Intercultural fusion at Indian music concert

Manjit Singh says he looks forward to performing in Gisborne and showing what Indian Classical music is all about. He is pictured with Tairāwhiti Multicultural Council secretary Meredith Stewart (Jass Noor Khalsa). Picture supplied

The inaugural Indian Classical Music and Folk Songs event is just around the corner and the Herald caught up with headlining performer and tabla maestro Manjit Singh about his upcoming visit and performance in Gisborne.

“For locals it’s a great way to get an understanding and a glimpse into how traditional and classical Indian music is played and sounds,” Singh said in a phone call chat.

This July, the highly skilled tabla player will be joined by sitar player Shalu Garg on stage at Lawson Field Theatre.

“After some classical performances, I will also play the tabla with a contemporary setting and play an intercultural fusion.”

Singh said the idea about having an event celebrating Indian music was being discussed prior to Covid-19, with his student and Tairāwhiti Multicultural Council secretary Meredith Stewart (Jass Noor Khalsa), who often visited Auckland to take tabla lessons.

Talking about his journey to take up tabla, the musician said he first started out as a singer.

Hailing from Lalitpur, a city in Northern India, Singh’s family advised him to take up music.

“Like most Indian children, you have to do what your family says. My dad put me into this and I was also supported by my grandmother as it was seen as a cultural thing for us.”

For every performance he did for the community, he was almost always joined by a tabla player. His interest in the instrument grew and he wanted to know all about playing the tabla.

“I never imagined that my curiosity would have me take it up as a full-time profession.”

Singh recalls a time in the late 90s, when his parents wanted him to become a mechanical engineer. However, after a short while, his parents had to accept his decision of dropping out from his studies to pursue a career as a musician — a tabla master.

Singh got a job as music teacher in a school and it wasn’t long before he was invited to perform in Manchester.

Although he returned to his job in India after his show, it was through his younger brother (who lives in Aotearoa) that he got an opportunity to perform for the Sikh temple in Auckland.

Singh said his first impression of New Zealand was Waikato in 2008, the year he first arrived in the country. Gradually he would find himself settling in Hamilton  after he was offered a trial job by the  local Sikh association who wanted him to teach classical Indian music to children.

At present, the musician is a well-established professional teaching fellow at The University of Auckland and also simultaneously  runs the Rhythm School of Indian music which he started with his wife in 2010.

The school specialises in teaching Hindustani vocals, gurmat sangeet, tabla, dilruba, sitar and violin.

Singh has studied Indian classical tabla under the traditional tutelage of renowned tabla maestro Fazal Qureshi from Mumbai, along with formal academic studies of Indian music. He has attained a BMus in Musicology, Honours in Jazz, and recently finished a research Masters in Musicology and Music Education.

Singh said as a composer, he is strongly drawn to exploring a cross-cultural approach that draws on his cultural roots in traditional Indian music within the collaborative improvisational context of Western jazz.

A rearrangement of a nominated song for the 2019 Silver Scrolls received huge appreciation for his Indian classical integration in the song.

He also collaborated with Carl Doy to compose and record the opening ceremony music for the ICC World Cup in 2015.

On the differences  and similarities between Indian classical and Western music, Singh said while Indian classical music was based on scales called ragas, it was monophonic and based around melody compared to Western which was polyphonic and harmonic.

The biggest difference, he says, lies in the rhythm.

“Indian classicals usually have a more detailed rhythm structure than any other music modes.”

However, there were similarities as well.

Singh said both the cultures used a similar time signature and had room for improvisation, especially music modes such as jazz.

“This is a good example of why a lot of Indian musicians collaborate with jazz musicians.”

The Indian Classical Music and Folk Songs event is organised by TMC and is made possible through funding received from the  Ministry of Ethnic Communities and Ministry of Social Development.

This free event is being held on July 1 from 4pm to 7pm. Free dinner and refreshments will  available.