When Marco Polo stopped off on the shores of India in the late 13th century, it was love at first sight! According to his Travels, South Asia was – and still is – home to some of the world’s greatest wonders. So, what if we followed in his footsteps this season and discovered the beauty of Indian culture through music?
The journey kicks off with A Throw of Dice on 15.10. Featuring live music by Nishat Khan, this 1929 silent film takes us before the golden age of Bollywood, back to a time when Indian cinema wasn’t singing yet, but already had a lot to say! By bringing the Mahābhārata to the big screen – a 2.500-year-old epic which would make Homer envious – Franz Osten reminds us that India has always been a land of storytellers and legends.
Speaking of legends, let’s stay in the Grand Auditorium for a tribute to Zakir Hussain. A year after his death, the man who brought the tabla and Indian classical music to the global stage is more alive than ever. A few months later, another tabla player will follow. At just 25, Ishaan Gosh has been leading Araj, a boy band like no other, since 2018. Tabla, vocals, zither, flute, sarangi… Five young men, five «superpowers», a single motto: to show that «music isn’t about ticking boxes, [but] about breaking them».
On 15.01., the Luxembourg Philharmonic will also be breaking new ground by diving deep into Hindu spirituality with Vijay Iyer and Prashant Bhargava’s Rites of Holi. Instead of throwing actual pigments, the musicians will present an explosive blend of symphonic and electronic «colours»!
This bold start of the year will be matched by a more introspective spring, brimming with female talent. Yesterday a child prodigy, singer Varijashree Venugopal has now grown into a mature artist, as she demonstrates on 05.03. with a performance at the crossroads of jazz and sacred music, intertwining memories, votive poems and impressionist fantasies. A few days later, Naïssam Jalal will take us to the far west of the Indian sub-continent. Final stop on 17.05., with Anoushka Shankar in her contemplative «Chapters» project. Could you picture a more irresistible journey?
Eva Klein
