ORPHEUS XXI JORDI SAVALL 16:30 JARDINS JNAN SBIL Review and photographs by Lauren Crabbe
Those who loved Jordi Savall's production at Bab al Makina last night but thought it lacking in intimacy,were in luck today, as a selection of the extremely talented ensemble gathered to play to a packed house in the Jnan Sbil gardens.
The audience, spilling out of the available seats onto the grass and around the fringe, were treated to a spectacular repertoire that sprung from Savall's discovery, retrieval and revaluation of the universal musical heritage of the period 900 to 1850.
The exquisite skill of the musicians had the audience spellbound from start to finish, cheering and swaying in their seats like snakes to the charmer. Attention was initially drawn to one singer's shocking pink sari and mesmerising Indian chanting, soon augmented by the insanely nimble koto and drum work, epic pan flute and mystifying oud, and the haunting vocals of Waed Bouhassoun joined by another vocalist - blending like the confluence of two rivers.
The musicians included Nezet Kutas (percussions), Rusan Filitzek (saz and song), Azmari Nirjhar (song)and Muhammad Nour Ahmad (song).
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| Waed Bouhassoun |
The Orpheus XXI ensemble switched artfully and seamlessly between styles, the fusion of instruments gathering momentum and magic and sweeping upwards like gusts of wind, taking listeners with them. Their passion and energy was infectious; and despite the gusto with which they played, there were many moments of tenderness and humility. Warm smiles were exchanged between themselves and the audience.
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| Jordi Savall sat in the audience for most of the concert |
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| Jordi Savall |
Jordi Savall was seated amongst the audience for most of the performance (much to their delight), though took to the stage at the end to play his violin for the final song and declare his appreciation for the musicians.
Finally, Jordi followed his thanks with individual hugs and cheek kisses. The musicians' bows were performed to a booming standing ovation.
Orpheus was an evocative crowd-pleaser that has solidified Jordi Savall as a Festival favourite.
SUBHAN AHMAD NIZAMI & QAWWALS BACHE DELHI GHARANA OF KARACHI PAKISTAN 21:00 JARDIN JNAN SBIL Review and photographs by Venetia Menzies
As the scent of eucalyptus wafted through the neatly planned trees of the Jardin Jnan Sbil, Subhan Ahmed Nizami and the Qawwals Bachès sat cross legged on the floor without any sense of pride or pretension. Carrying with them the ancient legacy of Hazrat Amir Khusro (1235-1325), who founded the Qawwals Bachès Dehli Gharana of Karachi, Pakistan, they are the contemporary recipients of musical and spiritual wisdom passed down through generations. The son of Ustad Afaq Ahmab Nizami, Subhan Ahmed Nizami, the thirty-third descendant of Amir Khusro, has been leading the group for twenty years since the tender age of thirteen.
The Qawwals Bachès is a family troupe, including Subhan’s brother, Hazrat Tamir, and cousins, Tariq Mohamed and Rafita Ahmed, who have all been schooled in the linguistic, musical and spiritual history of their lineage. These traditions were passed down in secret; a result of longstanding persecution of the Sufi school of Islam. Performing as if at home, their unpredictable pace and clear devotion to the power of sound transported the audience to another realm, weaving together classical song, the melody of the harmonium and the rhythm of the tabla and dholak; traditional instruments of the subcontinent.
The performance began with narration in English, which met with applause. It was a refreshing change for a mainly Anglophone audience. It emphasised the music’s 800 year old roots, and its core message of devotion to Allah, and celebration of the life of the Prophet Mohamed. The lyrics of the songs are integral to understanding and experiencing the spiritual power of Qawwali music, and although the words, mixing Urdu, Arabic, Sanskrit and Farsi are often archaic and esoteric, translations would have incomparably improved the audience’s ability to feel the magic and power of these ragas.
Ragas are musical constructions that change over time, allowing the musician the reorder and improvise sets, each of which are associated with specific seasons, moods or times of day. The long sets typical of Sufi Qawwals built tempo with seemingly spontaneous, yet effortlessly synchronised changes in rhythm, repeating messages of the importance of living each day with love, harmony, sisterhood and brotherhood. The lights inside the Arabic-style lanterns surrounding the stage rose and fell with the intensity of the music, perfectly in time with the groups perplexing rhythms. A brightly lit tent rippled above the audience, a warmly welcomed addition to previous years, where attendees and performers were exposed to the elements come rain or shine.
