By Bharati Mitra
Washington, DC, April 14, 2012 (Washington Bangla Radio) On April 13, 2012 at the George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium, Anoushka Shankar and her Traveler Ensemble performed their "Raga-Flamenco Journey" concert. Anoushka played her sitar soulfully, along with Sanjeev Shankar in Shehnai, Pirashanna Thevarajah in various Southern Indian percussion instruments, Bernhard Schimpelsberger in Flamenco percussion box, Melon Jimenez in Flamenco guitar & Sandra Carrasco in cante (vocals). The concert was presented by Washington Performing Arts Soceity (WPAS),and
Co-presented with the George Washington University Lisner Auditorium.
The music which ensued was innovative, experimental and awe-inspiring to say the least. It was at once a combination of musical instruments from various parts of India as well as the Flamenco counterparts of Spain. The Sitar, originally a Persian but now more popularly a North Indian string instrument, was combined with Mridangam, an ancient percussion instrument which originated in Southern India, as well as three other Southern Indian percussion instruments: the Ghatam, a clay vessel to be struck with the palm of the hand, Kanjira, a hand drum of the tambourine family, and Morsing, a Southern Indian mouth harp. To this was added the Shehnai, a North Indian wind instrument typically used for auspicious occasions such as weddings. These alone could have provided for an unusual and highly creative concert. But the creativity and innovation of Anoushka Shankar goes far beyond in which she thought of combining this large variety of Indian classical musical instruments with the gypsy & folksy tunes of Spanish Flamenco music.