Journalism of Courage
Picture this: 43 Manganiyar musicians seated in 36 red-curtained cubicles arranged in four horizontal rows,stacked one on top of the other. The concert begins with a single cubicle lighting up and the first singer beginning his song. Almost a minute later,another cubicle lights up followed by another,creating a chain reaction of build-up of musical instruments and melodies by young men,women,children and the elderly of the Manganiyars. For the first time in its course,the Bacardi NH7 Weekender will be showcasing an offbeat performance by Manganiyar artists in Pune on Saturday,titled The Manganiyar Seduction.
The theme is structured in such a way that the show is an hour-long piece,not song after song. Basically,what happens to audiences all over the world is that they have an exhilarated experience which is blissful. Authentic Manganiyar music is structured in such a way,it is inspiring, says Royesten Abel,the creator of the production. The Manganiyars,originally,were Muslim musicians who performed to entertain Rajasthani Maharajas. Though they are classified as folk musicians,their music is rooted in complex Indian classical music.
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.
