Expanding cultural horizons

Vandana Shukla / TNN / Feb 6, 2006, 02:23 IST

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SPIC MACAY is promoting the intermingling of Indian and Western musical culture.

CHANDIGARH: The ever-expanding world is spoilt for choices. Even SPIC MACAY (Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture amongst Youth) is not confining culture to 'Sitar' and 'Sarod' recitals.
The organisation committed to promotion of Indian culture among the youth is exposing them to jazz and other European systems of music. In a unique cooperative project, SPIC MACAY and Norwegian Concert Institute, Rikskonsertene have embarked on a three-year programme for exchanging music and musicians between the two cultures.
Unlike India, where almost all grants meant for promotion of culture are absorbed by senior artistes, in Norway, eighty per cent of the grants meant for culture are used for generating cultural awareness among children aged between 4 to 11, informs Dr Shakuntala Lavasa, convener, Chandigarh chapter of SPIC MACAY.
No wonder then that two from Rikskonsertene, a group of very senior musicians, have received Norwegian Grammy on more than one occasions and the group has performed 2000 school concerts in Norway. The group performance for the schools called 'Jazz Creature' incorporates puppetry and jazz music.

The senior musicians work with school children where they not only perform music, they help them make musical instruments and improvise music. Some of the musical compositions produced by children are presented in concerts.
Since jazz is about improvisation, puppetry, another art of spontaneity goes well with the show. Knut Alfsen, who heads theatre group, Living Puppets, in Norway, says, "Puppetry is there just for fun, there is no philosophy or pedagogy behind it."

Espen Rud, the percussionist, who has worked with internationally acclaimed jazz musicians like Pepper Adams, Karin Krog and James Moody, has given over 2,000 concerts and also won a Norwegian Grammy.
Rud is a friend of Alfsen and three years back, while working together, the idea to incorporate puppetry with the show was mooted, and the results turned out to be fabulous.
"The puppets talk a little. Two tales are incorporated in the show, one is of a boy, who is learning to ride a bicycle and the other one is about a giant hen, who has problem laying a golden egg," informs Alfsen.
Tore Brunborg, recipient of Norwegian Grammy thrice and composer of several musical CDs, plays the saxophone for Jazz Creature.
Terje Gewelt, the bass player, has released more than 60 CDs, working with several internationally acclaimed musicians like Tommy Smith, Billy Cobham and Misha Alperin.
The group is performing for the first time in Indian schools. After giving a few concerts in Delhi, they will be performing at AKSIP school, Sector 41 at 10 am and Navodaya Vidyalaya Sector 25 at 2.30 pm on Monday, February 6.

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