AMAZING ANOUSHKA SHANKAR AND HER GALLERY OF MUSIC MASTERS
Several hundred music patrons in awe and wonder witnessed Anoushka Shankar, the greatest sitar virtuoso and her amazingly accomplished musicians with their divinely inspired gifts and understanding of ancient Indian Ragas and imaginative contemporary adaptations and improvisations. The appreciative audience experienced being taken on a rare pilgrimage of music. We saw and felt our spirits being taken in a procession led by Anoushka Shankar, a world-class musical genius and six time Grammy Nominee and winner of countless awards and accolades for her traditional and daring musical creativity and collaborations. Anoushka was accompanied by a galaxy of music masters in their own right: Parashanna Thevarajah on mridangam, Sanjeev Shankar on shehnai, Ravichandra Kulur on flute, Kanji Ota on tanpura, and an amazing and breathtaking master on the tabla.
ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS AND FAVORITE RAGAS
We imagined the privilege of being in a procession of gods, musicians, and devoted patrons witnessing a sacred music offering at the High Altar in the Highest Court, as described in Raag Sodar in Rehraas, the Sikh daily evening prayer. A caravan of images described in that hymn seem to float past my mind's eye and spirit: "Vajay Teray Naad anaake asunkha, Kaytay Teray Vavunn Haray; Kaytay Teray Raag Puree sio kahiyah, Kaytay Teray gavun haraye: There (in Your Court), countless musicians playing melodious musical instruments are present. These numerous accomplished musicians and singers are offering resplendent songs of Veneration and Praise." We marveled at the original compositions of Anoushka Shankar; were treated to the favorite Ragas and Ragas composed by the Late Pandit Ravi Shankar, father of Anoushka and the illustrious and celebrated music maestro of Sitar and Bharat Rattna of India. I had the honor of meeting Pandit Ravi Shankar in Indianapolis in 1985 and hearing him play on several occasions (during 1958-65) at the Indian Institute of Technology at Kharagpur, India where I went to school for my Architecture and Planning Degrees.
RAAGMALA OF SOUNDS AND AN AARTI OF MUSICAL ECSTACY
Tonight on a stage with oriental carpets at the Performing Arts Center in Carmel, we saw: a young master work her creative magic and lift an audience into exultation and veneration of music as a universally celebrated art form; gradual build-up of tempos, rhythms, and exuberant crescendos and a celestial aura of music descend in the Tarkington Theatre. Witnessed a symphonic dance of musical sounds and intense instrumental synchronicity; a Raagmala of sounds, the arts, seasons, moods, and emotions; an Aarti (a prayer) unfolding the majesty of classical music in myriad Ragas as an unequaled divine blessing parade before us.
We had a rare opportunity to witness Anoushka Shankar, a classical music genius, and accompanying celebrated musicians work their magic to fill the space, tug the hearts and spirits of the gathered audience with images of contemplation, meditation, veneration, reflection, celebration, and experience a festive pilgrimage across layers of human emotions to destinations of temporal awe and celestial wonder. The string, percussion, and breath instruments took us on a processional to other resplendent cultural courtyards and spiritual crossroads, led by an amazing mistress of transcendent sounds and Raagmalas in music, to sacred temples of spirit that reverberated with the songs of our oneness that are in music. We saw a dazzling glow and a momentous encounter with the richness in the arts and as a treasured Divine blessing.
MUSIC AS AN EVER-INSPIRING AND ALL-EMBRACING SACRED SANCTUARY I have no doubt that among the many music patrons from India (some in brocaded silks much like at a wedding or festive celebration), the multicultural and multi-generational audience, their spirits traveled to familiar and unfamiliar realms; reconnected to places thousands of miles away, relived memories thousands of years ago. We saw beauty in music and the moment; a cultural bridge across faiths, civilizations, and heavens. It was a moving thought in its promise; a safe and sacred place for the distinct and diverse caravans of human spirits to converge. Anoushka Shankar: Thank you for your amazing gifts and introducing us to humanity's ever-inspiring and all-embracing sacred sanctuary.
Indianapolis, Indiana USA <> www.KPSinghDesigns.com <> March 24, 2017.
SIKH FAITH: MUSIC, KEERTAN, AND WORSHIP
"Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred scripture of the Sikhs, enshrines around 5,894 compositions within its 1430 pages. The entire Guru Granth Sahib is in poetry. The hymns are assigned and arranged according to the designated Raaga, a pattern of music and rhythm, in which the sacred hymn is to be sung. There are 31 major Raagas and derivatives, Raginis, that appear in Guru Granth Sahib, the Living Guru of the Sikhs.
Music has been described as the language of gods. The Sikh faith reveals that the heavens are reverberating with a constant Naad and accomplished singers and musicians with amazing musical instrument are offering glorious songs of Praise in the Darbar of Waheguru (Court of Wonderful Lord). That celestial image and experience has been adopted and re-created in the earthly realms by embracing the aura of music in temporal settings to reflect that spiritual connection. Classical music carries the power of reaching deep into the human soul. Therefore, not popular but classical music has been carefully integrated and is an important part of Sikh worship tradition since the time of Guru Nanak (1469-1539), the Founder of Sikh faith.
Singing the Praise of Almighty in Keertan format and in Ragas that evoke different emotions, create contemplative moods and feelings, exalt and inspire the human spirit into higher realms, fill the dark spaces within our being with amazing grace, spiritual Light, a resplendent meditative experience and have been an ancient Sikh and Indian music tradition and a venerated artistic endeavor. The Sikh faith declares: "Kuljug Mein Keertan Pardhana: In this Iron Age, singing the Praise of Almighty is the ultimate supreme blessing." In the hands of a master, the music from the strings and vocal chords could be equally breathtaking and sing the language of the spirit.
MUSIC BRIDGES TEMPORAL AND SPIRITUAL REALMS
As I sat deeply absorbed in the beautiful Raagas and magnificent musical compositions of Anoushka Shankar and the accompanying music masters, I felt my spirit tugged by their masterful renditions and symphonic sensibilities. The caravan of my spirit traveled and surrendered in humility at the Darbar Sahib of the Sacred Music where Rehras was in progress; momentarily my imagination flew to the Majestic Darbar in the Highest Court and witnessed great musicians performing and Aarti of Veneration: "Gagan Mein Thaal Rav, Chund Deepak Banay Tarika Mandal Janak Moti: The sky studded with stars and embellished with galaxies is a salver decorated with pearls; The sun and moon are the sacred lamps placed in its midst..."
The power of classical music was manifested before me as an all-embracing and transcendent and universally Divine blessing, connecting celestial and temporal regions. My heart was dancing; my spirit still meditating upon the awesome moving musical experience."
~ Kanwal Prakash Singh - April 3, 2017
Photo Credit::© Sharad Raval | Dreamstime.com - Sitarist Anoushka Shankar
