When Melodies Merge

The taal of the tabla,the chords of the oud and the melody of the flute merged to create a beautiful blend of melodies. On Friday,tabla maestro Fazal Qureshi performed with Anders Hagberg,a Swedish flautist,saxophonist and jazz artist,and Ahmad Al-Khatib,an oud player from the Middle East. The event,’Connecting 3 Worlds’,was organised by Kensho Entertainment at the […]

The taal of the tabla,the chords of the oud and the melody of the flute merged to create a beautiful blend of melodies. On Friday,tabla maestro Fazal Qureshi performed with Anders Hagberg,a Swedish flautist,saxophonist and jazz artist,and Ahmad Al-Khatib,an oud player from the Middle East. The event,’Connecting 3 Worlds’,was organised by Kensho Entertainment at the Pune Marriott Hotel and Convention Centre. Music binds every part of the world. It interestingly connects all musicians,big or small, said Qureshi.

For over two years now,Hagberg and Qureshi have performed together,blending jazz with Indian classical music. They have also formed Mynta,a world music band based in Sweden. We should have the right attitude towards music and fellow musicians in order to understand music better, said Hagberg. As soon as their performance began,the boundaries that define genres melted away. Break the rules to create music and a connection between each other, Qureshi insisted.

A challenge for the trio was to not stick to the rule book of music. As the evening proceeded,the Middle Eastern music formed a bridge between the Indian and European tunes. As Khatib played the oud,a more compact version of the guitar and the “oldest instrument made with the skin of the wood”,the audience was mesmerised. His musical journey has continued to remain smooth despite the political unrest in his nation. It only increased my hunger for music. People take music for granted but it gave us our identity. It brought happiness in our lives and will do so till the existence of the human race, he said with passion.

Khatib points to the the influence of global music in Middle Eastern countries. We listened to Bollywood music a lot when we were young. Today,there is a tilt towards American hip-hop, he revealed,adding,An open mind towards music results in the best of improvisation and a direct impact on compositions. All the instruments on stage shared subtle similarities. “It is just the microtones which are different, pointed out Qureshi. Their chemistry continued and the lilting notes filled the air.

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