Time for Music from Speedy - Mahendra Gonsalkorale
West meets East
This is a fusion of Western and Eastern music where I try to show how the American Respasz March influenced the "Baila beat". Baila is a "poem set to music" and not a dance although it is very popular at gatherings where couples or just a group of people dance to its pulsating rhythm. The dance does not have any choreographed steps and improvisation and sheer joy with gay abandon stepping around rhythmically is all that is required; it is embellished by arm movements, head movements and a multitude of expressions bringing a sense of joy and freedom.
The order of play in my presentation is the Western March music style for each of the three songs followed by the same song in Baila rhythm. Apologies for the video where my green screen chroma effect wasn't that good.
I hope you enjoy it. I presented just the western version in June 2021 on YouTube.
Please watch full screen for full effect by clicking on the last icon at the Bottom Right on the black menu at bottom of the picture. Can't see it? Just click anywhere on the picture and it will appear
For a long time I have been asking Mahen for some music to break the monotony and here we have it produced, directed and played by the man himself waving his “haramitiya’ at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
ReplyDeleteI love the baila music played on the Tyros. There are times it gives a grand orchestral effect and at other times the familiar “Big Match” effect at the Wanathamulla Oval. Both are equally wonderful evoking long lost memories of happier times back in Sri Lanka, which was then a land of plenty.
As for the selection of pieces, you couldn’t have done better. Each one of them (Babi-achchi, Peththo, Suranganita Malu genawa) so very evocative brings back memories of people, events and a time in our lives. The selection in particular takes me back to the Men’s Common Room at the Faculty and those jolly evening booze-ups. My abiding memory of those parties is the baila and the dancing in various stages of inebriation. Those diverse dance manoeuvres defied gravity and some of the slithery gyrations were an anatomical marvel. Chinese acrobats would have been proud of the one-legged dancing on those small and narrow bridge tables. JC Fernando and his guitar produced much of the captivating and gripping entertainment. Patrick Fernando’s golden trumpet filled the night air with music. The music transported us to a different planet.
I am reliably informed that the word Baila is derived from the Portuguese word “bailar” mean to dance. The similarities in the beat and the dancing that I have witnessed in Spain and Portugal to our very own in Sri Lanka gives me a good indication of its origin.
Mahen, thank you. We have had a long tradition of music on the blog which has got lost for reasons unknown. I hope this is the beginning its revival.
Many thanks Nihal. I enjoyed doing it and could have done the video better but was impatient to post it while I had the time last night but the message got through. let us hope that many more get pleasure out of reliving s fun time in our lives of days past,never to return
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention in my response to you that this is in fact the Bridgewater Hall, famous for the Halle Orchestra in Manchester, I have made a few changes to the video since you saw it
DeleteMahendra
ReplyDeleteThat was great. One man orchestra conducting at the Royal Festival Hall London.
I really enjoyed your music which brought fond memories of yester year.
It was very relaxing to listen to it at this time where Sri Lanka is having many problems.
Keep it up? Looking forward to hearing more music from you. Show your talent.
All the best.
Chira
Thanks Chira. I forgot to mention inmy response to Nihal that this is in fact the Bridgewater Hall, famous for the Halle Orchestra in Manchester. I am glad you enjoyed it. I have slightly edited the video since you both saw it.
ReplyDeleteDear Speedy it is 5 AM in the morning in Colombo. We had a unbelievably depressing day yesterday. 24 hour curfew, shortages of food, petrol, gas, diesel and kerosine and power cuts. I decided to turn on the blog page and OMG there you were giving us a super rendering of my favourite Baila I jumped out of bed and started dancing!! only just stopped when the music ended. What an amazing performance and also the fusion of East and west .You are a genius .Please keep the music rolling on .You really did turn the darkness into light!! .Thankyou dear Speedy . With a grateful heart pram
ReplyDeleteHi Pram, It was a most pleasant surprise to see your comment not just one but three times for good measure! I took the liberty of removing the duplicates which somehow appeared. So glad to learn that you liked my post and that it brought you some relief in these troubled times. Take care my friend
ReplyDeleteThanks to all those who posted a comment. I hope that many more would have "tuned in" and enjoyed (or hated!) it!
ReplyDeleteMahen, thank you for a most entertaining post! Enjoyed the music and seeing you from behind! Pram is correct: "You turned the darkness into light!"
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