A taal for peace

Ustad Zakir Hussain and conductor Zane Dalal at a previous season of the SOI

Music can cut through barriers of language, religion and nationality. In a testament to its uniting force, the Symphony Orchestra of India's spring season this year will feature Ustad Zakir Hussain's piece, Ameen, Amen, Shanti on February 25.

The tabla maestro will share the stage with famed vocalists Hariharan, Shankar Mahadevan and mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor, all led by SOI conductor Zane Dalal. "I have had a relationship of over 30 years with Shankar bhai and Hariharan bhai. They are loving and special. Also, hats off to Kelley o' Connor; she comes from a Western classical background, but was spot on during the rehearsals. She understood what everyone was doing and her role in the piece. It has been my great fortune to work with these artistes who understand the musical world so well," said Hussain, in an email interview.

Shankar Mahadevan; (right) Hariharan. Pics/Narendra Dangiya

Hussain hopes his work will bring about a synergy between the vast musical landscape of an orchestra, Indian raag-taal, sufiana kalam and church music. The piece, he says, is a symbol of the unity, which can emerge from what people wrongly presume to be irreconcilable differences.

The veteran musician credits his secular upbringing as the catalyst for this piece. As a child, he learnt the Ganesh Paran, Shiv Stuti, and Saraswati Vandana from his father, the legendary Alla Rakha, who taught him about the connection between divinity and music. He studied the Quran at a madrassa and attended a Christian school, and never perceived this as confusing or contradictory. "At the time, no one ever told me that these ways of life were different. So, I grew up with the idea that everything is normal and 'one'. What occurred to me is that, A for ameen, A for amen and S for shanti, spells as 'aas'. Aas means hope. I was raised to believe that everything is one and I hope every Indian gets a chance to do that."

He speaks of music as an "agent that fosters religious harmony". The piece emphasises the universality of experiences in the human condition. "An Islamic sufi, a Hindu priest and a biblical preacher embark on a journey together, convinced that they have nothing in common. As the journey unfolds, thoughts are exchanged between them. They realise that they can be friends, and that their music and way of life, bind them together," he shares.

Speaking about the decision to collaborate with Indian musicians, Khushroo Suntook, co-founder of SOI and chairman of the National centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), explains, "We are trying to make the music more accessible to a wider audience. There exists an audience, which prefers pure classical music but we want to move beyond that."

Best of SOI 2020

Augustin Dumay

February 16
Maria João Pires, widely regarded as one of the greatest living pianists, will perform Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto.

John Owen-Jones

February 20
A musical theatre gala featuring Lucie Jones and John Owen-Jones. The programme will feature excerpts from musicals like Les Misérables and West Side Story, and will be conducted by Daniel Bowling, music director of the iconic production, The Lion King.

Jean-Phillipe Collard

March 1
The final concert of the season will consist of an evening of French music with pianist Jean-Philippe Collard and conductor Laurent Petitgirard. It will feature Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 5 and Franck's radical Symphony in D minor. ncpamumbai.com/soi

When: February 25, 7 PM
Where: NCPA, Nariman Point
Entry: Rs 1,000 onwards
Call: 66223737

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