Gig review/ Taufiq Qureshi with Surya


BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

Taufiq Qureshi with Surya/ Converging Streams

Genre: Fusion/ world music

Details: Tata Theatre NCPA, October 15

Rating: ****

Over different line-ups over the years, percussionist Taufiq Qureshi's group Surya has blended diverse genres like Indan classical and folk with jazz and world music. Naturally, there has been a fresh surprise in every performance.

Their show at the Tata Theatre, NCPA, on October 15 was titled Converging Streams. Joining Taufiq 'were his son Shikhar Naad Qureshi on drums and assorted percussion, Sarang Kulkarni on sarod and its electric adaptation Z Rod, and the young Kaushiki Joglekar on keyboards and harmonium.

Over two hours, Surya played a very eclectic set filled with creative bursts and virtuosity. From a purely classical composition in raag Kirwani to an energetic duet between father and son on the African percussion instrument djembe, there was a wide array. Taufiq is known to have adapted the djembe to the rhythmic compositions of his father Ustad Allarakha, doyen of the Punjab gharana of tabla playing.

The show began with 'Tisr Panch', a composition Taufiq wrote after hearing a lady play the nursery rhyme 'Hickory Dickory Dock' while travelling. Beginning with ambient effects and a strong melody line, it made way for a percussion interaction. The Kirwani piece was set to the seven-beat rupak taal, with Kulkarni showing his dexterity on sarod. While that was purely Indian classical, the next composition used the Brazilian folk instrument berimbau, but with a melody line from a bhajan.

The djembe duet featured some magnificent rhythmwork, with Kaushiki providing steady lehra accompaniment on harmonium as Taufiq and Shikhar dazzled. The audience was soon taken back in time, when Taufiq announced '1/2 to 16', a track from his popular album RhyDhun, released about two decades ago. The piece was named thus because it was set in a 15 and 1/2 beat cycle, and since the original had featured violinist L. Shankar, tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain and vocalist Geetika Varde Qureshi, this one involved a complete change in arrangement.

The show concluded with Kulkarni's composition 'Rising', featuring the Z Rod. Throughout, the coordination between musicians was perfect. And though only six pieces were played through the evening, the actual range of music was really large, thanks to some amazing improvisations and first-rate musicianship.



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