Review/ Soundscapes of India Season 3, New Delhi

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

Showcase/ Soundscapes of India Season 3

Genre: Multiple 

Details: Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, August 29-31

Presenters: Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS) with curation by MusiConnect India in collaboration with Ministry of Culture 

Pictures (top to bottom): Dobom Doji Collective, Harini Iyer of Tamil Jazz Collective, Ngartini Huang of Indonesia, the line-up 

There were the known names, and there were the unfamiliar ones. There was rock from Ladakh, abhangs from Maharashtra, Carnatic encounters with jazz, tribal stories from Nagaland, heady folk-fusion sounds from different corners of India.

Soundscapes of India Season 3, held in New Delhi's Dr Ambedkar International Centre from August 29 to 31, was largely used as a means to showcase talent from across India. While the live performances took place at night, the days were filled with interesting panel discussions, intense workshops and pitching sessions, where artistes interacted with international and Indian festival promoters.

The event was organised by the Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS) and curated by MusiConnect India in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture. As IPRS chief executive officer Rakesh Nigam said, "Soundscapes of India is designed to bring artistes and the global music industry on to one platform, helping musicians get disvovered, build meaningful connections and access opportunities beyond our borders."

Each day featured eight artistes. Inaugurating the showcase, lyricist-writer Javed Akhtar, who is also IPRS chairman, said, "Every region of India has its own voice and musical tradition. There is a need to provide an opportunity for this creative wealth to come together."

Though the festival featured established acts like sitar maestro Purbayan Chatterjee, tabla exponent Anuradha Pal, keyboardist Abhijit Pohankar, guitarist Ravi Iyer and singer Varijashree Venugopal, one heard a lot of young talent. Singers who stood out included Harini Iyer of the Tamil Jazz Collective, Dalariti Gratel Kharnaior of Meghalayan band Da-La-Riti, Dipannita Acharya of the Kolkata group Folk Foundation, Suranjan Kundalkar of Abhijit Pohankar's Global Varkari project and Dobom Doji of Arunachal Pradesh.

The performances by Chennai band Jatayu, Bengaluru group Lakkshya, Mumbai's Ravi Iyer Fusion Experience and Ladakh's Da Shugs were energetic, and Nagaland's Seyie Intrepid produced a brilliant dance-driven theatrical performance. The Isheeta Chakrvarty Collective played a tight mix of jazz and Hindustani classical, and the Desert Kats of Rajasthan displayed the Langa style, using popular tracks like 'Kesariya Balam' and 'Damadam Mast Qalandar'. On a more traditional note, there was a jugalbandi of the Ujjain-based Wahane Sisters Sanskrati on sitar and Prakrati on santoor, who presented raag Kirwani.

The line-up included some foreign acts. Indonesian artiste Ngartini Huang played the traditional Chinese instrument guzheng, with wonderful images of north Sumatra in the backdrop. Egyptian singer-keyboardist Nora Fekry had a stunning voice, and backed by the Gooseberry String Quartet, produced.a beautifully arranged cinematic sound. And UK-bred Tamilian guitarist Kapil Seshasayee used a mix of Carnatic influences and garage rock.

On the positive side, there was a good mix of styles from different parts of India, though the tilt was towards the north-eastern region and Carnatic fusion. One got to hear some fantastic acts, though some of them needed some experience and guidance in performance skills.

A few observations and suggestions are in order. To begin with, it would be worthwhile to have more of the unknown names than the stars, who one gets to see at other events. If there are eight performers per day, one could restrict to one headline act and one or two groups who have attained a certain following, with the balance being talented but unknown groups looking for a break.

Secondly, while it's difficult to regularly change the stage set-up, there could be means to reduce the time span between acts. A couple of gaps and likelihood is that the audience will start making exit plans. Also, on all three days, the sound balance on the opening act went awry. Either the drums were too loud or there was too much feedback. Perfect sound is critical during a showcase.

Talking of showcases, performers often display their music to international festival promoters who are hearing certain sounds for the first time. Even the Indian audiences may be unfamiliar with the language. Brief explanation of the genre, the songs or one's individual style can help, and in some cases, good background visuals enhance audience experience.

Finally, though so much talent was on display over the three days, it was sad to see so many seats empty in the 700-capacity venue, even though registration was free, and the first two days were on a weekend.

Of course, all this is part of the learning curve. The main thing lies in the objective, the overall execution and the results. Hopefully, a few acts will get good opportunities to perform in different parts of the world, and foreign musicians come seeking opportunities in India. With so many festivals happening, the potential is enormous.