As Ikram Singh takes his place beside his fellow orchestra members on stage during the introductions, the largely South Indian audience breaks into a titter. A turbaned Sikh standing alongside Carnatic musicians assembled to play at a Bharatanatyam recital is not a common sight.
But the novelty does not end there.
Ikram, 26, plays the tabla, an instrument that belongs squarely in the North Indian musical tradition and is never included as part of the orchestra during a Bharatanatyam dance performance. “This is the first time that a tabla is appearing in a Bharatanatyam concert,” Prabha Ravi, who runs the Natraj School of Dance in Wellington, points out. The school’s orchestra features a violin, veena, mridangam and tabla, backed by vocalists.
Amid Covid-19 restrictions, Prabha organised the graduation programme, or Arangetram, of one of her students, Sowjanya, at Lower Hutt in Wellington recently.
The presence of a North Indian tabla player on an orchestra providing live Carnatic music accompaniment to a Bharatanatyam recital is the result of Prabha’s vision for the dance school she runs.
Prabha believes fusing different schools and traditions of Indian classical music is an enriching process. Ikram, who has seamlessly transitioned between the two musical traditions, recognises Prabha’s role. “I was introduced to Prabha ji a few years ago. She mentioned she was keen on showcasing Bharatanatyam with live instruments, which is the way it is originally done,” Ikram told Indian Weekender.
“She formed an orchestra to perform live at Bharatanatyam recitals. Ever since that day, I have stayed on and am forever thankful to Prabha ji for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful expansion to my musical journey,” Ikram says in a voice loaded with conviction.
Ikram owes his mobility in moving between different musical traditions to his background in fusion music, as well as to the training under his guru Prof. Manjit Singh, who runs the Rhythm School of Music in Auckland and also teaches a course at the University of Auckland.
But it was Ikram’s father Balbeer Singh, himself a tabla enthusiast, who initiated him into the instrument at the age of five. Ikram and his brother Sachram Singh, a trained vocalist, are regulars at the Sunday morning kirtan sessions at the local gurudwara. Though passionate about the tabla, Ikram prioritises his education and currently pursues a PhD programme in Mathematical Applications in Engineering from Victoria University, Wellington.
Bharatanatyam concerts held by the Natraj School of Dance are high-profile events on the social calendar of Wellington. Sowjanya’s Arangetram was attended by local bigwigs, including the Indian High Commissioner Muktesh Pardeshi, Lower Hutt member of parliament Ginny Andersen and Race relations Commissioner Meng Foon.
But the logistics of staging a Bharatanatyam concert in the time of Covid can be challenging. The size of the audience is carefully pared to comply with prevailing restrictions. There are last-minute glitches, such as the catering staff reporting sick. Nevertheless, Prabha manages to pull off three to four Bharatanatyam concerts in a year.
The Natraj School of Dance leaves a trail of happy faces, proud parents and their wards and keeps alive a unique cultural legacy every time a Bharatanatyam concert is held in Wellington.
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