Life & Work

Cross-cultural music extravaganza for city

band

Flutist Kirit Pattni, singer Asali and Nyatiti player Rapasa during rehearsals for the “Prog.res.sive” concert taking place on June 8 at the Kenya National Theatre. SEPPO TOIKKA

The Kenya National Theatre will be the setting for a unique cross-cultural musical showcase this weekend. A diverse group of musicians cutting across a broad base of musical styles will stage a joint performance under the riveting title of “Pro.gres.sive”

The concert is a celebration of music, art and diversity featuring a fusion of original Afro - Asian classical and contemporary music. This is the first public event organised by the Progressive Initiative, a group of entrepreneurial individuals who have come together to support this performance by a diverse group of versatile and talented musicians.

The event takes place at the Theatre Courtyard, tomorrow Saturday 8th June at 8 pm and is produced by Farra Nurani who has previously worked as director of the SAMOSA Festival (South Asian Mosaic of Society and the Arts), the bi-annual event that celebrates Kenya’s African, Eastern and Western heritage and the Sawa Sawa Festival.

This is the sixth production and offers her another chance to produce an original performance integrating live art with music.

Style

The multi-talented musician and actor Asali, whose style combines Afro Jazz and Spoken Word is the lead vocalist for the show. You may recall that she was a member of the “Mo Fire” stage production that was taken on a countrywide and later, a U.S. tour.

Though her strength lies in her vocal abilities, Asali also plays the djembe (drum) and the Marimba percussions.

Also lending her voice to the performance is Harleen Matharu who has been training in Indian classical music since age 8 and has been on stage since age 15. In January this year, she got the coveted opportunity to perform as the opening act for Indian film artist Mika Singh at the Carnivore.

Musician Mohan Shah will play the Santoor, an elaborate stringed instrument made of walnut wood and strings of steel and played with a pair of curved mallets. Also known as the cimbalom, this instrument is used for folk, classical and contemporary music.

Mohan has an affinity for Western Classical music especially the works of iconic composers like Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Strauss.

He did not take music seriously until his children started learning the tabla drums under the guidance of maestro Ustad Bashir Butt - only then did he also begin lessons for various instruments

Besides Western and Asian elements, the “Pro.gres.sive” concert features an exciting element of traditional fusion through the music of dancer, musician and singer Rapasa.

According to him, after wandering for years, searching and researching sounds, he has achieved a perfect balance between tradition and modern rhythms. He will be playing both the Nyatiti and the Adung, an instrument from Northern Uganda. One of his highlights is the original composition “An Ode to my Mother.”

Initiative

The guest artists include American-trained jazz guitarist Nathan Okite and Aaron Colverson who, besides playing the violin, is also directing the show.

A host of Nairobi’s finest musicians will be on hand to add to the variety of music. These include Andrew Ngatia on bass guitar, Christine “The Jazzist” Kamau on trumpet, Prasad Velankar on tabla and Kirit Pattni on flute.

Kirit, who also plays with the group Kachumbari 7, comprising musicians from Kenya, India and the U.K, is a veteran who has played the flute for over three decades.
Besides music, “Pro.gres.sive” will also feature an additional edge with the integration of urban art.

Three of Kenya’s best graffiti artists, Uhuru B, Swift 9 and Wise Two, will be interpreting the music on to canvas during the concert to exhibit their vision for a New Kenya under an initiative called Spray for Change.

The campaign was launched in February this year through the support of Basco Paints, with 10 urban artistes exhibiting their work on a giant canvas at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

The Progressive Initiative, is a group of organisations and individuals from the fields of business, arts, culture, the public and the private sector. The concert is also part of a campaign to showcase the Kenya National Theatre as the premier performance venue for the country’s art and culture.