Collaborative fusion music
Confining Pradeep Ratnayake’s music into a single genre is not just a mind boggling task, it is unjust to the music itself. A name synonymous with Sri Lanka’s music scene, the sitar virtuoso will launch “Serendib” an album of collaborative fusion music between sitar and piano. Joining him on the album is renowned Japanese pianist, composer and arranger Masahiko Satoh.
Pradeep Ratnayake: A vision for sitar music
Currently the Head of the Languages and Cultural Studies Department and Senior Lecturer at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Pradeep’s first encounter with Masahiko was coincidently in one of the practice rooms in the university when the two were musical mentors of a joint project “Music for Peace.” Their initial conversation was a smattering of words and shy nods. Leaving their instruments to do the talking, the two maestros spent over an hour improvising four pieces of music, discovering unassuming similarities between their musical style, love for improvisation and chemistry for producing a very unique sound.
Pradeep’s long standing affair with his beloved sitar began almost 40 years ago when he first took up the instrument under the tutelage of D.A. Devage. A student of classical music,he studied at the University Of Visvabharati Santineketan India where he received the highest marks ever for a degree in sitar at Santiniketan. Pradeep’s music has found him working with film and playing at Carnegie Hall, Vienna and the European Parliament, where he introduced international audiences to classical music and his own distinct sound.
At a media conference for the concert and release of “Serendib”, the soft spoken sitarist reveals his deep intensity as he zealously describes his vision for sitar music. “I’m showcasing a unique sound,” he announced. “it’s an avant-garde style” he described, the composer himself at a loss for words.
When we hear one of the CD’s tracks it’s clear why the music was not described. Masahiko’s soft, distinct jazz chords are a beautiful contrast to the haunting strains of Pradeep’s sitar. It is also an interesting use of two solo instruments brought together. When he plays us a sample of the Gajaga Wannama, Pradeep’s nimble fingers move fervently along the frets, producing a sound unlike the traditional sitar music of India. Instead of a smooth twang, Pradeep’s ‘Sri Lankan’ technique is an orchestration of percussion and strings adding a new depth and local flavour to the music.
For Masahiko, a leading figure of free jazz, the CD is a first. “As far as I know, an album of collaboration between sitar and the piano with free improvisation has never existed.” An arranger and composer, Masahiko like Pradeep, works with diverse styles of music, including Japanese Buddhist chanting and Jazz and Western Baroque. The CD then, is not merely a bridge between Western and Eastern music and the fusion of genres. For the two musicians it is a chance discovery stretching musical limitations. When ‘Serendib’ makes its debut, the two maestros only hope their audiences will have a similar experience.
The launch of the CD “Serendib” by Pradeep Ratnayake and Masahiko Satoh will be held on September 10 at the Lionel Wendt theatre at 7 p.m. Free passes will be available at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura from September 1.