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An amalgam of sounds

Blended Resonance
Last Updated 05 July 2012, 12:40 IST

What better way to spread awareness about the environment than through music? ‘Ascendas’, a month-long eco-friendly campaign comprising events such as ‘Tree Plantation Week,’ ‘Eco-Fashion Week’ and ‘Eco-Bazaar Week,’ ended with a completely new concept — a ‘Green Concert’.

Fusion band ‘Rhythm and Raaga’ wowed the crowd at the International Tech Park Bangalore with their smooth blend of saxophone notes, live-wire electric guitar and pulsating percussion beats resonating through the Park Square Mall.

‘Godfather of the Guitar’ Steven, who has been playing for about 50 years now, offered diverse sounds on his guitar — the strings of a veena, the rapid beats of a mridangam and the puffing of a train.

Accompanying him, percussionist Gopi stole the show with his impromptu beats on an unimaginable range of instruments. The awe-inspiring musician had several temple instruments such as bells and gongs, along with other modest ones such as cow and buffalo bells.

“This was designed by my guru,” he says proudly, picking up a stick with numerous miniature bells attached to it. He then proceeded to dip the bells into a bucket of water, producing a mild jingle and trickling sound.

“The sound represents that of sparrows twittering about,” he smiles. He even has a gong from Kolkata and instruments from Africa and Spain. “Even the percussion kit is custom-made,” he adds. “It represents our tone well,” he says.

David, who is from France, has been playing the saxophone for three years. “Working with Gopi and Steven is always very lively because they are technically very good.

We always find new ideas together and they respond well when I play,” he says, praising his band-mates. As one would imagine, mixing Carnatic music with blues and jazz is quite tricky.

“Even though I’ve studied a bit of Carnatic, it’s always quite challenging for me because the two forms of music are quite different,” confesses David.

“We have one theme that we follow and then we improvise upon that,” adds Steven.

Agreeing with David, he laughs, “We practice a lot — more than four hours for a one-hour show!” However, there runs a deep understanding between the three, which makes their coordination and timing impeccable.

Thomas Teo, the CEO of Ascendas in India, divulges the idea behind the entire ‘Go Green’ initiative and its interactive activities. “We need to remind people how to treat Mother Earth — how to conserve water, energy and many other resources,” advises Thomas.

However, this event is not only about the eco-friendly concept. “We also want people to enjoy themselves shopping and dining, along with celebrating the eco-month,” he adds.

“The events that have been organised are such that they cater to Gen-Y, which can identify with fashion shows and concerts,” he continues. 

David, who works in public transport, is completely in favour of the whole notion.

Contemplating the concept, he says, “I think the ‘Go Green’ programme is a good way to send a message to politicians to make place in the City for walking, or for bicycles, to improve the condition of the environment.”

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(Published 05 July 2012, 12:40 IST)

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