November is when you expect refreshing light showers to end the warm spell, cool breeze to embrace the city and bright rays to turn mellow.
It’s when people don’t mind a long day out, especially an evening of music to celebrate the mildly changing mood of the season.
And for the past 11 years, The Hindu November Fest has created a distinct cultural atmosphere with a soundscape that spans climatic zones, geographical boundaries and musical genres.
The 2016 edition, starting from November 17, is going to be no different.
Through the four days of the festival, ustads, rock stars, Bollywood singers and global fusion artistes will explore the essence of collaborations, even while showcasing their individual creative strengths.
The fest opens with Ustad Rashid Khan and Ustad Shahid Parvez facilitating a voice-string meeting with their Naad-Ninaad jugalbandi. Ustad Rashid Khan, star of the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana, grew up in a home that resounded with alaap , sargam , tarana and khayal . Though he took time to understand the importance of carrying on a family legacy, Rashid Khan finally underwent regimental training under his maternal grand uncle Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan. Today, his music is a beautiful synthesis of traditional values and contemporary insights.
Gharana (Etawah), dharohar (seventh generation in a lineage of instrumentalists) and taalim (10 hours of training under father-guru Ustad Aziz Khan) defines Ustad Shahid Parvez’s musical journey too. The sitar that he picked up at age three has taken him around the world and made him a premier performer.
The ustads will unravel the soul of ragas as they scale up and move down octaves, embellish their renditions with sparkling swar patterns and give a glimpse of their impeccable technique.
On day two, the fest will serve a strong brew of Indian folk, pop and rock. Kerala-based eight-member band Masala Coffee will take listeners through their high energy originals, smart covers and super hit film numbers. Started in 2014 by Varun Sunil, its young members Sooraj Santhosh, Paul Joseph, Joe Jacob, Preeth P.S., Joe Johnson, Krishna Raj and David Crimson stir into Masala Coffee their personal styles and global influences. There are as many gentle notes as hard rock beats that make up their rooted sound template. So get set for a steaming cuppa! Or shall we say tumbler?
What happens when Japanese Taiko drumming and Indian dance come together? The result is Chi Udaka, which will be performed on day three. ‘Chi.’ means earth in Japanese and ‘Udaka’ is water in Sanskrit. The collaboration will delve into the traditions of the art forms to find common new-age expressions. The intricate and graceful dance moves of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi are courtesy Australia-based Anandavalli’s company, Lingalayam. The music is composed by Taikoz, founded in 1997 by drummer Ian Cleworth and shakuhachi player Riley Lee, whose music vocabulary also includes flute and cello. The dancers and drummers raise the beat in unison for a seamless cross-cultural exchange, driving home the point, art is universal.
Can any festival be complete without a dose of retro tunes? This year, November Fest pays tribute to the cabaret dancers of Hindi cinema with some memorable, groovy numbers. Many of them are heard loud and clear as remixes by DJs, but Mumbai-based Kakar Sisters (Akriti, Prakriti and Sukriti) will render them in their original form. The sisters who are the voices behind many Bollywood hits such as ‘Iski Uski’ ( 2 States ), ‘Saturday, Saturday’ ( Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya) , ‘Kar Gayi Chull’ ( Kapoor and Sons ), ‘Pehli Baar’ ( Dil Dhadakne Do ) and ‘Bheeg Loon’ ( Khamoshiyaan ) also perform live shows around the world. They will bring alive the sensuous jives and moves of Helen, Bindu, Aruna Irani and others through their singing.
Ticket details
Venue: The Music Academy
Date: November 17-20
Time: 7.30 pm
Sponsors:
Associate Sponsor – Hindustan International School
Hospitality Partner – Taj Coromandel
Event Manager – Showspace
