Not Just Jazz

The soft yellow lights reflect the cushioned gaddis . The musicians take their place at their instruments.

The soft yellow lights reflect the cushioned gaddis . The musicians take their place at their instruments. Fazal Qureshi on tabla and Joe Alvarez on Jazz vocals. Such will be the scene at the Vivanta By Taj Blue Diamond today evening. These two music greats will combine their prowess to create a confluence of Indian rhythms and western melodies. And that’s why it’s called ‘Jazz With A Twist’, says Alvarez.

It isn’t an experiment but a full-fledged showcasing of the fabulous fusion capability, says Alvarez. The duo performed a couple of weeks ago in memory of Qureshi’s father Ustad Alla Rakha. That’s when we realised that fusion is fabulous for creativity and sensitivity. It has softness and yet is so powerful. Qureshi will provide all the grooves and beats, says the renowned vocalist. The music at today’s invites-only event will not be confined to jazz. I call it world music. It includes classical,western,RnB,blues and elements of rock too. World music is achieving a bigger stage because people are cross breeding and experimenting with genres, he says.

Alvarez has previously performed in Pune at High Spirits and Shisha Cafe,where 70 per cent of the audience was made up of youngsters. But his performance today will be different,he promises. Pune is culturally up there and I respect the audience here. Today’s performance is a part of a series of mini-concerts to bring custom-built entertainment to an intellectually high-profile audience, he asserts. He stresses on the concert environment. There won’t be the clatter of forks and knives,no service or food disturbance. It will just be us and the audience listening with intent, he says.

When Alvarez takes to the mic,he gets lost in the creative flight of his music. For me,music is sacred. It should elevate the audience and transport them into a different world. World music is not loud,it’s textured. It’s got power without power and that’s the beauty of it, he describes.

In 2010,Alvarez performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival. Playing American music to 20,000 Americans was like a dream. They sat through rain and storm and the experience was brilliant, he says. When other Indian artistes go abroad,they sing for an Indian audience. I sing to the white man and make an international audience understand and appreciate my music, says the artiste who sings covers as well as his originals. Currently working on his third album,Alvarez is also focussing on travelling to Israel,Finland and Cuba to perform. That should happen in the next one year. Also,my album will be complete and ready for a digital release by the end of 2011, he adds.

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