Volume 9 Issue 7 - April 2004

An fudian feast in Toronto
By Ulln Colgmss
MORE THAN TEN YEARS have
passed since I found a hidden exotic
pleasure, the Raag-Mala Music Society
of Toronto. An Indian friend
took me to the U of T's Medical
Sciences Auditorium, where I entered
a world of saris and elegant aficionados
of Indian classical music. Even
though I am an adventurous concertgoer,
I had never heard of this concert
series and would not have found it by
q1yself, because it was at that time created
by and for the Indian community.
Now, a growing appetite for world
music has widened the audiences of
Raag-Mala. They are still mostly Indian,
but also include the typical plurality
of Toronto listeners. Fortunately, this
developrrent has not watered down the
quality and standards of the 23-yearold
Raag-Mala Society.
Magan Ambasna, Raag-Mala's
founder and president, says, "We invite
.the very best from India to perform
for us in five or six concerts each
season. These are our classical si:ars."
Indeed, my Indian friend said that
he had tried to get tickets for the
evening's sitar virtuoso in Bombay, but
the hall had been sold out. months in
advance. He chuckled at the irony that
he could satisfy his musical taste so
close to home and for only $20.
RMo-MALA's SEASON is about
"to.start. Indian musicians refuse to play
here during the winter. The cold would
be too much of a shock for themselves
I
and their delicate instrurrents. The first
concert is on April 24 with the exciting
young Purbayan Chatterjee on sitar
and Aneesh Pradhan on tabla. They
have played for Raag-Mala before, have
toured around the world and can be
heard on nu.rrerous CDs,
The deep resonant tones of the string
instru.rrent sarod will be heard with the
scintillating Tejendra Majurrrlar on May
22, with Subhankar Banerjee as equal
partner on tabla. They are the main
attraction at a festival in India, organized
by legendary Ravi Shankar.
The remaining three concerts in the
season feature Falguni Mitra, singer
and Tapash Kumar Das, tabla (June
20); Atul Desai, singer and Ramesh
Bapodra, tabla (Sept 11), and Shujaat
Khan, sitar and Abhiman
Kashaul, tabla (Oct. 16).
IT ALWAYS AMAZES ME how two
or three Indian musicians can play the
most delicate improvisations and work
up to the sonic force of a large ensemble.
At these exquisite moments, audiences
mutter "wah, wah" and even
speak out to the musicians who in tum
reach for greater heights. The dance
between player and listener is very
much part of this culture. To my ear~,
·the scope and improvised nature of tlfe
Indian classical style has much in colnmon
with jazz, even though the music
is based on different scales.
All raags are ·rooted in spiritual beliefs
but the music is not solemn. It
moves all comers of the psyche, from
Summer Music by the Lake
July 26 ~ Aug 7, 2004
The Royal Conservatory of Music presents
An Unforgettable Chamber Music
Experience!
For Musicians & Composers Ages 8-25
APRIL 1 - MAY 7 2004
• 1 or 2 weeks at the historic
Adamson Estate
• All instruments
• Intensive chamber rehearsals
• Skill-building coaching sessions
• Daily mini-recitals
• $500/1 week, $900/2 weeks
( + registration fee)
Register Tod.ay
905-891-7944
The Royal Conservatory of Music
in Mississauga
the serene to the majestic. The audi- musicians walk on together or one by
ence follows the music intently. They one, greet the audience with palms toeven
giggle when the performers en- gether and sit cross-legged on the beaugage
in drawn-out humorous sparring. tiful carpet to tune their instrurrents.
Many of the Indian solo instrurrents Vases of flowers and a statue of Sarare
exotic looking, like the sitar and aswati, !he goddess of art and music,
sarod presented in the first two con- share the stage. The first raag is really
ce.rts. Their amplified sounds stand a warm-up. Sometimes it starts a bit
out in the auditorium along with ac- slow or unfocused while the audience
companying tabla, which is also centre settles down. Finally the concert bestage
and played with dazzling tech- gins with artists' intrcxiuctrnycomrrents
nique. Harmonium and tambura often and occasional audience requests.
provide the drone, and wes\em famil- I don't share the Indian culture and
iars like violin, flute and even saxo- ancient religion, and I don't understand
phone, also play this classical reper- the text of each raag, but I have dev.eltoire.
My favourite Indian artists are oped a great love for the rich variety of
probably the singers, who display in- this sophisticated music. I was taught
credible virtuosity and stamina in a vocal· to listen with my ears and to "undertechnique
that is light years removed stand" music. Indian music is more
from western classical singing. sensuous for me, absorbed by my
My earliest Raag-Mala adventures entire body. Tumiµg off my old liscompeted
in length with a Wagnerop- tening habits helped me get into the
era, with a long intermission where peo- music. It now feels like home.
ple fortified themselves with food, tea The soloists presented by Raag-Mala
and purchases of CDs. Today, while are world travellers who also perform
slightly more streamlined (an official with the greats of other countries, such
starting time of 7:30 to get everyone as cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and Iranian arseated
by 7.45 pm, and only a half tiste Kayhan Kalhor. It's a rich scene,
hour break to eat saimsas and talk with indeed.
friends),Raag-Malahasmaintainedthe Reserve tickets, $20 or $30, at
traditional style of presenting music. 416 492-7665 or 416 281 -3725.
While western musicians warm up
backstage and roll into high gear from Ulln Colgmss is a Tororuo journalist
the minute they step on stage, Indian wlw often wn·tes abouJ music.