Description

"The power of speaking is in holding back...saying nothing is a kind of disclosure"-Saleem Peeradina. The music for Ankahi uses these elements of understatement and restraint, by making the ‘unsaid’ a focal driving point. Music has also spoken to its listeners in myriad inflections; some that are strong and clarion clear, others that are far more restrained and oblique. Ankahi uses a subtle blend of a variety of musical influences to create music that is powerful, yet restrained; contemporary and yet with roots in tradition. Set to music by Shubha Mudgal and Aneesh Pradhan, individually and at times jointly, a variety of musical influences, ranging from North Indian art music, to Western art music and jazz are evident in the compositions. These diverse colors are also present in the musical arrangement, brought alive by members of the ensemble who, though trained in diverse musical traditions, are equally inspired by the poetry selected for this work. The multi-layered sub-texts of medieval poets such as Kabir and Pemi, a 17th century Sufi poet, as well as contemporary literary giants such as Faiz Ahmad Faiz add a unique touch to the music created by this ensemble.