India April 18, 2014: A rare ensemble

Indian and Spanish dancers tap their feet to Santosh Mulekar’s music

Spanish steps to Indian raga! That’s Hometown Productions’ event Ignite where renowned dancers from Spain and India will tap their feet on one forum to Santosh Mulekar’s music this evening for a thematic production at the Chowdiah Memorial Hall. This rare classical dance ensemble that Bangaloreans will be treated to will have not just the best of artistes from India and Spain congregating (April 18, 6.30 pm) in the city but also includes rare and time-honoured instruments to add to its aesthetic significance.

Aravind Ramanna and Bhavana Ramanna of Home Town Productions say the underlying concept for the show is based on the emotions that one would elicit with the word ‘battle field’ as “human civilization over the years has evolved and created its own cultural identity, for which many had to see ‘battles’ all over.

The word ‘battle’ makes us contemplate on dimensions of life such as pain, sorrow, love, hate, compassion, peace, victory and much more. There would be eight items reflecting different moods,” says Aravind.

Apart from two Flamenco dancers and three musicians from the Spain team led by Roberto, on Kathak would be Jayanthi M. Eshwarputi who as a Bharatanatya dancer was mesmerised by the Kathak genre and went on to acclimatise herself with the ‘authentic version’ under the renowned Birju Maharaj. Vishal Krishna, grandson of Kathak ace Taradevi, will bring in the Banarasi-styled fast and rhythmic footwork at the show. Sarvani Mudgal who comes from the renowned family of Hindustani musicians would be on vocal along with Arshad Khan from Delhi hailing from a generation of Esraj players.

Deepak Pandit, son of the famed qawwali Shambuji would tune in with a 120-year-old violin, while Arvind Kumar-Azad, the child prodigy, would be on tabla. Kartal , an ancient self-sounding resonating instrument is known to be a wooden clapper with plates that produce a clinking sound will be handled by Devu Khan, while Rishab Kathak would be on djembe, a musical rhythmic instrument from Western Africa.