France's popular Jazz trio, Alain Brunet trio, created a unique fusion of jazz with two Indian artistes – Sarod player Debi Prasad and Tabla exponent Manosh Bardhan - at a Fusion Concert organised by Alliance Française in the city yesterday. Frontman Allain Brunet talks fusion, jazz and and Indian music in an e-mail interview with Sudeshna B Baruah.
Was this your first performance in India?
Yes. I had performed in countries like Pakistan, Iran, Egypt and Peru, but never in India.
Would you tell us something about the genesis of this collaboration with Sarod player Debi Prasad and Tabla exponent Manosh Bardhan ?
It is a real collaboration. We began to exchange our music, conceptualised the fusion notes over the Net. We sent frame of our common music by net to give elements from them to start working.
When we (me and my team) arrived in Pondicherry, Manosh and Debi played some scales inspired from ragas and ryhtmic phrases. Thereafter, we began our rehearsals in Pondicherry, where Debi and Manosh live.
You began playing the trumpet at the age of 10. How different is the Jazz of that period from the present?
I began to play in the early '70s in France. It was a period of free jazz in Europe; although a very creative period there were not many jazz clubs and festivals to perform at . Today, a lot of jazz festivals are held in France, specially during summer and there many jazz clubs in France where we can perform; but economy of jazz is stricken and it is a problem for musicians.
Many consider fusion a confusion, what is it to you?
I don’t use the expression fusion. I prefer using the connotation ‘mix music’ because I want that meeting between Indian musician and European musician must more addition of them. Each musician keep his roots, his style, his culture and we try to organise music as a progression between cultures.
How does Indian classical music fare in France?
Indian music can be heard in Paris. Every year different concert halls are proposing Indian classical music; but outside Paris Indian music does not have a wider appeal.
Any classical exponent from India you look forward to working with?
At this point, we rather prefer to do in depth collaborative ventures with our friends Manosh and Debi because we believe this collaboration can be better and more accurate.
Many consider fusion a confusion, what is it to you?
I don’t use the expression fusion. I prefer using the connotation ‘mix music’ because I want that meeting between Indian musician and European musician must more addition of them. Each musician keep his roots, his style, his culture and we try to organise music as a progression between cultures.
How does Indian classical music fare in France?
Indian music can be heard in Paris. Every year different concert halls are proposing Indian classical music; but outside Paris Indian music does not have a wider appeal.
Any classical exponent from India you look forward to working with?
At this point, we rather prefer to do in depth collaborative ventures with our friends Manosh and Debi because we believe this collaboration can be better and more accurate.
We recorded a CD at a Pondicherry studio which will release in October. We hope to have a new Indian tour in 2009 and welcome our Indian friends in France the same year.
Do you have an ear for Bollywood (Indian films) music?
Any music interests us if it expresses a human feeling
What is music to you?
A life experience
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