Of sights & sounds

As conductor Daevo Khan waves his hands animatedly, standing in front of Rajasthani folk musicians positioned in red window cubicles topped one over the other, it becomes evident that The Manganiyar Seduction’s opulent showcase is as much about the sight as it is about the sound. Theatre director and playwright Roysten Abel asserts that the feeling of grandiose that the Manganiyars’ music ignites deserves a stage worth it.

“When I first heard them, the pain and joy in their singing was very deep, and very grand, all at the same time,” Roysten says. “I only tried to give that a form. To me, even creation of music is to be structured like a well-made play.”

The result of this ‘giving form’ was the spectacular set that’s become the USP of The Manganiyar Seduction. The cubicles that house the musicians are laden with the most exquisite shade of red, and lined with a hundred bulbs, which shine bright when the music plays. The set is reminiscent of ones the ‘ladies of the night’ use in Amsterdam’s red-light districts, and Roysten has no qualms about having taken inspiration from them.

“The Manganiyars’ music had seduced my soul, and I was looking for various physical interpretations of this enticement. Over there in Amsterdam’s districts, the seduction is of the body, but here, it’s about seduction of the soul. It’s a showcase of the exact opposite of what happens there. For me, these musicians are jewels of the country, and in part, the set is to showcase them as such — in a jewel box.”

For Roysten, it was love at first listen, when he first heard the Manganiyars, who belong to Barmer and Jaisalmer, perform. “I met them when Mame Khan and Daevo were travelling with me. I spent a lot of time listening to them, and that whole period of time was very special to me; I was totally moved. I came back and simply started working with them. And that was back in 2005 or 2006,” he reminisces.

Over the years, the one thing that’s remained constant when it comes to Roysten’s pet project is the fact that they have managed to keep the essence intact. “The musicians sing in Marwadi, there’s also Sindhi and Sufi kalams of Bulleh Shah. This is the music they and their forefathers grew up with, and we stick to that. We don’t let it get diluted to make it popular,” he says. “One problem with folk music today is the loss of essence when they try to make it popular. We believe complex is beautiful. And we don’t need to make it simple to make it attractive.”

Over the 10-odd years of their existence, Roysten can remember innumerable instances where the act won hearts abroad. From their WOMAD performance winning the longest applause, to the Queen herself requesting his presence after a show, they’ve seen it all. “When we performed in Singapore, the PM and President both broke protocol to come see the show together. In fact, the President made an appearance the next night too,” he grins at the memory.

The theatre personality, who also conducts The Manganiyar Classroom, with the youngsters of the community, is now looking to create yet another show with the Manganiyars. “I’m still working on Manganiyar Express, but I can’t talk much about it yet, since it’s just a rough idea in my head. We hope to premiere it in November though,” he signs off with a smile.

The Manganiyar Seduction will perform at Phoenix Market City, Kurla, on January 28, from 7 pm onwards. Tickets: Rs 600 onwards.