melody an rhythm, the best of both traditions. At this point the musicians were joined on stage by Rajeswari Sainath, performing in bharatanatyam style to the accompaniment of 'Into the Fire'. The choreography complemented the nuances of the piece, focusing attention on the expressive elements of both music and dance.
This is the eleventh year of collaboration between Guru Karaikkudi Mani's Sruthi Laya and composer Paul Grabowskly's Australian Art Orchestra, but the first time they have performed in Hyderabad. The collaborating artistes have performed in music festivals across the globe to critical acclaim.