Many patterns, one music

In its fourth consecutive year in India, International Jazz Day brings together a diverse musical community during one evening

April 30, 2016 12:00 am | Updated 02:34 pm IST

All set:Celebrated Indian keyboardist Louiz Banks (right) and singer Isheeta Chakrvarty will be part of the International Jazz Day.

All set:Celebrated Indian keyboardist Louiz Banks (right) and singer Isheeta Chakrvarty will be part of the International Jazz Day.

As a music genre, jazz usually finds itself only within the surround-sound systems of the elite. However, it’s actually rooted in the contrary. Jazz emerged within the black American experience, in music of enslavement and oppression. However, different cultures went on to contribute to jazz through their own experiences and styles. Despite its transcendental nature, the genre remains one of the most difficult and complex forms of music, that draws on many diverse styles and traditions.

Thus, to define jazz, would be to limit it, as it knows no boundaries, and is eclectic. Louiz Banks, a celebrated Indian keyboardist explains, “Jazz has made quantum leaps from its humble beginnings in America’s cotton fields to being universally accepted. Jazz embraces and merges with diverse world cultures and ethnicities.”

In November 2011, due to the all-encompassing nature of jazz, the UNESCO officially designated April 30 as International Jazz Day. And Banks has been curating a jazz performance in the city for the last four years to commemorate the special day.

Just by the way, Mumbai-based music journalist Narendra Kusnur feels that April 29, the birthday of renowned American jazz composer and pianist Duke Ellington, would have been a more felicitous day to celebrate the music.

Since its inception, International Jazz Day, now an official body within UNESCO, has chaired by Irina Bokova, Director General, along with illustrious jazz pianist and composer Herbie Hancock, who serves as a UNESCO Ambassador for intercultural exchange. This day’s purpose, as envisioned by the institution, is to bind communities, promote peace, cultural dialogue, and cultivate an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding.

This year, the Global Host City, Washington, DC will see a concert at the White House with the likes of Zakir Hussain and Sting, who is headlining the gig along with Aretha Franklin.

Closer home, in India, jazz emerged as a result of colonialism in 1920s Bombay and Calcutta. The following decade, often regarded as the golden age of Indian jazz, began with musicians like Leon Abbey, Crickett Smith, Creighton Thompson, Ken Mac, Roy Butler, and Teddy Weatherford (who recorded with Louis Armstrong). The earliest recorded imprint of jazz in the country is in the winter of 1935, when Minnesota-based violinist, Abbey, brought the first eight-piece band to Bombay. Goan musicians, heavily influenced by this music, imbibed it in their own performances and later into the Hindi film industry’s sounds. Decades later, the 60s, saw Calcutta become one of the bastions of jazz, as people thronged to then cabaret bars such as Moulin Rouge and Skyroom to listen to saxophonist Braz Gonsalves, keyboardist Louis Banks and singer Pam Crain.

Kusnur, however, says that the first major celebration of jazz was in the 70s, in the form of the Jazz Yatra in Mumbai. Greats such as Sonny Rollins, Sadao Watanabe, Illinois Jacquet, Charlie Byrd and Herb Ellis have graced this festival, which evolved into the Jazz Utsav. “Now there are more festivals that celebrate the music, such as Jus’ Jazz,” says Kusnur, who religiously attends most music events in the city.

As for Banks’s celebration this evening, he says, “The focal point of our event has always been jazz, although this time we are trying to highlight the tremendous influence jazz has had in other genres. We are bringing together styles such as Motown, rap, beatboxing, blues and rock, and stitching them together with jazz. These forms are being represented through the music of both young and veteran musicians from the city and across.”

The performance wil include veterans such as Joe Alvares, Gary Lawyer, Gino Banks and Sanjay Divecha. Among the newer artistes are singers Isheeta Chakrvarty (of The Stage fame) and Megha Bhardwaj. From bebop to rap-jazz and other new forms, the audience can expect a holistic experience, says an excited Banks.

According to Kusnur, jazz has always had a small but devoted following in India. While most played traditional versions of the genre, the success of Indo-jazz outfit Shakti (John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, L Shankar, and Vikku), encouraged more musicians to use Indian elements and instruments. Recently, Indian drummer Ranjit Barot became a part of McLaughlin's band The Fourth Dimension. Singers like Vivienne Pocha, Samantha Edwards, Sonia Saigal and Dominique Cerejo, and keyboardist Merlin DSouza also helped popularise the genre in the city. “Very often you see the same people attending jazz concerts. The number of serious jazz listeners is reducing,” Kusnur says. “However, young audiences seem more inclined towards modern jazz and fusion.”

One thing is certain. Like Western classical music, jazz too needs to be made more accessible. “One way is through more corporate support,” says Kusnur. “Another way is through more workshops and listening.” For instance, flautist Rajeev Raja has conducted evenings tracing the evolution of jazz at the NCPA and the Royal Willingdon Sports Club, where he mixed a presentation with live music. “The third option would be to have a dedicated jazz segment on radio, just like the blues show by Brian Tellis,” says Kusnur. Another long-time jazz enthusiast, Ashok Gulati also agrees, “More venues, especially low-cost ones and regular haunts in popular hotels/restaurants should host gigs,” and “given the high tax structure (entertainment tax), there should be more corporate sponsorship without which jazz has no future.”

But for now, let us not dwell upon the future; instead soak in the music, and embrace the universal language that is jazz.

International Jazz Day will be celebrated today at Blue Frog, Lower Parel, 7:30pm onwards. Call venue for entry details. Phone: 61586158.

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