The strains of Carnatic music may only just have faded away with the ending of the Margazhi season, but Chennai, with its special status as patron of the performing arts, will soon be home to yet another event this weekend. The Global Isai Festival (GIF), a confluence of diverse musical genres from all over the world, will introduce myriad global artistes, each with a distinct, unique sound.
Conceived by Eddie Prithviraj of event management company Exodus, GIF began in 2012 with a distinct mission. “The idea was inspired by the music festivals of Europe hosted in smaller villages, in which the whole community comes together,” Prithviraj says.
Sound check
Now in its seventh year, the festival promises a line-up of novel sounds, curated by a team that invites and vets entries from across the globe. “We encourage entries of all kinds, however offbeat they are. Our main goal is to showcase art that is clean, fun, inoffensive and in keeping with our value systems,” he says. This year, popular singer-songwriter Forest Pooky is representative of the French punk rock scene; band Plantec uses traditional instruments to create ethereal music; and all-woman group Simangavole performs Maloya rhythm, the traditional music of the slaves of Reunion Island. “We also have the seven-membered Itaca Band from Spain. Their music is explosive and rhythmic,” Prithviraj adds.
The organisers also strive to marry local talent with international sounds. Last year’s edition saw a high-energy fusion of Chennai’s Violin Sisters with The Bled Bled Chummanga Trio from Zimbabwe. And this year, veena artiste Rajesh Vaidhya and fusion expert Balabhaskar are both collaborating with different bands. There’s also representation from Chennai’s own — Grammy award-winning Tanvi Shah and homegrown rapper Jack Styles.
All-round fun
Apart from the music itself, there will be graffiti, cyphers, B-boying, and even a flash mob, to make the event immersive, fun and exciting to all age groups. More importantly, it is a showcase of art in a public space, an ideal Phoenix MarketCity has always subscribed to with its halls dotted with art installations. Set in the mall, with its open spaces and floating audience, GIF allows for greater accessibility, and provides listeners the opportunity to interact with the music beyond a formal setting.
To most, the event has reinforced that the Chennai audience, stereotyped as being steeped in classical dance and music, is, in fact, open to and appreciative of diverse styles. Prithviraj believes there is great curiosity about cultural styles from across the world. “Artists themselves look to bring various genres of music to new audiences,” he says. And the audience, he adds, keenly “looks forward to such new sounds”. Buoyed by the manner in which the city has responded to the initiative, there are plans to take GIF to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune soon.
At Phoenix MarketCity today and tomorrow. Register on globalisaifestival.com.
