Anahat Nad (Unstruck Sound)
the freedom to share copy and sing.
September 1, Hauptplatz. ARS ELECTRONICA, LINZ

A performance employing micro fm transmission.

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Download Video documentation.
(9 mins, 73 Mb .mp4)

Credits: Ashok Sukumaran, Shaina Anand, Vickram Crishna, Geetha Narayanan, Tara Kini, Michael Joseph

Performed by Srishti community: Tara Kini, Shabnam Virmani, Sankarshan Kini, Udayraj Karpoor, Ampat Varghese, Raghavendra Rao.

All songs by KABIR.

Kabir is a 12th century weaver-poet whose poetry and philosophy is widespread in South Asia today. Never written down or notated (till about a century ago), his words, like those of many others have traveled and spread through oral traditions. Today Kabir's songs are sung by many. His words have mutated and flowered in countless versions in almost all genres from classical to folk to contemporary. Increasingly though they are are being 'owned' and copyrighted by individual artists and composers.

Performance notes:

Song 1.

Nirbhay Nirgun
(Fearless, Formless is the form I will sing...)
Original Composition (and copyright) of legendary late Pt. Kumar Gandharva

Tara Kini (vocal) at 2nd floor window of Kunstuniversitat, Udayraj (tabla) at tram stop.
25 radio boom boxes dispersed in the square broadcasting using micro fm transmission. Nirbhay Nirgun's lyrics in hindi, roman script hindi, english and German appear on screen at other end of the platz in sync with the singing.

Song 2.

Koi Sunta Hai Guru Gyani Gagan mein, Awaaz ho gai Jhina Jhina
(hey wise man, listen to that sound in the sky, subtle, so subtle.)
Malva folk style as sung by Prahlad Singh Tipania and Co.

Shabnam Virmani (tamboura, khartaal and vocal), Tara Kini (vocal and manjira). Ampat Varghese(vocal support) Raghu (vocal support+ Manjira) Sankarshan (violin + vocal) Udayraj (dholak)
Musicians emerge from different corners of the square singing, and slowly merge into one group as the reach the center of the square. Radios move through the crowds, rest on cafe tables and finally make way to center of the square, leaving a few behind.

Song 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

Audience sits on mats in center of the square. Radios surround them. 10 tv sets mingle with he audience and also frame the musicians. The singers sing five versions of one of Kabirs most popular songs Jhini Chadariya,(subtle cloth) in five distinct genres.

Video recordings of the original singers play on the 10 tvs, our singers lip-sync their every word, beat and melody. Using their bodies as a copying device they 'perform' the mastersingers. You can also hear the songs of the original singers on headphones attached to each tv. The lyrics are subtitled on the videos in English and German.

The 5 Jhinis. Original songs and videos by:

Mukthiyar Ali: Rajhasthani Folk.

Gundecha Bandhu: Dhrupad Composition

Bharati Bandhu: Sindh(Pakistan) Quawali

Ashwini Bhide: Dadra (light classical)

Prahad Singh Tipania: (Malva Folk)

The performance was part of Srishti Campus @ ARS ELECTRONICA and was supported by the Jindal South West Foundation.

Big thank you to all the great singers for giving us the freedom to copy, share and disseminate.