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IT was certainly one of the most sensational evenings I have spent in
Not only because I was experiencing the sounds of music by the quartet led by the great Ustad Zakir Hussain but also because I was amongst an audience who had immense respect for the musicians and their performance that was held at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre on Thursday evening and was completely enthralled by the musical conversation that took place onstage.
This was not the first time that I have heard these wonderful musicians perform together.
It was at ‘Remember Shakti’ concert in Mumbai where the same fantastic four – Ustad Zakir Hussain on the tabla, U Shrinivas on his mandolin, Shankar Mahadevan with his ‘breathless’ vocals and Shivamani on his 400 drums blended their music with jazz fusion guitarist John McLaughlin and V Selvaganesh on the kanjira, ghatam and mridangam.
The memories only added to my excitement and anticipation to listen to the incredible sounds ‘live’ all over again.
I do not know whether my words can do any justice to the music that was recreated that evening but it certainly held all that Ustadji had promised: “We will be reminiscing the notes that great drummers and musicians have composed… and journey through those expressions. There will not be a rhythm that has never been played or a melody that has never been heard - it’s all about how you express it that makes the difference.”
What I enjoyed most was observing the respect that each musician held for the other... how they teased, cajoled, co-ordinated and challenged each other to match and surpass each other’s music in speed, ferocity and gentleness and also feel exhilarated at the culmination of every musical note.
Shivamani showed us that even an empty water bottle and a battered suitcase can make the most amusing sounds and all of them in combination told us that to achieve mastery all you need is one hundred per cent dedication, talent, passion and pure devotion to your art.
Money raised from the event, sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank, will go towards helping partially-sighted people in
Review: Anasuya Kesavan
