Mirror
Magazine 
|
||||
A
night of magic Thus was the general feeling amidst the multitudes, sitting, standing or meditating throughout the Nehru Park in New Delhi, on the evening of April 7, in response to the all-female choir Soul Sounds’ performance at this year’s Bhakti Utsav, that won the hearts of both Indian and foreign audiences alike. Under the musical direction of Soundarie David, the choir successfully managed to spring a pleasant surprise upon the patriotic masses, with a rendition of the extensively respected Bhajan “Vaishnava Janato.” Even before we walked on stage, the sense of expectancy was evident, as they started clapping as soon as the compere announced our name, (possibly as a result of the wide publicity we had been given by the Indian press). As we eventually walked onto the stage (in a tumult of colour radiating off our multicoloured sarongs, white jackets and pearly necklaces with flowers and oil lamps in hand) we could almost feel the suspense rise with our every move. Having been given the task of performing straight after more traditional, authentic performances, we were at a loss as to what to expect from our new audience. The Indian audiences watched us intently in ‘pin drop silence,’ breaking it only to applaud after each number. (So much so that the organisers wanted to keep us onstage as a successful means of crowd control!) Soundarie handpicked the repertoire for the evening, which featured a mix of Latin, English, Sinhala, Tamil, Tribal and of course Hindi spirituals. Although the performance of the famous Gujarati Bhajan was the obvious favourite among the people, all the other numbers too were received with just as much enthusiasm and fervour. Bhakti Utsav is an annual three-day festival of devotional music, jointly presented by the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, Delhi Tourism, and Seher in association with the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Government, New Delhi Municipal Council, Food Corporation of India and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, within the serene surroundings of the Nehru Park. Although essentially featuring Indian artistes, they also have a few invitee guest performances by artistes/choirs from the South Asian region. Founded in 1990 by Sanjeev Bhargava, Seher (the moment of the rising sun) is meant to take Indian culture to the masses, instead of restricting it to just the cultural elite. The pursuit of a suitable Sri Lankan group to be featured at the Bhakti Utsav ended when the Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Nirupama Rao (a singer herself) recommended the choir. Thereafter, it was a flurry of activity. Before we knew it, 16 of our 30 choristers, together with Soundarie and the choir’s Artistic Director, Jerome L. De Silva (fondly referred to as ‘Big Daddy’ by the girls) were flying off to Delhi for what proved to be a whirlwind week of a lifetime!!! In addition to the Bhakti Utsav, the choir also performed at a smaller concert of purely church music at the Vatican Chapel (organised by the Sri Lanka High Commission in India) and finally, at a larger concert organised by the India Sri Lanka Foundation held at the India International Centre in Delhi. “The Indian audience was really great and very appreciative. Furthermore the reaction to our rendition of Vaishnava Janato was truly inspiring. The girls too felt that the response they got from India was truly encouraging and motivating,” said a pleased Soundarie. As for the choir’s future plans, Soundarie’s take is that, “We hope to take part in the upcoming Fourth World Choir Games 2006 (the former ‘Choir Olympics’), scheduled to take place in July at Xiamen, China. I say ‘hope,’ only because we truly find it difficult to get sponsors, and since it is a big choir, the budget is generally high.” Furthermore, choral music and choirs are just about getting popular in Sri Lanka, given that sponsors most often sponsor sports like cricket for instance, or a dance troupe, she added. Following the choir’s triumph in Wales in 2004, where they were placed first runners up at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, she hopes that once again the girls would get a chance to represent the country in the international arena, as she strongly believes that they have what it takes to go the distance. Being the only Sri Lankan choir at present, to compete internationally, it’s hardly been an easy task. “As is obviously the case, all the choristers, including Soundarie, have other careers and/or are pursuing their studies. However, as music has and will continue to remain close to their hearts, they sing purely for the joy it brings them and to those around them. “Having
said this though, I think honestly speaking I must admit that I
am also very ambitious for the group. Coming from a third world
country, I am eager to show the rest of the world, the musicality
of these girls, and of course to prove that music cuts through all
barriers. As for the future... well all I can say is that as long
as we all share a passion for music and the group is together, I
am convinced that the group will keep on performing and touching
the hearts of many, through their soulful music,” she said
confidently. |
||||
Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
