Kolkata
When musicians from Europe, Africa and rural Bengal come together, a perfect ensemble is sure to be created. A Tamburitza band from Szentendre - an obscure town near Budapest, Sondorgo brought the music of the Balkans. Marouane Hajji, a 25-year-old from Fes, the spiritual capital of Morocco, led his troupe armed with violin, cello, drums and refined Sufi music of the Tijani and Skaii category. And the Arjun Khyapas and Golam Fakirs from Nadia and Murshidabad district of Bengal with ektaras, dhols and khols came with their rustic tunes and love for the great one. The result was divine indeed. They had different schedules in the morning workshop as part of a three-day Sufi festival, which also featured international musicians from Azerbaijan, Denmark and Egypt and also from Kashmir and Delhi. However, when the baul and fakirs took the stage as part of the Day II workshop, the Hungarian and Moroccan musicians could not resist the lure. Singer and actor Katalin Tampos said, “It was the perfect collaboration. Three different cultures and three different school of music coming together without any preparation just goes to show the power of melody. Hungarian, Moroccan Arabic and Bengali together sounded just right.” The Hungarians with their drums and trumpets and the powerful voice of Tampos blended in with the sweet tune of ektaras and khemoks, which jingled in praise of Peer Abdul Kadir. The men from Morocco, who were mere spectators in the first song, couldn’t hold back much long. “We create music coming from the better part of the heart. The collaboration happened quite naturally. Events such as these, when language barrier is so easily overcome, in the life of a musician make all our hard work and years of practice worth it,” Marouane Haji said.
