AR Rahman & Rushil Ranjan, Abi Sampa strike a very high note…

World premiere collaboration concert is a success and signal to the future of Indian and western classical and Qawwali sitting sensationally under one roof…

THIS is a concert dreamt of by the gods of music in heaven and delivered on earth in the form of a collaboration between Bollywood maestro AR Rahman and Qawwali orchestra sensation Rushil Ranjan and wife Abi Sampa.

That it took place in one of the nation’s most haloed performance spaces – the Royal Albert Hall makes it only more special.

We exaggerate…but only a bit.

To be more serious, it was unbelievably Indian musical genius AR Rahman’s debut at the Royal Albert Hall (RAH).

This was a concert in two distinct halves and was sensational in aligning so many different and unusual (or traditional) things to near perfection.

One could say that it was a little ‘undersold’ – expectations were high – Rahman, Ranjan and Sampa all offer something different and majestic in their own ways – now they collaborate in a field that is still developing, unfolding, global in scope and unique in presentation.

Described as something of a fusion between Indian classical and western classical, the collaboration brings another rich tradition into the mix – Qawwali is a form of vocals made by famous (in the west) by the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – it is a form of devotional music which takes its inspiration and lyrics from Persian and Urdu poetry from around the 12th century onwards.

Ranjan and Sampa have taken this to another form by introducing a western orchestra and Indian classical dance into these elements.

Last night was a culmination, a spectacular flowering – if you will, of all that these different traditions offer in their own right – and now brought, literally, under one roof.

Rahman, known as the Maestro of Madras, was clearly thrilled to be playing at the RAH and while Ranjan successfully conveyed his and his wife’s mutual admiration to be in the company of Rahman, this was a an equal meeting of different traditions and needed to carry an audience slightly split across all these lines – including Rahman’s more populist Bollywood repertoire – and yet… it all worked and more!

There was a bit for everyone and more for some who think the dance and staging are things of beauty in themselves – at one point, dancers emerged at the very top of the auditorium, recreating the effect of the mirrors dance sequence seen in the film ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ which Rahman scored and sung a track from on the evening.

Aakash Odedra (pictured above) who is well known to www.asianculturevulture.com reprised his haunting and unforgettable dance ‘Songs of the Bulbul’ – Ranjan scored the music and it is probably the most cinematic music you will ever come across outside a cinema and played by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra no less – well, you don’t need words.

In the first half there was a little chit-chat with Ranjan asking Rahman a question or two – and we learnt a little more about how they came to work together.

Rahman was drawn to Sampa’s voice and the way Ranjan can effortlessly compose between genres – self taught and instinctive. (See our Ranjan interview from last year below)

It’s no easy feat to write Indian classical music or Qawwali for a western orchestra – but Ranjan does and brilliantly so and now the couple have the stage they so richly deserve and a collaborator who understands both traditions – Western classical and Indian devotional (Sufi) and seeks to stamp something of a new identity on it.

Rahman clearly enjoyed singing in the Royal Albert Hall too and the audience responded.

The first half was gentle, understated and to those who don’t know their Bollywood, it was hard to identify tracks from the films.

In the second, there was Qawwali and the new commission ‘Rangreza’ – it was super and special to hear it as an audience for the first time.

The vocal range is impressive – we know Sampa’s – and Sarthak Kalyani is protégé of Rahman’s and made a big impression last night.

This feels like a beginning and like many, there are parts that seem a little tentative and a tad unsure. Don’t…be.

It’s not a criticism but you do feel like there’s a lot more and the artists can be confident that their different musical upbringings and traditions merge to produce a performance, so memorable and exciting.

We should give it ***** (five stars) but it feels like there’s a lot more from this grand trio and we must encourage them to go bigger and bolder for the future!

Roll on October 24 when the Orchestral Qawwali Project with Ranjan and Sampa return.

ACV rating: ****

Note: We don’t have official pictures or press notices after this debut collaboration performance and can’t name all the performers either, when would like to acknowledge their contribution to a wonderful evening.

Listing
AR Rahman x Rushil Ranjan and Abi Sampa, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AP. There are still a few tickets…
See here: AR Rahman X Rushil Ranjan | Royal Albert Hall