Stemming from the Hadith, Sufi music aims to encourage iḥsān, “doing what is beautiful,” enabling believers to be aware of Allah’s tangible presence in the world here and now. This devotionalism inherent to Sufi music is the result of cultural exchange, having large similarities with the Hindu practise of bhakti, bridging a gap between two religions which have survived harmoniously in the subcontinent for centuries. The group played ragas most commonly associated with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, arguably the greatest Pakistani Qawwali singer, who was known to sing for hours on end until in trance. Their energy and fervour communicated the spiritual nature of the songs despite the lyrics being incomprehensible to the majority of the audience.
Playing poetically with linguistics, a recurring staple of Qawwalis, the group finished with a traditional closing song, Mast Kalandar, a tribute to the Sufi Master Kalandar who was affectionately known as ‘Lal Kalandar’. The lyrics twist the meaning of the words, singing ‘I went to see Lal Kalandar’, ‘and I became red’. The descriptive word ‘red’, ‘Lal’ in Urdu, means to be spiritually intoxicated, a coded invitation to the audience to let go of their heads and give in to their hearts. With audience members lying on the grass surrounding the stage, clapping in time with the performers, and throwing their arms in the air, the Qawwals Bachès dispelled the formalities of the Festival, injecting much-needed authenticity and passion.
DANCE OF TERALALI 22:00 COMPLEXE MOULAY YOUSSEF Review and photographs by Sandy McCutcheon
The Teratali dancers and singers (tera : twelve, tali : rhythms) are the small colorful goddesses of Rajasthan temples, whose dance is one of the most extraordinary dances of India, and blended with the sacred and the ritual of ordinary daily life.
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| Manjirat cymbals attached to the hand with a long thread |
With exemplary precision, two manjirat (small cymbals) attached to the hand with a long thread spin around in the air and bang together (chhut manjira), against other small cymbals attached to the forearms and calfs of the Kamad caste. The latter is linked to the Meghwal, the weavers, and also tanners of Rajasthan.
This magic ceremonial is a worship rite (bakhti), dedicated to Baba Ramdev, the great saint whose life is celebrated by the poet, who accompanies the dance with a tanbûra.
The Ben Youssef Cultural Centre was a perfect venue for this extraordinary display of dance.
With a reasonable crowd in attendance, the performance began with the two male singers starting slowly and then building to a crescendo. Exhilarating stuff. Then the "colourful goddesses" entered and amazed the audience with their ability to play their tiny cymbals in a variety of positions.
At one point the dancers performed with sabers in their mouths and later with oil lamps and incense balanced on their head.
After a vocal intermission from the two male singers the dancers returned in elaborate costumes and this time, they truly danced in a hypnotic blur of colour.
Their dexterity thrilled the audience - bending out of yoga- like poses and, at one stage bending backwards to delicately pick up a folded note of money.
Overall it was a high octane performance of joy and ended far too soon.
Tomorrow @ the Festival
SIMON ELBAZ CONCERT MATROUZ FROM JUDEO-MOROCCAN TRADITION 18:00 DAR ADIYEL
EN CHORDAIS EN CHORDAIS 20:00 DAR ADIYEL
3 MA – MALI MADAGASCAR MOROCCO RAJERY , DRISS EL MALOUMI , BALLAKÉ SISSOKO 21:00 JARDINS JNAN SBIL
RACHID ZEROUAL - GASBAH ELNAY - MOROCCO 22:00 DAR ADIYEL
ENSEMBLE TRI PUSAKA SAKTI BALI THEATRE AND DANCE 22:00 BEN YOUSSEF
SUFI NIGHTS TARIQA AISSAWIYA SHIM AND MUKHTARA : MUQADDAM HAMID BOUHLAL – SIDI KACEM 23:00 DAR TAZI
Festival weather
Continues to be fine 31 Celsius down to 17
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