Indian musical vibes inundate the town
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Graha Bhakti Budaya building in Taman Ismail Marzuki Arts Center, Central Jakarta, was exceptionally packed on Thursday night.
I had to climb the stairs to the second balcony to find a seat, which was right beside two Indian school girls who constantly whispered and giggled while peeking at what I wrote in my notebook.
The girls were in their saris, and so were most of the women in the audience. They probably wanted to pay homage to the musician performing that night.
Straight from India, it was Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, one of India's finest musicians, who is well known for his mastery of the North Indian bamboo flute or bansuri.
His performance was part of the Festival of India organized by the Embassy of India in Jakarta, which aimed to promote Indian culture.
Starting last Monday and running through till Nov. 4, the festival showcases renowned artists and exhibitions in music, dance, theater and fine arts -- and Chaurasia was one of them.
Accompanied by another flutist, two tabla players and a sitar player, the 64 year-old flutist quickly mesmerized the audience with the strains of delicate sound.
He sure has a large lung capacity as he endlessly blew his flute, with an occasional stop to wipe his mouth with a handkerchief.
The composition of traditional Indian ragas and folk he presented that night were mostly soft and tranquil, as Chaurasia pointed out, it was about "peace, love and harmony."
But sometimes it shifted to a more upbeat mode, as Chaurasia playfully blew the instrument, turning right and left, asking the accompanying musician to adjust to the tune he played.
Dressed in traditional Indian outfit, he looked like a priest, presenting his prayer through his music that conveyed a mix of feeling but mostly serenity.
Chaurasia is a very popular and prominent musician who is recognized for his outstanding contribution in popularizing Indian music throughout the world.
His career began back in 1957 when he became a regular staff member of All India Radio in Cuttack, Orissa, where he worked as a performer and composer.
Eight years later, he began his performing career, and since then has performed all over the world, winning acclaim from both audiences and musicians.
Chaurasia toured regularly in the United States and Europe, and was a featured artist in the U.S. Festival of India in 1985.
He has made numerous recordings of North Indian art music, with which he became one among a few classicists who made a conscious effort to reach out in attempt to expand the popularity of the music.
His repertoire also extends to Indian folk, Indian popular and Western music. He has composed music for many Indian films and also collaborated with Western artists like John McLaughlin and Jan Garbarek.
A Bombay resident, Chaurasia usually spends five months of the year at the Rotterdam World Conservatory where he chairs the Indian Music Department.
The audience here was lucky to get acquainted with his virtuosity Thursday night.
If you missed his performance and still want to catch the Indian music vibe, there are still two performances from other Indian musicians, both at the same venue. The next in line is percussionist Vikku Vinayakram who will perform Sunday night at 7.30 p.m.
He will also perform in Yogyakarta and Bali on Tuesday and Saturday respectively.
Vinayakram is one of India's finest ghatam (a large clay pot percussion instrument) players, who is best known for his tenure in Shakti, a groundbreaking acoustic jazz/Indian fusion band.
He has shared the stage with international artists like Herbie Hancock and Peter Gabriel and has played under the direction of Zubin Mehta.
Another performer of the Festival of India is Indian Ocean, a band who play an amalgamation of traditional Indian hymns, chants and poetry with contemporary rock, reggae, jazz and pop.
Catch them here on Monday at 7.30 p.m. or in Bandung on Thursday, in Yogyakarta on Saturday and in Bali on Monday of Oct. 28.