Indialucia - Indialucia

Indialucia And this is how it all began... Around the 9th Century, for reasons unknown, thousands of inhabitants of the northwestern part of India began to emigrate west. They set out from the territories now known as the Punjab and Pakistan. In Persia they split, and some travelled via Palestine, Egypt and Morocco and through the Strait of Gibraltar, finally arriving, known already as Gypsies, in the south of Moorish Spain. In this region, previously known as Al-Andalus, various cultures co-existed for hundreds of years. That was perhaps the only place where Gypsies, Jews, Christians and Muslims lived peacefully together for a many years. Each group had it's own customs, music's and instruments. After many years, in the beginning of the 19th Century, due to mutual influences and the mingling of their musical expressions, a mysterious and expressive type of music emerged. Today, it is know as Flamenco. The Middle East, specifically India, was a cradle of the culture and language of most of Europe. Inhabitants of it's northern regions together with Egypt, Mesopotamia, and China constituted the oldest civilizations in the world. It was there, in the Indus river valley, where the first religions, first laws and first instruments and musical notations appeared. The oldest record, written in India around 2000 BC, sets out mantras chanted to honour their gods. Based upon one, two or three notes, these chants were over time transformed into a heptatonic scale. The seven-note scale, already popular in 350 BC, was written as Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, and remains in this form today. Somewhere between the Second and Fifth Centuries the first book devoted to the art was written. It was called Bharata Natya Shastra. It contained a detailed description of vocal, dance and instrumental music. According to this book, Indian music is based on raga, that is a sequence of at least five notes of one scale. A melody governed by raga is performed according to specific principles and with a certain mood. In the Sixth Century canons for music and art were established. This gave rise to the development of classical Indian music, which was based upon the system of ragas and rhythms accompanying them. To this day, they remain unchanged. This musical culture also influenced other countries. Indian Brahmins introduced it to Persia and Arabia, and from there it was disseminated through the West. Simultaneously, Arab music entered Andalusia, than ruled by the Moors. The first monarch of Al-Andalus, Abd ar-Rahman I, invited to his court Arab musicians, who brought poetry, songs, musicians and musical instruments. In 822 a poet and singer came from Baghdad to Cordoba. His name was Abu al-Hasan Alî ibn Nafi and he was known as Zyryab (black bird). This extremely talented man played a key role in the musical education of the whole of Al-Andalus establishing an academy in which numerous musicians were trained. He introduced an Arab-Persian system of musical notation and improved the Arabian oud, which became a prototype of the contemporary guitar. Many years later musical development in India reached it's peak. The great poet, musician and expert in Indian, Persian and Arab music, Amir Khushro (1254 - 1324) became a minister of a Mughal sultan. What he did for Indian music was unequalled by anything done before or after his time. He introduced many ragas and rhythms and, above all, he created two new instruments, which today is the basis of Indian music: the sitar and tabla. Banished from their native country these Indians wandered slowly further west, absorbing facets of the cultures of the countries through which they passed. When they reached Spain they were no longer the same people. Although they looked similar, in terms of culture, language, customs as well as music they had considerably changed. Unfortunately, they did not record their music; we do not know how it sounded, or how much of it has survived. And do not know what mark it has left, if any, on the flamenco and which of it's elements are rooted in India and which in Andalusia. But even if both these fascinating genres cannot be proved to be closely related, listening their emotionality, expression, rhythm, depth and sensitivity must convince the listener that related they must be. Text by Miguel Czachowski Miguel CZACHOWSKI - flamenco guitar, percussion, palmas Born in 1974 into a family of flamenco lovers where he was raised in a flamenco music environment. At the age of 12 he began learning to play the guitar. After his initial studies he took master classes from professional flamenco players such as Rafael Cortés, Salva del Real and Gerardo Núñez, which solidified his complete dedication to flamenco. In 1992, he formed a flamenco group gradually enlarging the numbers of the artists from a duo to septet. His group 'Viva Flamenco!' plays both traditional and contemporary flamenco mixed with influences of Indian and Jazz music. Performing both as a solo artist and also with his musical group, Miguel has won first prizes in many folk festivals and is now the leading flamenco player in his country. He has performed and recorded with many great artists and groups and he concretised all over Poland as well as abroad (Austria, Germany, Italy, France, England, Belgium, Holland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Belarus and India). For several years he has been teaching flamenco guitar, and writing articles and interviews, promoting the art of flamenco music in magazines as 'Flamenco International Magazine', 'Jazz Forum' and 'Swiat Gitary'. In 1998, after a performance in Italy, he was invited to India to teach flamenco guitar at the Academy of Music and Fine Arts in Nagpur. There he started studying Indian music, learning to play the sitar under the guidance of Avaneendra Sheolikar. His fascination for flamenco and Indian music inspired him to go back to the roots of the Gypsy music and record this CD. Avaneendra SHEOLIKAR (India) - sitar Born in 1969 in a well-reputed family of musicians, Avaneendra started his initial training at the age of five with his father Pt. Sudhakar Sheolikar, and then under an illustrious master of sitar - Pt. Bimelandu Mukherjee. As a result of his Guru's brilliant guidance he has developed a complete mastery over the instrument. The special feature of his performance is the disciplined development of the ragas based on melodious and rhythmical style. The depth of feeling and emotion he expresses through his music is note - worthy. He has participated in a number of music conferences in India and abroad performing in Germany, Italy, Portugal and Russia. He received numerous awards and honours in most prestigious musical competitions. Currently, he is working at All India Radio in Nagpur. Sandesh POPATKAR (India) - tabla Born in 1967, he belongs to a family of musical tradition. His father and first teacher, the late Pt. Shankarrao Popatkar, was a renowned tabla artist of India and had played in national musical programs on All India Radio. Currently, he is under the musical guidance of Pt. Gopalrao Wadegaonkar of Farrukhabad Gharana tabla style. In 1986, he received the prestigious Tal Mani Award and one year later he started working at All India Radio in Nagpur. In 1988, he started performing abroad as a solo artist as well as an accompanist of all forms of Indian music (vocal, instrumental and dance). He has preformed in such countries as England, Switzerland, Turkey, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Russia, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland and Portugal. Pierluca PINEROLI (Spain) - percussion, konnakol, choirs Born in 1970, at the age of 9 he started his musical education at the conservatory of Madrid, initially studying piano, and then shifting to percussion. He interrupted his classical education due to his increasing interest for the improvisation and the drum kit, in which Pedro López guided him. He also studied and performed free improvised music. His interests