Layasangamam, as the name suggests, was a harmonious confluence of music belonging to the eastern and western parts of the world.
Layasangamam
Led by the young and talented Shri. Karunamoorthy on thavil, the group of musicians featured other renowned names in the field, like Rajesh Vaidya (Veena), Mattanur Sankarankutty (Chenda), Swiss multi-instrumentalist and recording artist Bruno Steffen, American violinist David Balakrishnan and more than 15 singers as well as musicians playing acoustic and electric instruments.
The charisma of music left the audience spellbound and mesmerized by the hour-long musical extravaganza.
Layasangamam
The ensemble focused mainly on rhythmic pieces strongly pulsating with the deep and distinctive sounds of the thavil, with its impressive tonal range. The tabla and electronic rhythm composer added to the feel of East-meets-West fusion music. In a similar vein, the violin and veena traded leads and provided a novel backdrop for the highly energized, fusion-based rock/jazz/classical sounds.
But what got the crowds clapping in unison was the melding of percussive sounds.
The ragas (melodic patterns) and talas (rhythmic patterns), chords and tempos may have been diverse. But the theme of the afternoon reflected that of Amritavarsham50: “Embracing the World for Peace and Harmony.” The musicians showed that music too can be an occasion to promote peace and harmony.
—Jagadeesh Parr