Manganiyar magic at NH7

It was seven years ago,when Abel was travelling through Spain,that he came across two Manganiyar artistes who accompanied him everywhere. “After spending two weeks with the musicians,I was full of their music when I reached Germany. Throughout that trip I was overwhelmed with the music that kept lingering in my mind. When I came back to India,I was so inspired that I had to do something about it,” says Abel,who went to Rajasthan to hold auditions for over 500 Manganiyar artists and shortlisted the best 50 from the lot to participate in his production. “The process of auditioning took me one and a half years,but the musicians that I came across are worth the time spent,” he adds. The musicians play a variety of folk and classical instruments like the kamacha,kartal,sindhi narangi,dholak,morchand,satrang,dhol and more.

Another concept that overwhelmed Abel was the sight of the Amsterdam red light area which he visited 14 years ago. For his production,he decided to combine the enchanting music and the seductive visuals to present the ‘Manganiyar Seduction’ on stage. “The keyword in both,the music and the visuals,is seduction. Also,for me,my musicians are like gems so I need to showcase them aptly. The stage is set up with the whole look and feel of a green room mirror,with bright bulbs bordering each box that has a musician seated inside,” he describes.

Just back after performing for an audience of over 7000 people at the World of Music and Dance Festival (WOMAD),organised in London by Perter Gabriel,‘The Manganiyar Seduction’ makes its Indian music festival debut at the Jack & Jones: The Other Stage at Bacardi NH7 Weekender. “We are very anxious about how the audiences will react to the performance,” says Abel.