Page 31 - The Indian EYE 010121

SOUTH AmERIcAN Newsline JANUARY 01, 2021 | The Indian Eye 31

the Birds Plan. inforced the foundations of this
Colibri was the name given musical bridge for the compos-
to episode number 4, which had er. Egberto Gismonti traveled
the song Homage to Shiva as its to India with the musician Naná
golden closure (Homanegam to Vasconcelos still in the 70s and
Shiva, one of the most important 80s and there he bought an In-
Hindu deities and the one most dian harmonium. Egberto even
associated with yoga). played with the famous Indian
The New Coronavirus pan- flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia.
demic caused a turnaround in “My father is a very unique musi-
everyone’s plans and it was no cian, he has always been inspired
different with Bianca and Julio. by the cultures he knew. The
They had concerts in India and first time he went to India with
Europe on their agendas, but Naná, he was not a deep con-
they only managed to complete noisseur of Indian music, but he
the Indian program in March was very easy to play all Indian
2020, when they returned to Bra- instruments. Initially he already
zil so that they could no longer bought a sitar. For a few years
travel. “In March 2020 we played he played sitar, but never studied
at the Jazz Festival in Jaipur (Ra- with teachers of Indian classi-
jasthan) and it was incredible. It cal music. He played in his own
was just before the lockdown in way,” said Bianca.
India. We realize that there are Cover of Bianca Gismonti Trio - Unveiling the Seas (Hunnia Records) In the list of her favorite In-
many connections between Bra- dian artists, Bianca quotes Ustad
zil and India in the musical field. Rashid Khan. She ended up be-
Indians are very receptive, emo- coming more deeply involved in
tional, warm ”, said Júlio. Indian culture when she started
“The tour we did this year is practicing and then giving yoga
impressive, we felt a great iden- classes in Rio. In 2018, the two
tification with the Indians. The made a very special 50-day trip to
Brazilian also has a very sponta- India, a real pilgrimage for Bian-
neous thing, he has the affection, ca to dive deeper. in those waters.
the joy, the musicality, the way of On that trip, the couple won
communicating, the relaxation. an invaluable gift: watching a
Indians react to music with their Pandit Jasraj show in New Delhi.
bodies, dance, vibrate a lot ”, re- their participation either in the India is almost 30 years old,” he “Watching him sing was wonder-
called Bianca. studio they own in Itaipava, in recalls. In Europe, he dedicat- ful. He was 88 years old, died re-
Bianca and Julio had already the state of Rio de Janeiro, or ed himself to music, playing the cently ”, recalled Júlio.
done a workshop for the Glob- in their apartment, in the capi- drums. There, he met one of He explains that Indian
al Music Institute before car- tal of Rio de Janeiro, often with his teachers of classical Indian classical music is called modal,
rying out the Sangam Project. the participation of Rio pianist music, who taught him to play which is a song that has a center,
GMI had a musical project with Claudia Castelo Branco, with the tabla. But in Europe, Julius does not change several chords.
the Brazilian embassy called “A whom Bianca created the Duo also had the opportunity to dive “Western music has a lot of
Alma do Brasil”, with Brazilian Gisbranco. The instrumentalists into the world of meditation and wealth in its harmonic part, of
musicians. “They wanted to make and singers recorded where they yoga. “All of this created a very the variations. I think that this
a project including music from live, whether in Canada, Italy or strong bond with India,” he said. musical conversation we had at
Brazil, India and other countries, India. Each received the basis Julio cultivates a very deep Projeto Sangam created wealth
and that was how the Sangam of the music and recorded their friendship with a family of Indi- for all sides,” concluded Júlio.
Project came about, in July,” part. Then there was sound mix- an musicians who live in the city “We were eager to continue,
says Julio, who chose the name ing, video editing, that is, a labo- of Vrindavan, in the state of Ut- to do projects like this with other
thinking precisely of the musical ratory process. In the final stage, tar Pradesh. One of his teachers, Indian musicians and with other
confluence of the two cultures. the videos were sent to the GMI Anand Kumar Malik, belongs to compositions. We are cherishing
Julio, who plays drums and and their technical team did the that family. Between 2000 and the idea of joining other embas-

tabla, among other instruments, final treatment before launching 2020, Júlio brought several In- sies in the project as well, ”said
says that the Brazilian ambassa- on the YouTube channel. dian musicians to play in Brazil, Bianca.
dor in New Delhi, Andre Cor- Julio’s ties to India sprang such as the well-known flutist G. The show seems to be just
rea do Lago, has always tried to up in the 1990s, when he lived S. Sachdev. beginning.
spread Brazilian music in India in Europe. At that time, Julius If Bianca had already had

a lot. Thus, the idea of showing used to travel frequently to In- some contact with Indian music Florencia Costa is the editor
the interchangeability of the two dia to spend long periods in ash- in childhood, due to her father, of Beco da India, a Brazilian
cultures was natural. rams (spiritual retreats) of yoga who came to play with an artist portal that covers Indian culture
in South America
Júlio and Bianca recorded and meditation. “My case with from India, it was Julio who re-

www.TheIndianEYE .us