Hindustani music, also called 'classical music of North India', is not a complete unknown in our environment.
In the West, some of the instruments used in his practice (such as sitar or tabla) are relatively popular, as are the importance of improvisation, the relationship of the pieces with the different moments of the day or the existence of a term called ‘raga’ of difficult translation.
In European music programmes, probably largely thanks to the ‘discovery’ that the Beatles made of it, we can find both their most traditional forms and also new creations.
In this conversation prior to the concert of tablolist Shawn Mativetsky, bansuri performer Shyam Sunder and singer and performing artist Vignesh Melwani will discuss issues such as the significance of Hindu musical practices both in their place of origin and in the diaspora, the relationship of this music with the religious/spiritual fact and the new forms that arise from contact with other contexts.
Participating:
Shyam Sunder
Born in New Delhi, he studied at the Gandharva Mahavidhalaya specializing in Bansuri and later in Sitar. Resident in Barcelona since 1985, he complements his concert activity with his passion for teaching Hindu music.
Vignesh Melwani
Singer, performing artist and cultural agitator from Barcelona. He graduated in Humanities and has a Degree of Music in Modern Singing. Among his projects, he has published "Improvisuals" in 2023, an experimental album where he uses a hybrid style between Western and Indian music.
Conversation moderated by Dr. Horacio Curti Bethencourt, ethnomusicologist, Esmuc professor and coordinator of the Asian music program.