Raga Africana

“I first heard African gospel music in a Grammy-winning album called African Spirit in 2008. I was on the Grammy jury at the time and loved the music. The album went on to win the Grammy for Best Traditional World Music Album,” says Guha.

Earlier this year,she wrote to Hogarth,the composer and producer of the album,and invited him to come to India for a collaborative venture.

Hogarth,who won his first Grammy in 2008 for Blessed,responded immediately — he said he loved the idea of exploring Indian music and mixing it with gospel music. After an exchange of e-mails and notes with Guha,Hogarth has now arrived in India to work on this project. A concert on Friday will give the first glimpses of the collaboration. Apart from the 15-track album,which will release late next year,a world tour by the two musicians and the eight children is on the cards.

“But,when we tour Africa,I am expecting at least 30 children to perform. To reproduce the high energy of Gospel music,it is important to have more kids for the live concert. Unfortunately,we could only afford to fly eight of them for the main recording in India,” says Hogarth,who is known for his work with Harpo Productions owned by Oprah Winfrey and 60 albums,a lot of which,are cross-cultural works.

The sitar was the only Indian instrument that Hogarth was familiar with before he arrived in India and Pandit Ravi Shankar was the only Indian musician he knew. “I recently heard the music of this brilliant guy called AR Rahman. But for the longest time,I knew of Indian music only through the ‘Beatle’ George Harrison,” says Hogarth.

Hogarth is involved with Artistes for Human Rights,a Los Angeles-based non-profit,that works in South Africa. “I chose several African students for the India project after auditions. The idea was to give them an opportunity to work on an international project,to work with different music and to see a different culture,” he says.

The album has already generated interest,with concert invitations pouring in from all over the world. The children and Guha even presented a few pieces at the recent Wills India Fashion Week in Delhi. According to plans,a documentary on the making of the project will be screened before concerts. The sound of the album,adds Hogarth,is mainstream world music and it will have the authenticity of the two cultures. “It includes incredible ragas interspersed with African rhythms and a western groove. The idea is to do something that anyone in the world can enjoy,” he says.

The first track will open with Guha’s rendition of Om in Raga Bhairav before the African choir takes over. Among other tracks will be Kabir’s bhajans in popular ragas like kirwani,narayani and bhairavi as well as gospel music sung by Guha.