Date:04/03/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/03/04/stories/2006030416650200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Fusions for a cause

Susan Muthalaly

Basant Utsav begins on March 4

CHENNAI: When two musicians get together, there's bound to be some spontaneous jamming, regardless of whether they are well equipped or not.

Percussionist Sivamani and tabla player Bikram Ghosh met The Banyan residents a day before their performance at Basant Utsav 2006.

When someone kindly arranged a drum set and called upon them to play, Ghosh was ready with his `tambo-kanjira', a tambourine he plays like a kanjira. Sivamani, finding himself short of drumsticks, picked up two large spoons and drummed up a frenzy that had everyone there dancing with abandon.

Sivamani, whose unwieldy percussion set grows rapidly every year, was previously associated with The Banyan (a home for mentally ill, destitute women), although this is his first time at Basant Utsav, an open air fundraiser held at Dakshina Chitra ever year.

Ghosh once participated in a concert for The Banyan, although that was at the Music Academy.

The two will be performing with Vishwa Mohan Bhatt on the Mohan veena, with Rakesh Chaurasia on the flute and Vikku Vinayakram playing the ghatam. Kalamandalam Gopalakrishnan and artists from the Kathakali School in Kerala will also be part of the show.

Owing to the contrasts in sound and tone from the different instruments, there is always a bit of worry about the acoustics, says Bikram: the ghatam has a high tone and Viswa Mohan's Mohan veena produces a deep sound.

"But, at some point, we've all played together, so we are familiar with each other's music ... And, it works well for a musician to play under the sky: it gives you a sense of space and frees your mind."

Ghosh, who has lent his talent to several causes, including AIDS, cancer research and mental health, in his hometown, Kolkata, says: "Initially, there is a consciousness about who you are playing for, but then the music takes over."

The Banyan had earlier requested people to volunteer to help them for the festival and the response has been overwhelming, they said.

Basant Utsav, `a tribute to the spirit of spring,' begins at 7 p.m. on March 4. Call 26530504 or 98407 75913 for donor passes.