Dear Lucky,
CELEBRATING SRI LANKA
I don't often send you links to Youtube videos (other than my own!) but this one is worth publishing. It is one of the most beautiful, brilliant and innovative productions I have seen. Hope you agree.
"Celebrate Sri Lanka" is a project initiated by Berklee students from Sri Lanka in order to foster relationships between the Island Nation of Sri Lanka and Berklee College of Music, USA. The project which commenced at the LOFT, featuring guest artists Nalinda Pieris, Uthpala Eroshan and Dilhan Pinnagoda, all traditional Sri Lankan musicians based in New York
Speedy
Although the start seems dull and dire do persevere as it gets interesting towards the middle of the clip. If you care to listen to it a few times it will grow on you and you will admire the brilliance of the music and the performers. Thank you Mahen for this wonderful choice despite it being a Youtube clip.
ReplyDeleteTo me, apart from the brilliant choreography, to see students from so many different cultures joining our Sri Lankan students to produce this magnificent joint effort, was heart warming. This is the way it should be, in this age of mass communication and unheard of opportunities, to thrive on common interests and put differences well into the background to be unseen, unwanted yet understood.
ReplyDeleteMahen, thank you for sending this to us. I loved it, because like you I enjoy seeing artists and musicians reaching across cultures like this. It was wonderful to see the young musicians from the western tradition playing Sri Lankan music on non traditional instruments. It reminded me of the kind of thing that Yo Yo Ma has been doing for years. Obrigado Brazil, his album with Brazilian musicians, and the Silk Road Project, with musicians from the countries along the ancient Silk Road playing unusual instruments from countries such China, Afganistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan and many more. I was very fortunate once to see the Silk Road Ensemble in concert with Yo Yo Ma. The music was very unfamiliar and unusual, but the performance was emotional and memorable. Check them out on
ReplyDeletesilkroadproject.org
I hope the young musicians at Berklee will do more of this kind of thing.
Berklee is not too far from me in the US. I will watch out for future projects.
"Music and art can inspire hope, empathy and imagination for a torn world." Laura Freid, CEO, Silk Road Project.
That's a wealth of information, Srianee! Have you got a link for Yo Yo Ma's playing? I always liked his renditions. He is unique. And I like the quote. I quite agree that music and art can heal us when our minds are troubled by what we see happen around the world due to man's cruelty as well as fate's dreadful blows like the train crash in Germany. Of course there was human error but fate has to play a part when it happens in such an advanced country like Germany.
ReplyDeleteZita
Zita, I am so sorry I am late in replying. I don't have a specific link, for Yo Yo Ma, but perhaps you may find a link on Youtube. I will look for something when I have time. Yes, that train crash was very sad.
DeleteMahendra this music is fantastic and very satisfying as there is collaboration by other nationals who seem to enjoy playing our music. We need more nations to mix in this way. It's definitely a way forward to bring about peace and love between nations.
ReplyDeleteZita