<div>There’s something about art that transcends borders and even facilitates better relations between countries and cultures. <br /><br /><div>That’s exactly what was seen at ‘Ignite’, an innovative show by Hometown Productions that fused Indian music with Spanish dance. <br /><br /></div><div>Held at Chowdaiah Memorial Hall, the production was based around the concept of a battlefield. <br /><br />A compelling take on world peace, the show featured some exceptional talents, including Devo Khan on khartal, Arshad Khan on esraj, Arvind Kumar Azad on tabla, Sawani Mudgal on vocals, Deepak Pandit on violin, and Rishabh Kathak and Israel Varela on percussion. <br /><br /></div><div>The music design was by Santhosh Mulekar. Among the dancers were flamenco artistes Naike Ponce, Carlos Chamorro, Bettina Flater and Karen Lugo while the kathak parts were performed by Jayanthi M Eswarputhi and Vishal Krishna. <br /><br /></div><div>Each piece varied in length and while those like Kohinoor, Beso and Yashodha explored the themes of love and compassion, others like ‘Barracuda’ and ‘Ignite’ were more intense and threw light on darker subjects like jealousy and war through movement and music.</div><div> </div><div>The use of diyas in Parinda made for an interesting last piece but it was the sound of the conch that made for an apt end to the battle that the crowd had just witnessed.<br /><br /></div><div>Aravind Ramanna, head of Hometown Productions, said that the response was overwhelming.<br /></div><div><br />“Being a free event, a lot more people of all ages showed up than we had expected. The conceptualisation and sound design started a few months ago and the collaboration has been fruitful. The audience really identified the connection between kathak and flamenco,” said the organiser. <br /><br /></div><div>Blending classical Indian raga with Spanish steps may not have seemed like the conventional way to go. But whatever was seen on stage clearly impressed the crowd, whose sighs and gasps were audible throughout. “<br /><br /></div><div>My favourite piece was ‘Ignite’ as it was detailed and felt like a real clash of sounds and movements. <br /><br />The concept was beautifully presented and such unique collaborations should be encouraged more often,” opined Sharat, who attended the show. <br /><br /></div><div>Lalith, an audience member, added that the stylised take on classical art forms was what fascinated him the most. <br /></div><div><br />“The balance of traditional and contemporary styles was delicately perfected by all the artistes and it created a unique experience that can only be felt when one sees such a show first-hand. If it returns to the City, I’d definitely recommend it to my friends,” he said, adding that he was very impressed by the production and lighting. </div><div><br /></div></div>
<div>There’s something about art that transcends borders and even facilitates better relations between countries and cultures. <br /><br /><div>That’s exactly what was seen at ‘Ignite’, an innovative show by Hometown Productions that fused Indian music with Spanish dance. <br /><br /></div><div>Held at Chowdaiah Memorial Hall, the production was based around the concept of a battlefield. <br /><br />A compelling take on world peace, the show featured some exceptional talents, including Devo Khan on khartal, Arshad Khan on esraj, Arvind Kumar Azad on tabla, Sawani Mudgal on vocals, Deepak Pandit on violin, and Rishabh Kathak and Israel Varela on percussion. <br /><br /></div><div>The music design was by Santhosh Mulekar. Among the dancers were flamenco artistes Naike Ponce, Carlos Chamorro, Bettina Flater and Karen Lugo while the kathak parts were performed by Jayanthi M Eswarputhi and Vishal Krishna. <br /><br /></div><div>Each piece varied in length and while those like Kohinoor, Beso and Yashodha explored the themes of love and compassion, others like ‘Barracuda’ and ‘Ignite’ were more intense and threw light on darker subjects like jealousy and war through movement and music.</div><div> </div><div>The use of diyas in Parinda made for an interesting last piece but it was the sound of the conch that made for an apt end to the battle that the crowd had just witnessed.<br /><br /></div><div>Aravind Ramanna, head of Hometown Productions, said that the response was overwhelming.<br /></div><div><br />“Being a free event, a lot more people of all ages showed up than we had expected. The conceptualisation and sound design started a few months ago and the collaboration has been fruitful. The audience really identified the connection between kathak and flamenco,” said the organiser. <br /><br /></div><div>Blending classical Indian raga with Spanish steps may not have seemed like the conventional way to go. But whatever was seen on stage clearly impressed the crowd, whose sighs and gasps were audible throughout. “<br /><br /></div><div>My favourite piece was ‘Ignite’ as it was detailed and felt like a real clash of sounds and movements. <br /><br />The concept was beautifully presented and such unique collaborations should be encouraged more often,” opined Sharat, who attended the show. <br /><br /></div><div>Lalith, an audience member, added that the stylised take on classical art forms was what fascinated him the most. <br /></div><div><br />“The balance of traditional and contemporary styles was delicately perfected by all the artistes and it created a unique experience that can only be felt when one sees such a show first-hand. If it returns to the City, I’d definitely recommend it to my friends,” he said, adding that he was very impressed by the production and lighting. </div><div><br /></div></div>
