Ravindra Natya Mandir – The Metrognome

A concert for Indo-European chamber music

Musicians Jarry Singla, Sanjeev Chimmalgi, Vinayak Netke and Hindol Deb come together for a concert today at Ravindra Natya Mandir.

by Max Mueller Bhavan, Mumbai

This is a concert lovers of classical Indian and European music cannot miss. It features four excellent musicians, and a fusion of Indian and European melodies for an unforgettable evening of chamber music.

“Inspired by the encounter of Indian and European culture, the artists go beyond hitherto existing musical boundaries. Elaborately ornamented melodies of Indian vocal art reverberate with the piano´s melodic outlines, whilst the sitar and the double-bass create new forms of “stringed dialogues”. Indian and western improvisational concepts stimulate each other, and original compositions based on the tradition of European polyphony are enriched by the melodic qualities of the tabla. Harmonic progressions act as an inspiring challenge for the voice and the sitar. The cooperation of the five artists leads to a creation of fresh, subtle and exciting sounds, which I would like to call “Contemporary Indo-European Chamber Music”.

– Jarry Singla

In cooperation with the Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan Mumbai, the Arts Foundation of the German state of North-Rhine Westphalia initiated an ‘Artist-in-residence’ programme that promotes an exchange of artists. Currently, the Indo- German pianist and composer Jarry Singla is residing in Mumbai. In his original music, the Indo-German pianist and composer combines European musical traditions not only with a variety of jazz-styles, but also with classical and folk music drawn from non-European musical cultures.

Only shortly after his arrival in Mumbai, Jarry had the chance to start working with three of the finest Indian musicians based in the city: vocalist Sanjeev Chimmalgi, tabla-player/composer Vinayak Netke and sitar-virtuoso Hindol Deb.The four musicians will be joined by Jarry Singla’s longtime musical companion Christian Ramond, a highly acclaimed double-bass player from Cologne who is highly in demand all over Europe.

Apart from Mumbai, the quintet will perform in Pune and Chennai.

The concert is free and open to all. Head to Ravindra Natya Mandir, Prabhadevi, at 7 pm today.

(Picture courtesy Max Mueller Bhavan)

Play-acting with life

College drama fest draws theme ideas from real-life incidents, political ideologies, living by adjustment and even incest. A pitch report.

by Krishnaraj Rao

Rape and violence continue to dominate the mindscape of young Mumbaikars, it seems. At the ‘Let’s Act’ drama festival held yesterday at Ravindra Natya Mandir Mini Theatre, the students of RD National College elaborately re-enacted the recent Delhi bus-rape incident, in a play titled Is This Humanity? This was one of the five plays that was selected for re-enactment in the finals of the drama festival, to be held at Sophia Auditorium on January 5, 2013.

The other teams selected for the finals were Pragati College, which enacted a humourous play Adjustment (about how one needs to make an adjustment in all spheres of life), KC College (with a play on communalism based on the Panchatantra), Mumbai University’s Department of Journalism and Communication (with The Darkest Desire, a play about incest) and Swami Vivekanand College (Wakt Nahin Hai, a balletic satire about modern living.)

St. Andrew’s Chorus, which re-enacted the Mumbai 7/11 serial train blasts, and St. Xavier’s College, which enacted the Greek tragedy of Achilles, provided some extremely kinetic and memorable scenes.

The entire approach was minimalistic, with emphasis on creativity and powerful acting rather than lavish sets. The only stage sets available were two 1.5 feet levels, two nine inch levels, and some tables and chairs. All the work was done by the students themselves, without help from professionals.

This drama competition is organised by Helen O’Grady International, in benefit of ADAPT (formerly, the Spastic Society of India). Helen O’Grady’s Youth Theater workshops are enabling students to express themselves creatively.