This unique show delves into the forgotten sounds of Madhya Pradesh’s Nimad region

Chandore (left) and Malani (second from left) with the group. Pics Courtesy/Manish Khushalani

The pandemic was a time of quiet, stoic suffering. Yet, beneath it all, there was creativity blooming. For multi-instrumentalist musicians and producers Bharat Chandore and Jayesh Malani, it brought an opportunity they had never expected. Their six month-trip in the region of Nimad in Madhya Pradesh, led to a discovery and exploration of indigenous music, sounds and life of the region that has now evolved into a live performance encapsulating the culture.

Searching the heartland

The journey began with Chandore travelling to Nimad in 2021 during COVID-19. "He [Chandore] traces his roots to the region," Malani points out. After spending almost a year, Chandore reached out to Malani for a collaboration. When the first lockdown opened, the duo set out to begin their project.

A Chichli dhol player. Pic Courtesy/Aakash Mehsram; (right) Dhangar musicians with their tambura

"Finding the musicians was a task," Malani reveals, adding that the culture of Nimad and its music had never been documented, and many of the musicians were the last of their branch. Over three months, the search led to a coalition of eight musical groups from the region, who would contribute to the eponymous album. Having selected a core group that included dhangars, dasrath dada, Kumawat sisters, Kabir Panthis and Harbolas among them, the duo settled down in the village of Chichli on the banks of the Narmada river for the next 25 days. The abandoned village that falls under a flood risk area, is where they recorded the Nimadi folk songs in a mud hut. "Its [the hut's] natural acoustics were very good," Malani remarks.

Chandore recalls that the folk musicians were initially apprehensive. "When I first approached them about the need to document their culture, they were not very keen, and were unaware of what we were planning to do. To be honest, we did not have a complete picture of the plan either."

Sound of music

The tracks they recorded were different from the mainstream, says Chandore. The dhangars, residents of the region, travel around singing bhajans by the saint poet, Kabir, the musician shares. "They play it on the tambura - a four-stringed instrument, similar to the ektara but with a fuller sound. The other wonderful sound is that of the Chichli dhol. Most dhols have a sharp, loud bang. But this one, despite its large size, has a very warm sound."

Jayesh Malani and Bharat Chandore; (right) Warren D'Sylva

The music varied from soft bhajans to frenzied trance. "For instance, at the festival, there is a moment when the people are taken into a fervour, as though possessed by a spirit. Then, the dancers move to the beat of the dhol till they are exhausted. We wanted to use their trance-like music," Chandore says.

Evolving for the stage

Writer and theatre director, Warren D'Sylva set about shaping the compositions into a live experience on stage eight months ago. To this end, he opted to add elements of LED visuals, projection mapping of traditional folk art and animation. "We are interspersing voiceovers, visual elements by artists, videos of the folk musicians sharing stories and their journey with this narrative to create an immersive, mixed-media performance," he explains, adding that with the live show, their aim is to create a unique experience of the music, the folk groups and culture in the form of a live musical documentary that takes the audience on a journey across the rural landscape of Madhya Pradesh.

With close to 100 collaborators - from the musicians of Bombay Brass led by Rhys Sebastian, the Aftab Qadri qawwal party, bassist Keshav Iyengar to new media artist Vinay Khare, filmmaker and visual artist Keerthi Raju, visual architect Percival Crasto, sound engineer Armaan Tejani, production manager KG Ramnarayan and the costumes of Bhumika Dube and Shweta Pasricha - it feels like a massive production.

"It is still evolving, and we don't yet know how it will shape itself," D'Sylva tells us. After Mumbai, the troupe will head to Goa in December. "We hope to keep releasing the tracks in singles. The next one is expected in November," Malani shares. Needless to say, it will be a new sound that will echo through the auditorium.

On October 27; 7.30 pm
At St Andrews Auditorium, St Dominic Road, Bandra West.
Log on to in.bookmyshow.com
Entry Rs 499 onwards