Band brings together world music veterans
When performers padded barefoot into the School of Music Recital Hall Wednesday night, it was clear the audience was in for a one-of-a-kind concert.
The unique event was a musical performance by Inflame, a renowned world music band. According to their website, the ensemble “fuses Indian classical music, Spanish flamenco and Latin jazz to create an exhilarating brand of world music fusion.”
The concert was the first of a series of events for CarolIndia, an initiative designed to promote awareness of Indian culture. CarolIndia will continue through the academic year and is sponsored by the Walker Institute of International and Area Studies,the African American Studies Program and the Latin American Studies Program.
Inflame’s performance was in line with the initiative’s goals, not only because it explored Indian musical traditions, but also because of the group’s commitment to promoting intercultural relationships.
“This concert is a journey in collaboration. It’s about finding common tongues in the rich language of music around the world,” said percussionist Peter Bogdanos.
The onstage musical collaboration was evident in the subtle smiles, nods and gestures shared among the musicians. According to the performers, much of the performance was improvisation.
Throughout the concert, the musicians explained the musical traditions incorporated into the songs. Some of the original pieces were based on structured forms from Flamenco and classical Indian music, while others were designed to evoke specific images and ideas. The musicians also emphasized the significance of blending the different styles.
“Sometimes we take different roads to get to the same place — that certainly applies to this group,” Bogdanos said.
The four performers came from extremely different backgrounds. Snehasish Mozumder, who played the Indo-Mandolin, is a native of northern India. Spanish guitar player Cristian Puig is a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Bogdanos hails from New York. Ranendra Kumar Das, who played the tabla, immigrated to the U.S. from Bangladesh in 1995.
The musicians explained that despite the differences in style, both classical Indian and traditional Flamenco leave room for improvisation, allowing the musicians to combine them fluidly on stage.
“They allow an interaction between the music and the musician,” Das said.
The band formed after three of the members met at a music festival in New York in 2004. At the end of the event, the musicians decided to continue collaboration.
“We said, ‘You know, I like our energy. Let’s get together,’” Das said.
Though the performers tour separately all over the world, they coordinate tours to reunite a few times a year. Inflame released its first CD in August.