Helping create a roaring success
By Zhang Qian |
May 12, 2013, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A middle-aged, barefoot Indian woman sits cross-legged on an outdoor stage, singing south Indian melodies such as "Pi's Lullaby," which she sang in Ang Lee's film "Life of Pi." The song, composed by Mychael Danna, was nominated for Best Original Song at the 2013 Oscars.
Dozens of people attended the special performance last Sunday by Bombay Jayashri, who was accompanied by traditional Indian musical instruments. She was in Shanghai for the 2013 World Music Festival.
With a career spanning more than two decades, she is famous worldwide as a singer of Carnatic music, the classical music of southern India, including the state of Karnataka.
Her "Listening to Life" concert series features the journey of a musician as a lover of music.
Apart from bringing Carnatic music to audiences worldwide, Jayashri is very open to collaborations with artists around the world. She has worked with Egyptian singer Hisham Abbas, done Jugalbandis with Hindustani musician Ronu Majumdar and sung for Bharatanatyam dancer Leela Samson's performances.
The vocalist believes music has a healing value. She works closely with institutions for autistic children and sings to them.
She spoke to reporters in town after a performance last Sunday.
Q: How do you describe Carnatic music?
A: There are two kinds of classical music in India - Hindustani music in north India and Carnatic music in south India. The basic Carnatic ensemble consists of a vocalist, a violin, a mridagam (Indian drum), and another percussion instrument. Traditional Carnatic music is not written-down compositions, but melody and rhythm learned by hearing. What we sang in Shanghai included compositions in different languages. The lyrics are about conversation between man and the god, and man and his inner self. The compositions we learned serve as the foundation, while in every concert we create differently. Through music, you can express anything. There are endless emotions in the minds of human beings. Everything can be expressed by percussion, violin or the human voice. It is very beautiful not to understand the grammar and language at all because you can come up with your own ideas about the music.
Q: Describe your work with autistic children.
A: For the past few years, I have the opportunities to meet children who are special. What shocked me is their honesty, simplicity and their ability to be in a space of their own, which sometimes we have lost or we simply cannot imagine. It is very important for us not to keep the music to ourselves and make it very exclusive, but to share the experience and joy of music. The sharing actually makes us very happy, especially when sharing with people who are needy. It has always been a great experience and it's why we yearn to do more.
Q: How does collaboration benefit Carnatic and other music?
A: All of us here have cooperated with musicians of different systems in India and in the world. We would like to dialogue, basically because we learned from another system. We always try to see something new, try to experiment, and crave some new experience. Most importantly, when we see art through another artist's eyes, it makes us a better musician and a better human being. All of us definitely come back richer as musicians.
Recently we performed with Chinese musicians here for the first time. We are very blessed to be trained in the system of Carnatic music, which gives us a foundation to absorb and appreciate any other kinds of music in other parts of the world.
Q: What is your concert "Listening to Life" about?
A: It describes my work. Everything about music is how we listen and we take from nature and life. For example, when we are born, we hear from the voice, lullaby or heartbeat of the mother.
Q: What did the Oscar nomination mean for you and Carnatic music?
A: It brought us to China, of course. And it also helps Carnatic music be appreciated by more people in the world.
Dozens of people attended the special performance last Sunday by Bombay Jayashri, who was accompanied by traditional Indian musical instruments. She was in Shanghai for the 2013 World Music Festival.
With a career spanning more than two decades, she is famous worldwide as a singer of Carnatic music, the classical music of southern India, including the state of Karnataka.
Her "Listening to Life" concert series features the journey of a musician as a lover of music.
Apart from bringing Carnatic music to audiences worldwide, Jayashri is very open to collaborations with artists around the world. She has worked with Egyptian singer Hisham Abbas, done Jugalbandis with Hindustani musician Ronu Majumdar and sung for Bharatanatyam dancer Leela Samson's performances.
The vocalist believes music has a healing value. She works closely with institutions for autistic children and sings to them.
She spoke to reporters in town after a performance last Sunday.
Q: How do you describe Carnatic music?
A: There are two kinds of classical music in India - Hindustani music in north India and Carnatic music in south India. The basic Carnatic ensemble consists of a vocalist, a violin, a mridagam (Indian drum), and another percussion instrument. Traditional Carnatic music is not written-down compositions, but melody and rhythm learned by hearing. What we sang in Shanghai included compositions in different languages. The lyrics are about conversation between man and the god, and man and his inner self. The compositions we learned serve as the foundation, while in every concert we create differently. Through music, you can express anything. There are endless emotions in the minds of human beings. Everything can be expressed by percussion, violin or the human voice. It is very beautiful not to understand the grammar and language at all because you can come up with your own ideas about the music.
Q: Describe your work with autistic children.
A: For the past few years, I have the opportunities to meet children who are special. What shocked me is their honesty, simplicity and their ability to be in a space of their own, which sometimes we have lost or we simply cannot imagine. It is very important for us not to keep the music to ourselves and make it very exclusive, but to share the experience and joy of music. The sharing actually makes us very happy, especially when sharing with people who are needy. It has always been a great experience and it's why we yearn to do more.
Q: How does collaboration benefit Carnatic and other music?
A: All of us here have cooperated with musicians of different systems in India and in the world. We would like to dialogue, basically because we learned from another system. We always try to see something new, try to experiment, and crave some new experience. Most importantly, when we see art through another artist's eyes, it makes us a better musician and a better human being. All of us definitely come back richer as musicians.
Recently we performed with Chinese musicians here for the first time. We are very blessed to be trained in the system of Carnatic music, which gives us a foundation to absorb and appreciate any other kinds of music in other parts of the world.
Q: What is your concert "Listening to Life" about?
A: It describes my work. Everything about music is how we listen and we take from nature and life. For example, when we are born, we hear from the voice, lullaby or heartbeat of the mother.
Q: What did the Oscar nomination mean for you and Carnatic music?
A: It brought us to China, of course. And it also helps Carnatic music be appreciated by more people in the world.
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