Union of east and west

CHENNAI: When the music influences, harmonies and percussions of two different worlds meet, it’s sure to tug the heart, with soul stirring music. ‘Indialucia’, an international musical project by Flamenco guitarist, Miguel Czachowki has been one of the first bands that managed to successfully combine the traditional music of Flamenco from Andalusia with Indian tunes.

The group has been performing all over the world since 1999 and will be in the city on Sunday as part of the fourth edition of October Fusion Fest. In a tête-a-tête, Miguel and Ghatam Giridhar Udupa, the lead duo, talk about fusion music, their 19-year-journey and touring the world.

“In 1999, I performed with my band in Pune. He was impressed with my performance, and asked me to be part of his project that combined Indian and Flamenco music,” recalls Giridhar.
For Miguel, who grew up surrounded by Flamenco music, an exposure to Indian music in his early teens changed his views about world music. “I took to playing the guitar when I was 12. Later, when I listened to Indian music, I had the urge to explore more of it!” recalls the artiste.  

After a performance at the Venice film festival in 1998, Miguel travelled to Nagpur to study guitar. “I fell in love with the culture and music. I started listening to more of Hindustani and Carnatic. That’s when my stint in collaborating with Indian artistes began and that was the beginning of ‘Indialucia’,” he shares. Since then the duo, along with other musicians, have toured across 24 different countries and performed in about 284 concerts.

Most people think that fusion is all about mixing and jamming western and Indian instruments together but it’s more than that. “One needs to read and understand the theory and rhythm structure of the other genre to create a fusion of tunes,” explains Giridhar.

Miguel cannot stop gushing about the richness of Indian music. “I love Carnatic music, and it has many great elements. The rhythm pattern and the way melody transcends is unbelievable. Similarly, I love Qawwali and Sufi; it’s very spiritual. I love Rajasthani music too, especially for its high rhythm and energy,” he shares. The ensemble has been giving a new dimension to symphonic music from 2016 and Miguel states that ‘fusion could be the future of music’. “We have received standing ovations and a full crowd in all our concerts. This shows that people are open to fusion and this could be the future!” he declares.

Ask the duo about what they have in store for Chennai and Giridhar says that it will be a mix of traditional music, classical elements, percussions and of course ‘hit numbers’ from ARR and Ilayaraja’s compositions. “We all know Chennaiites love their music. So, a medley of songs from their compositions will be an interesting feature,” says Giridhar.

Miguel who has been to the city twice, loves the music scene and expresses his desire to explore the other facets of the city. “I don’t know much about Chennai but, I love the people and music. If there was another aspect of Chennai or South India that I love, it’s the food!” he shares.

The band is working on their next album which will be a fusion of different influences including Persian music. “We have Persian musicians who will be playing for the new album and some Arab vocals. But, my other inspiration is Jazz music — for its harmony. I would love to dabble with Jazz and Arabic music in the future,” he adds.

Miguel and Giridhar Ensemble will be performing on October 8, from 6.30 pm onwards at Phoenix MarketCity. For details, call: 66513007