Jazz merges with Indian classical music

The genre merges with Indian classical music at a performance in the city; popular artistes collaborate for the first time.

Music aficionados get to enjoy various genres ranging from Indian classical concerts to western music recitals like opera and chamber music. But here’s an unconventional show, called Jammin With Jazz, that will have various forms of Indian music merged with the rudiments of jazz.

Barbara-Bolice-left-63-and-Michael-Feuerstein-center-dance-to-jazz-music-during-the-opening-of-the-SAGE-Center-the-country-s-first-full-time-senior-center-for-gay-lesbian-bisexual-and-transgender-elders-in-New-York-SAGE-stands-for-Services-and-Advocacy-for-Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-and-Transgender-Elders-The-34-year-old-social-service-organization-serves-gay-and-lesbian-seniors-AP-Photo-Bebeto-Matthews

Organised by Pancham Nishad Creatives, this concert will feature popular performers like Shankar Mahadevan (vocals), U Sriniwas (mandolin), V Selvaganesh (kanjeera), Louis Banks (keyboard), Gino Banks (drums), Sheldon D’Silva (guitar) and Aditya Kalyanpur (tabla). “The performances will be very experimental. All of us will present our individual genres and then there’ll be a fusion towards the end,” says Kalyanpur.

The idea behind the concert is to depict how the two different genres of music can collaborate, owing to the similarity in techniques. “I plan to perform compositions from ‘Dose of desire’ and ‘Encounter’ with Louis Banks, a bhajan called ‘Abraadhe rani’ with U Shrinivas and some other classical smritis (prayers). Though I have performed with all the artistes earlier in various capacities, this is the first time that all of us will be sharing the same stage,” says Mahadevan.

different styles of jazz, Selvaganesh sees this as an opportunity to perform with old friends after a long time.

He says, “The concert will be like a family get together after a long time, so there will be a lot of joy and celebration in the evening. Louis, Shankar, Shrinivas and I have performed together at several junctures, so we’ll know what to take up.”