Natya Raaga project. A concert of Indian music illustrated with dance

 

 

Natya Raaga project was created as a result of a meeting of Michał Rudas (vocal), Tomasz „Ragaboy” Osiecki (sitar, dilruba), Piotr Malec (tabla) and Magdalena Niernsee (kathak dance). The artists combined forces and fascinations with classical Indian music and dance to bring this beautiful culture to the western audience.

Repertoire vary from classical raagas, dance items as tarana and presentation of technical forms of kathak, as well as light thumris up to semiclassical bollywood songs.

 

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/embed?listType=playlist&list=PLFMtn5jpVZN7Dbt5lBX_uMYJhS0IFizPb[/embedyt]

 

Project might be modified in relation to the needs of the audience (for adults/older children/seniors or for special occasions like an Indian style wedding, Indian festivals) and stage conditions. Duration of the concert: from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. Contact to orders: Magda Niernsee magda.niernsee@gmail.com, tel. +48 508 138 537

 

Music for the purification of the soul

During the concert, the musicians take listeners to the mystical world of Indian ragas, sounding a mysterious sitar, melancholy dilruba and dynamic and singing tabla. This music allows you to cleanse the mind and soul and bring relief so needed in today’s bustling and stressful world.

 

A story of love enchanted with dancing gestures

The music is complemented by the dance of Magda Niernsee. She illustrates the poetry of the song with gesture and movement and emphasizes the rhythms with the sound of bells wrapped around her ankles. The variety of choreography and costumes creates a philosophical journey between the colorful world of traditional India and contemporary minimalism.

 

A concert of Indian music dedicated to different kind of audience

The artists combine original sounds and forms taught to them by Indian masters during long years of learning. As well as base on many years of stage experience in western cultural zone. Take special care on stage and light design. Building communication between them and audience accordingly to the level of understanding. The concert is enriched with a story about the philosophy behind the principles of composing technical forms in the kathak dance, raaga and rythm. Introducing links between art, nature and meditation. Meaning of the songs are translated before performing through gestures, mimic and small talk for entertainment of the public.

 

Indian dance kathak is one of the most comprehensive dance techniques in the world.

 

Kathak dance is one of the eight classical (means: determined by the strict canon) of Indian dances. It was born in temples, but flourished during the reign of the Muslim Mughal dynasty. Has a clear influence of Persian dances. Choreographies convey topics of Indian mythology, as well as Sufi poetry, or abstract concepts.

In the technical part characteristic for this form of dance are a series of very fast turns and stamping complicated rhythmic patterns set on the taala cycle. Ornamentation of every movement of the body is up to high level.

The narrative part is an illustration of the text with the help of mudras – hand gestures and face mimic (the art of abhinaya).

 

Contemporary performances of this dance take a variety of forms – from stylization to the nineteenth century Muslim court, through meditative performances relating to philosophy and religion, to contemporary dance performances commenting on current social themes, or even to the TV show of breaking turns records.

Kathak is traditionally presented in combination with a concert of Indian music.

 

Artists:

Magdalena Niernsee (kathak dance)

A graduate of National Institute of Kathak Dance – Kathak Kendra in New Delhi (Diploma Hons course and scholarship holder of the Indian Government in 2009-2013). Disciple of the famous Pt. Jai Kishan Maharaj – master of Lucknow gharana. 

She has been practicing Indian dance since 1998. Has tarted with Bharatanatyam and semi-classical Bollywood, but Kathak became her biggest passion since 2006. She was one of the first people to promote Indian dance in Poland.

Currently performs during individual and group shows and concerts of Indian music. She organizes lectures on the culture and everyday life of India. Magda shares with the Polish audience not only the art of dance, but also the experience, thoughts and knowledge gained during everyday life and dance in India.

Conducts permanent classes and workshops from Kathak dance and semi-classical Bollywood.

Travels regularly to India.

Performances; „Nayika-the faces of womenhood” (2014), „India katha” (2014), „Wandering Duende” (2015). Art projects for children „Kathak-spinning words” and „Children’s Musical Gardens – India”. She performs on festival’s, theater stages and television programs. She collaborated with Masala Sound System, the band Indialucia, and now with Healing Incantation and vocalist Michał Rudas. From 2018, she creates the „Natya-Raaga” project and runs the Anarkali Dance Group.

 

Michael Rudaś (vocal)

– vocalist known to the wide television audience from programs such as: „What’s the melody” (2004-2009), „Dance with the stars” – vocalist of the Adam Sztaba and Tomek Szymuś Orchestra (2005-2017), The Voice of Poland (quarterfinals of the 4th edition ), Your Face Sounds Familiar (finalist of the 6th edition).

In 2018 he participated in the Indian talent show „Dil Hai Hindustani 2”, reaching the semi-finals and gaining huge popularity among the Indian audience.

Fascinated with the culture of India, during his many journeys to this country he took lessons of classical Indian singing at the lecturer of Sanskrit University of Varanasi Anupa Misry. He has 4 albums, including 3 deeply inspired by Indian music: solo „Shuruvath” (2009) and „Changing” (2013) and „Mystic India” (2017) – recorded with the band Healing Incantation. The artist was nominated for Fryderyk and Superjedynka for the first album.

 

Tomasz „Ragaboy” Osiecki (sitar dilruba)

– he collaborated with: Hey, Kayah, Ania Rusowicz, Michał Rudas T.Love, Sorry Boys, Halina Młynkowa, Anna Jurksztowicz, Lari Lu, Pawbeats, he also composed for Mela Koteluk. Permanent as a guitarist is associated with the band ISLE OF LOVE. Sita games are taught, among others with Alokesch Chandra (student of Pandita Ravi Shankar). He has a solo production album „Golden Sitar Star” and 2 albums as Healing Incantation, of which the last pt. „Mystic India” recorded together with the vocalist Michał Rudas.

 

Piotr Malec (tabla)

-multiinstrumentalist, specializing in playing on tabla. He also plays instruments such as cajon, darabuka, djembe and hoop drums as well as other Indian instruments: mridangam, khanjira and dholak. He was educated at well-known Polish and Indian teachers like Jerzy Pomianowski, Ghiridar Udupa, Prosenjit Poddar and in India, Bangalore at Udaya Rajkarpoor and in Nagpur with Sandesha Popatkar. He has performed numerous concerts in Poland and abroad (Germany, Italy, Israel, India, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina) with Anup Mishra, Uday Rajkarpoor, Anandita Basu, Amit Chakraborty, Michał Czachowski, and Maria Pomianowska. He took part in the recording of Indian Impressions album Amit L Chakraborty & Lucyan.

 

 

The artists performed together at the Warsaw Philharmonic and Łódź Philharmonic (project „Fairy tales of India for children lost in dance and music”). Indian music concerts in their performance enrich the celebrations of Diwali and Holi. The premiere of the „Natya -Raaga” project took place at the Asia and Pacific Museum. The artists meet for regular rehearsals, which means that each program contains new compositions.

 

 

Gallery

Pictures and recordings come from a concert at the Służewskie Dom Kultury in Warsaw. Lighting design: Rafał Brześciński. Visualizations in the background: Magda Niernsee. Photographs: Marta Rybicka and Michał Kawka. Camera: Piotr Suzin.