A 50-day journey through the Himalayas inspired composer Shantanu Moitra to create music that celebrates a forgotten way of life
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Itâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088wasâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088in Nubra Valley that music director and composer Shantanu Moitra understood the power of education. Moitra was seated in the kitchen of his homestay watching the owners’ son, Tilzay, play. He wanted to educate the boy; the region didn’t have any schools. So he opened a laptop, pulled out a picture of a shark and started telling the boy that sharks are dangerous creatures and can bite. The boy didn’t speak for two minutes, but, after gentle prodding said, “That’s a bull shark and operates at a depth of tropical waters. In the last 10 years, there have been 500 instances of shark attacking humans but every year, we kill about 10 lakh sharks. So you tell me who is more dangerous?” A speechless Moitra was told that since the homestay has hosted many BBC and National Geographic photographers, the child has overheard conversations related to wildlife and the environment, and retained it.
“It turns our education system in on its head. This was a child, who hasn’t had a formal education yet had much more knowledge than kids his age. His was pure raw education,” says Moitra.
It was incidents like this that inspired Moitra, who spent 50 days travelling through the Himalayas to create new musical compositions. On October 7, he will be bringing these to stage in an event titled, Song of the Himalayas, as part of NCPA’s One World Many Musics: Celebrating Artistic Plurality.
“The idea is to tell stories about this Shangri La and interweave it with music composed there, at 14,500 feet.”
New inspirations
Song of the Himalayas is inspired by Moitra’s 100-day planned journey across the mountains. He started out on February 4 this year and has completed 50 days. He undertook the journey with wildlife photographer Dhritiman Mukherjee. The duo will leave on October 15 to complete the remaining 50 days.
“I wanted to discover an unknown part of my country. All I’ve read about the Himalayas is that it is a mighty mountain range. I realised that the people there aren’t on our radar so they don’t exist for us — we don’t know how they celebrate, what does independence mean to them, what festivals do they have, what do they eat? Through this journey, I wanted to acquaint people with them,” he says.
He was inspired almost instantly by the stories he heard, the people he met, and his surroundings. “The melodies just kept coming. As a composer, I react to characters. I had to return and unleash myself so I have room for more,” he adds.
The 90-minute concert has eight music compositions, each with a story. There will be a show of photographs and videos shot during his journey. The compositions are contemporary sounds inspired by folk tunes and poetry he heard, be it Buddhist, Arunachali, Himachali, Nepalese or Ladakhi.
“I want to share a lot more than just music. These people I met and lived with are who we were decades back. For us it is a matter of the past but for them it is their present. Somewhere along the way, we’ve lost the plot,” he says, adding that he hopes his music will help people ‘see’ an unknown part of their country.
Contemporary sound
Ani Choying, a Buddhist nun from Nepal known for her Tibetan Buddhist chants and feast songs and a celebrated vocalist will accompany Moitra. Other musicians include Indian classical vocalist Kaushiki Chakrabarty, flautist Ashwin Srinivasan, sitarist Purbayan, Daniel on the keyboard, and guitarist Ankur Mukherjee who will play the Ukelele and Charango.
“This is an interesting journey of his, going back to such a remote place where music as we understand it today, hasn’t reached. Then, getting inspired and adapting that music to today’s tunes. It is connecting two different times through a single composition,” says Chakrabarty. She will be singing a Himachali folk tune fused with classical elements like Raag Malhar; a duet with Choying — fusing different traditions of Buddhism and Hinduism; and possibly a song by Rabindranath Tagore.
The concert will feature Buddhist chants, Himachali folk tunes, Sanskrit shlokas and instrumental music. “This is a contemporary international sound. Think of it as an independent sound,” adds Chakrabarty.
Most artistes will be performing outside their comfort zone. “It is challenging. The musical form, structurally, doesn’t include the regular mukhda and antara. It is a surreal experience,” says Srinivasan, a flautist who will perform on other wind instruments, play percussion on one piece and sing another. “The form of music doesn’t matter because it will transfer you to the place that Moitra is thinking about and help you live in that moment,” he adds.
On October 7, 8 pm
At Tata Theatre, NCPA.
Call 66223724
Log on to www.bookmyshow.com
Cost R400 to R1,000
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