“Capturing the scintillating and radiant voice.”
“It is not your pen you are looking for, it is your tongue and those who speak with it.”
At times in life, we seem to hold on to things that we have already lost. As we begin to search for them, we gradually realize that the more we look for them, the farther away they move from us. The quote by Ruth Forman is hence excerpted to express the importance of communicating. It does not matter if you want to write under no circumstances should your ability to speak be lost as it is the source of receiving what we want.
We wish to find artists who are bold enough to have an upbeat and optimistic presence. While recording, we explored the music of Awadh and pointed our speech in the right direction. We found the same in Malvika Hariom, the scintillating singer, and ‘Shaeirah’ from Lucknow. Her radiant eyes and beautiful smile will capture your attention as soon as you get the chance to be in her presence. Even more captivating is her charisma, as she boldly commands attention not just by the words that she writes but also by her skills in recitation.
No wonder she was one of the first artists to be shortlisted during the planning of this exploration. When we got to interact with her, even her choices were exclusive while shortlisting the songs she was going to perform, and we could feel that the experience was going to be a one-off. Along with her came a highly talented and peculiar set of instrumentalists who were all aces in their departments. The percussionist, Shailendra Singh, is an expert at drums and has a versatile talent. He plays multiple instruments like an Egg shaker, Khanjri, Whistle, Xylophone, and more. He played these during a single performance using techniques to provide a surround sound experience, and it was wondrous.
Another team member, Chandresh Pandey, is a proficient Harmonium player with a witty personality and a cheerful attitude. It also reflects in his music with the burst of positive emotion that he can generate is incredible. In harmony with the flute specialist, Deependra Kunwar is an artist who displays extreme dexterity in his performances. Each performance is a reflection of his brilliance in his craft.
As the performance began with a Devi geet of the Awadh, everyone slowly blended into the energy surrounding us. The song, “Tohri saran hum Aaye” was presented most beautifully and lifted the spirit of everyone present at Janeshwar Mishra Park, Lucknow and it goes like-
“Tohri sharan hum aaye ho ambe maiya,
(We have come into your refuge, Oh Goddess Ambika!)
Ambe maiya, jagdambe maiya,
(Goddess Ambika, the mother of all)
Tohri sharan hum aaye ho ambe maiya,
(We have come into your refuge, Oh Goddess Ambika!)
Laal mandirwa laal kewariya”
(Red temples, red doors)
The music itself was so peculiar with so many percussion instruments played by a single artist, that it set the mood for the second song. It was a sweet Mela geet, recited from the point of view of a woman, asking her lover to slow the car down as she is afraid of speed, and eventually, as the car slows, she receives a call from her family urging her to return immediately. The tables turn, and she asks him to drive faster as she is getting late, and reaching home is the need of the hour.
Much of their music, later on, was based on playful and flirtatious emotions that took the edge off and made a brilliant transition from spiritual to an act of amusement, relaxation, and entertainment.
Masterful vocals, brilliant rhythm and harmonics, and a great location evolved together to create an experience that could potentially transform perspectives and move people from a state of apathy to affinity and bliss.