Indian stringed-instruments
DIE WELT, 23.06.1999
Hamburg, culture section / daily reviews
By Georg Borchardt
The easiest way to bridge cultures is through music. Ranajit Sengupta from
Calcutta is a charismatic young communicator between India and Europe, his
instrument being the old Indian sarod - a kind of lute with 25 strings. In the past his fame reached as far as Hamburg, to which he still returns
again and again. In the Hamburg Hall of Mirrors he was heard on his sarod
in "classical dialogue" with the tabla player Prabir Mitra who harmonizes
the sounds of his two drums very delicately with the sliding, buzzing pitch
of the sarod. Meanwhile, Rita Panesar continuously intones the slow,
monotonous, whispering sound of the obligatory stringed-instrument. Ranajit
and Prabir are transforming some of the ancient "ragas", basic
patterns of
only a few tones, strictly traditional, but also allowing individual phantasy - at first calm, then increasingly swirling in rhythm and speed.
This wonderful inspiring evening was organized by an enthusiastic student,
inspired by ancient Indian philosophy, and his University group "Natural
Law" from Hamburg in co-operation with the music faculty, where a workshop
with Manfred had taken place.
