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Tuesday, Jul 08, 2008
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Anoushka Shankar & Karsh Kale played beautifuly at Whidbey Island Festival |
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| Anoushka Shankar & Karsh Kale played beautifuly at Whidbey Island Festival | ||
| by E. Joyce Glasgow -
SGN A&E Writer Whidbey Island Festival July 21st, 2007 Anoushka Shankar and Karsh Kale and their group wove an exotic spell with their blending of traditional Indian classical music and contemporary world beat dance music at the first ever Island Festival in Langley, on Whidbey Island, July 20-22. About two hundred rain soaked but hearty and appreciative fans, were treated to music from the pair's new CD collaboration, "Breathing Under Water", which is due for public release in August '07. The band is touring in support of this new CD. The band was comprised of modern and traditional instruments: synthesizer/keyboards, Apple laptop computer, Indian bansuri bamboo flute, traditional Indian vocals, mrdangam (double headed barrel drum from South India), electric bass, Shankar on traditional sitar and Karsh on guitar, trap drum set, and tablas, (North Indian classical drums). Their music was hypnotic and inspiring and ebbed and flowed, from being light, lilting and ethereal, to being meditative and then driving, earthy, and intensely rhythmical and percussive. The musicians, including Guarav Raina, of the MIDIval Punditz, Bollywood film composer, Salim Merchant, and other special guests, seamlessly created a musical hybrid which was quite beautiful and compelling. Anoushka Shankar is the daughter of sitar virtuoso, Ravi Shankar. She has been playing sitar since she was seven and is becoming a star in her own right. Karsh Kale has been experimenting from a contemporary world music approach for quite some time, utilizing traditional and contemporary Eastern and Western instruments, voice, and turntables in his original compositions. They are a great musical match creating a good balance of give and take with their musical styles. I'm looking forward to their CD. The Island Festival featured music throughout the three days, including another special guest artist, Michelle Shocked. The small group of food booths served delicious food. Of particular note was chef "Duke", who came up from his restaurant "Tropical Paradise" in Berkeley, California to prepare scrumptious recipes from Ghana, Africa and St. Croix, American Virgin Islands. His grilled wild salmon with a special mustard based grilling sauce with herbs and spices, including cinnamon, was amazing, served with fried plantains, spinach and spicy Caribbean rice. There was camping and other features included craft booths, a large white tent for dancing late night to live music and a geodesic dome, where artwork was displayed and where musicians practiced musical healing on relaxing participants, with didgeridoos, Tibetan singing bowls, flutes and voices. A lovely grouping of flower mandalas were created on the ground surrounding a large globe of the earth, done in the style of Tibetan monks' sand painting mandalas. I know that the producers of the festival were expecting far more than the three to four hundred people who showed up, but it was such a nice and well- intentioned experience that I hope they don't give up on their first try and that they will start planning one for next year. Events like this are sorely needed to bring people together into a community experience in lovely, natural and peaceful surroundings. To find out more about the Island Festival visit: www.islandfestival.com. To learn more about Anoushka Shankar and Karsh Kale visit: www.anoushkashankar.com. |
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