All that’s jazz

I can’t offer enough praise to Sangam the outstanding jazz concert held at Melbourne Town Hall recently, featuring Zakir Hussain, Eric Harland and Charles Lloyd.

The confluence of three musical styles created a world of shared music not only between the musicians, but between the performers and listeners. The group improvisations and dynamics of the trio swept away the set traditional structures of jazz giving the concert a unique global rhythm.

It was a befitting end to a week of jazz festivities that saw performances by renowned musicians like Lionel Loueke, Paul Grabowsky, James Shipp, Dave Samuel, Sanders Astrand, Jo Lawry, Ahmad Jamal, Miles Davis and Yvette Johansson to name a few. Jazz enthusiasts also got an opportunity to discuss and explore the technique, composition, improvisation and inspiration of exerts through Master Classes held with John Abercombie, Mulatu Astatke, Joey Baron, Mark Feldman, Peter Brootzmann and Han Bennink, Theo Bleckmann and John Hollenbeck.

After a week of innovative and traditional jazz from the world’s best, the audience was ready for a nice finishing touch. They were not disappointed as the 90-minute concert between Zakir Hussain, Eric Harland and Charles Lloyd got underway. The richness of Zakir Hussain’s velvety voice (yes, he sang as well), the whispery smoothness of Eric Harland’s drums and the melody of Charles Lloyd’s saxophone resonated in the town hall making people forget the sterility and openness of the large venue. Together the three him in great awe and affection, for he was not only a great musician, but a teacher who gave selflessly, without holding anything back; an observant and dedicated guru, and most of all, a brilliant musician.

Sri Venkataraman’s career spanned 5 decades, during which time he won many awards, accolades, and fame, the last being the Sangeetha Kala Acharya from the Music Academy in Chennai in January 2010.

The Iyer Brother began with a kalyani varnam, which their Guru believed embodied accomplished musicians managed to create the intimacy of a jazz club. The trio shared the spotlight as they traded improvised sections with each other underscoring their musical equity. Watching Zakir Hussain highlighting the subtle nuances of the tabla, I kept thinking of the cliché now associated with him, Wah! Ustaad Wah! By the end of the performance, as the varying styles surfaced alongside each other, there was a sense that each had been occurring simultaneously, as if the set were a sonic mural. A standing ovation ended a concert that I would recommend with no reservations and firm conviction. If you are a jazz and music enthusiast and you could not attend this musical triumph I suggest you invest in the album Sangam, it’s worth its weight in gold.

Preeti Jabbal

the beauty of the raga in all its glory. He had insisted that this varnam be taught only after they had mastered a few kritis in kalyani. They presented several Swati Tirunal kritis, the hallmark of the Trivandrum school: in mayamalavagowla; (deva deva kalayamithe) in Arabi; (Narasimha mamava); poorvi kalyani etc, kritis such as Gangeya Vasandhara, Sarasijanabha Sodari, and the well known Tillana in dhanasri. Other ragas rendered were hamir kalyani, todi, shankarabaranam (ragamtanam-pallavi- et al), making the concert a truly ‘sampurna samarpanam’ to their great guru Sri Venkataraman.

Chitra Sudarshan with Maheshwaran Bhuvaneswaran

Keerthana Music School’s fifth annual concert was celebrated on May 8 at the Chandler Community Centre.

This school, established a few years ago by Smt Uthra Vijayaraghavan, has progressed by leaps and bounds within the short time that it has been in operation, and its students have made a mark in several Indian community events in Melbourne - including the FIAV festival in April.

The students, from five to fifty five years, put on an impressive performance – both solo and in group, covering a range of ragas, talas and compositions. The items were well chosen, and appealed to a large and diverse crowd, and even the youngest of students were able to sing bhajans and geetams with confidence. This ensured that the event did not drag on, and proceeded at a brisk pace, and those staying on were rewarded with some delightful and serious music.

Sri Sridhar Chari, the chief guest, praised the school’s tremendous contribution to carnatic music in Melbourne, noting even the novice students’ ability to keep to the shruti, render kritis or compositions with bhava or emotion, and demonstrate a love for music.

They were accompanied by several mrudangam and violin students from Melbourne’s music schools.

Chitra Sudarshan

Challenges to our social and cultural identity are commonplace in these contemporary times of human migration and re-settlement. Frequently, I’ve wondered about identity dilemmas in a multicultural society. An inherent passion for the arts has often persuaded me to seek answers within the aesthetic realm. Dance has occupied that special corner, in this regard, as I trained in bharatanatyam for close to a decade like most kids from Bengali households where the fine arts hold prime position.

Dance is a powerful tool for cultural expression and communication like any other form of art. And this was likewise echoed by the eminent guru of Indian classical dance in Melbourne and artist par excellence, Dr Chandrabhanu. His inherent grace, poise, intellectual depth and charm truly embodied his insightful opening remark, “Dance is something inborn within me”.

Dance, for Dr Chandrabhanu, symbolises a potent language of communication not only between humans but also connects the person with the spiritual plane and divinity.

An ace student, Dr Chandrabhanu arrived in Australia in 1971 to study Social Anthropology at Monash University. Having already been exposed to other cultures prior to that, Dr Chandrabhanu considers himself to be a citizen of the world.

As artistic director of Bharatam Dance Company from 1985 to 2000, his productions have generated an emotional and intellectual appeal through the harmonizing blend of classical, contemporary and folk styles.

“How we dance is really up to us” he states.

His favourite creations such as the classic Navagraha and Devi: Goddess Absolute were in bharatnatyam style but were infused with an energy that he had instilled. Devi, presented at the Victorian Arts Centre, had the Saptamatrikas (idea of seven mothers) dance piece pioneered by him to convey the idea of female energy.

In 1973 Dr Chandrabhanu instituted the Chandrabhanu Bharatalaya Academy of Indian Classical Dance and Music in Melbourne which continues to pulsate with artistic activity. This year is of special significance as the Academy commemorates the 60th anniversary of the exponent as well as the 30th anniversary of Nrityanjali - the annual performance by the students. The annual event provides a platform to all students to perform before a large audience and apply their theatrical and technical skills.

Dr Chandrabhanu opines that the present generation of students are very proud of their heritage. “Bharatalaya wants to make sure that every student who comes here is given the heritage, legacy and the art form in its best possible way…. but at the same time it realises that they need to do further research”. He reminisces that when he commenced teaching, he would spend the three months of his summer break every year in travelling across India, training under his gurus and researching on dance. “It was going back to the earth where these dance forms had developed,” he reasons.

In his illustrious career extending over thirty years, Dr Chandrabhanu cherishes the warm appreciation with which his creations have been received internationally.

The fervent passion for and devotion to the art continues to drive him as he plans to remount Navagraha next year. He hopes that, in keeping with the mark of a true artist and teacher, somebody will take over the reins of choreography from him and continue the legacy. “They probably will not work the way I did, but that’s the beauty of it”.

Dr Chandrabhanu visited Tunisia recently fuelled by his strong interest in Italian culture. On a lighter note, he revealed that he enjoys cooking and it was delightful to learn that he’s working on an international cookbook.

The celebrated American dancer Martha Graham had said “I feel that the essence of dance is the expression of man -- the landscape of his soul. I hope that every dance I do reveals something of myself or some wonderful thing a human can be.”

For me, Dr Chandrabhanu’s artistic genius represents just that.

Madhuchanda Das