An evening of performances in Andheri will showcase devotional music, across lok geet, qawwali and baul music
Musicians perform songs synonymous with the Bhakti movement
Over the past decade, says veteran thespian Sunil Shanbag, there has been an increasing number of plays in Mumbai that employ the use of live music on stage. It began with Prithvi organising a competition for musicals. "That encouraged a lot of us and we took it up with great enthusiasm, with some people later carrying on with the practice of including songs in their plays," he says.
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This, he adds, is also the genesis behind a concert series that he started, called Soul. The idea is to have a group of theatre actors who are more-than-capable singers present an evening of music that encompasses various genres related to the Bhakti movement.
"That's the musical style that came naturally to these actors," Shanbag says, adding that the different genres that will be showcased at the concert include lok geet, abhang, baul music and sugam.
The common theme behind these is that they are all intended to bring listeners closer to divinity. "They also played a huge role in promoting different regional languages at the time of the Bhakti movement, when Sanskrit was the main language in which all knowledge was imparted," Shanbag says, pointing out how abhang, for instance, played a huge part in popularising Marathi.
These are also living musical traditions, he explains, which is the main reason why these genres continue to remain relevant since thousands of people across the country still practise them. And it's the same story with the people who will perform at Soul, including thespians like Kailash Waghmare, Janhvi Shrimankar and Ketaki Thatte. What they will essentially be doing is ensuring that Indian musical traditions that are hundreds of years old stay alive for years to come.
ON July 7, 7:30 pm
AT Harkat Studios, Aram Nagar 2, Andheri West
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