When East and West met

Carnival of Cultures, an ensemble of Indian and Western music, was presented at the National Gallery of Modern Arts recently.

It was organised by the ICCR, in association with the Embassy of Brazil, New Delhi; National Gallery of Modern Arts, and the Bangalore School of Music.

The concert began with a solo performance of Paulo Zereu, a Brazilian pianist.

Most of the songs he played were that of Brazilian classic composers. He started with Alberto Nepomuceno’s composition, Une Fleur, a romantic piece which lasted for 20
minutes.

His skills on the piano were interesting and were greeted with a loud applause. He then moved on to Valsas de Esquina, a composition by Francisco Mignone. His ability to conjure the audience with varied tempo and soaring melodies was indeed a treat for the senses.

The succeeding compositions were Valsa Da Dor and O Polichinelo by Heitor Villa Lobos, which focussed on the folk forms of Brazilian music and the versatility of the composers. “They don’t convey a specific emotion, but a melange of emotions through the folk medium,” said an elated Paulo Zereu, who was performing for the second time in India. The last piece was Grande Fantaisie Triomphale by L M Gottschalk.

The second part of the concert was an Indian ensemble by Pandit Shubhendra Rao on the sitar and Ustad Akram Khan on the tabla. Shubhendra began with an alaap Jod and Jhala and moved on to a traditional composition in raga Malgunji, a combination of Rageshree and Bageshree ragas.

The duo was in perfect synchronisation and captivated the audience. The improvisation on the instruments in varying rhythmic patterns appealed to the audience. Following this was a composition in Maj Khamaj raga in Bilambit Teen Taal. Keshav Lal, a retired
supervisor who was present at the concert, said, “It was a very pleasant experience to listen to the different variations in sitar. I’m looking forward to more such performances.”