This week’s show is a cocktail of raga, street and folk rock: Hindu hymns fused with western beats, English lyrics tuned to Desi street rock and an Indo-Israeli fusion!
Maha Ganapatim by Susheela Raman: Most Hindu ceremonies – especially the south Indian ones- begin with a salute to the elephant God Ganesha. Maha Ganapatim - a traditional South Indian hymn to lord Ganesha that’s been passed through generations- has had many versions. From its original classical carnatic form, Maha Ganapatim saw its first modern adaptation when Susheela Raman – a British Tamil musician- featured it in her debut album Salt Rain in 2001. Three years later this hymn also found its way into Bollywood in the film Morning Raga.
Boyz by M.I.A: Better known to her fans as M-I-A, Maya Arulpragasam - a British Sri Lankan Tamil - spent part of her childhood in Sri Lanka and India before moving back to the UK. It was here that she heard the first sounds of Urumee: a musical instrument used a lot in South Indian folk and temple songs. And years later M.I.A featured it in her second album Kala in 2007. The song titled Boyz is a fusion of Gaana or street music and rock.
Dancing by Shy Ben Tsur: Sufi music filtered in the language of Hebrew: That’s Shy Ben Tsur for you. An Israeli musician, Tsur first came to India to pursue his interest in classical music. Working with the Qawwali singers – traditional Sufi musicians who perform at Dargahs or mosques across South Asia - he fused together his knowledge of Indian classical music with Israeli. The result was his first album Heeyam that featured traditional sufi musicians singing in Hebrew.
Click on the link below to listen to this special fusion edition of South Asia Beat
