To celebrate the 50th anniversary of their presence in India, the Irish Embassy is hosting the multi-city music concert, Ragas to Reels. The concert will see pianist and composer Utsav Lal and flautist and saxophonist Sam Comerford engaging themselves in a musical dialogue where Indian ragas will meet the feisty notes of the Irish reels to create a melodious experience for their audiences. The duo will be joined by Durjay Bhaumik on the tabla. Ahead of their two-day performance in Bangalore, the two young musicians indulged dna in a straightforward Q&A.
Q. You have performed Ragas to Reels in India before. Do you have anything new planned for the audiences this time? Also, what do you enjoy most about these concerts?
Utsav Lal: Yes absolutely! Earlier we had more of solo sets with spontaneous improvisations and a few arrangements worked out, but this time we've been working on many new pieces for these concerts, as well as refining what we had done earlier. Actually, I think there's so much potential for these collaborations that we might have way too much material to perform in one concert. The idea was for each one of us to bring to the table our favourite tunes from both the traditions and experiment to see which tunes compliment each other, and also to create new music inspired by the two traditions. I really love working on a project like this because you get exposed to so much incredible music. It's a chance to showcase the raw beauty of very traditional tunes but also to try present them in a new exciting way.
Q. How improvisational is the music when you start performing?
Utsav Lal: I think improvisation is a huge part of the set. Since both of us play a lot of jazz and love improvising, we've tried to keep that at the forefront of the arrangements. Indian classical music as you know has a huge emphasis on improvisations and Sam has been working hard learning the nuances of the chosen ragas. Apart from that we will present some traditional Irish material but in a free improvised structure.I think every night of the tour is going to have a different feel and we'll try to develop the music in a fresh manner each night.
Q. As young musicians playing traditional music that is centuries old, what fascinates you most about good ol' classical music?
Utsav Lal: There's a reason why it has stuck around for so long and that's simply because it never gets old. When I listen to Indian classical music, it doesn't feel like something out of another generation, it feels fresh and comfortable anywhere, anytime. It's a similar vibe with Irish traditional music. Some of the music being performed is being played exactly the same way it was a century ago, but it still captivates and draws the listeners in the same way. Sam Comerford: Going back to old recordings and learning the music of them is so much fun.And Indian classical music is just so complex that it really fascinates me.
Q. Piano, flute and tabla… a concert with just three instruments — is it really simple or does it demand more from you as musicians?
Utsav Lal: It's different playing a concert in a trio than a large ensemble. They both have their merits, but I think I prefer smaller ensembles. One can explore the possibilities of each instrument in a greater way and really try and stretch the boundaries of what's possible. For the three of us that is Durjay, Sam and me,it also feels like its a complete dialogue between the three instruments, communicating and throwing ideas at each other. This starts getting limited when there's more instruments as you have to be conscious of your space in the ensemble. Sam Comerford: It's perhaps simpler than writing /playing with 12 people, but yet, its not simple as what we are doing is complex arrangements and there is plenty of improvisation scope that does put you upfront all the time.
Q. The two of you have been collaborating for a while now, how have the dynamic changed from the time you started to today?
Utsav Lal: We started off playing jazz together but a few years back started the ragas to reels project. At the start we only focused on doing a surprise for a solo concert I was doing in Dublin. That was a lot of fun so we decided to try and expand the concept. I think the music was really matured and progressed since the first attempts. Earlier we were juxtaposing the two styles side by side or switching erratically between the two but now we're trying to focus on blending them on a higher level and writing new material inspired by our influences. Sam Comerford: Our music has definitely gotten better. And that obviously is to do with that vast exposure and learning that we both have had over the last three years. Utsav and me have both been playing & collaborating with different groups and of course our jazz background helps us to connect and understand much better.
Q. Have the two of you discussed bringing out an album, maybe?
Utsav Lal: That would be fun. We have no immediate plans but it's definitely something we're thinking about. We are actually looking to get a high quality live recording at one of the gigs as the music is so spontaneous that its best to record it for a possible album when we are playing live.
mahalakshmi.prabhakaran@dnaindia.net
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