'A Full Moon Night' brings together different traditions in Indian music

The first edition of a series of old-style baithaks will be complemented by a stylish setting and creative cuisine

Agrand old banyan standing tall, illuminated only by the full moon, is a nostalgic setting. At a baithak (musical soirée), there is no stage to elevate the artiste above his audience and the intimacy is contained in the acoustics of the shared space. This weekend in New Delhi, the magnificent Qutub Minar will serve as a backdrop for an evening that promises to bring back that beloved musical tradition.

“Under the Banyan Tree on a Full Moon Night” is a three-part monthly series initiated by Teamwork Arts and Fabindia. First up on the inaugural evening is Ujwal Nagar, a Hindustani vocalist and member of the classical-rock fusion band Advaita. Barely 30, Nagar has dabbled in various genres of music. His composition with pianist Terry Mccaw was the background score for the documentary Dalai Lama Renaissance, narrated by Harrison Ford. The Sahitya Kala Parishad scholar is working on a classical piece as a soloist and at least two singles with his band.

Nagar says it’s the perfect setting for an evening that will be bathed in the sounds of classical music. “A musician is always looking to connect with his audience and a baithak-style setting enables that,” says Nagar, enthusiastic about performing under the skies. “The lights on a stage are sometimes blinding,” he says, “and you can’t even see how many are sitting in the audience.”

He performed for the first time at the age of 15 and knows how to entertain a music-loving audience. Nagar has in store medium- and fast-paced classical bandish that he will perform with Shyama Kumar on the harmonium, Zakir Akhtar Hassan on the tabla and Rohit on the flute.

Ujwal Nagar

Azeem Ahmed Alvi, like Nagar, was also born in a family of Indian classical musicians. The sitar player started training under his father, Ustad Sayyed Ahmed Alvi, at the age of six and first took the stage when he was 12. Alvi, who has performed across the globe, is on a mission to inspire the world with India’s rich musical traditions. He has travelled through Europe on tours with Viennese jazz guitarist Harri Stojka and has also performed at the Great Vienna Jazz Festival. His Collective Projeckt — K for kinesis — is bringing together musicians to create a blend of “raw funk, lush harmony, melody and improvisation”.

The evening also promises a unique “culinary experience”. Curated by Fab Café, dishes will feature local and seasonal ingredients used creatively. The menu includes  tri-grain papdi chaat made with jowar, bajra and buckwheat, baked dal samosa and sprout dal-filled gol gappas. “Our team’s effort in designing a particular event is a deep understanding and appreciation for the arts and artiste and the minutiae of what makes an incomparable experience,” says Sanjoy K Roy, managing director, Teamwork Arts.

Azeem Ahmed Alvi

To end the night in a state of trance, the organisers have roped in the qawwal duo that set a world record by performing a 12-hour session of Sufiana qawwali in 2016. Mohammed Ilyas and Mohammed Idris, better known as the Qutbi Brothers, are the inheritors of a 750-year-old tradition of qawwali — they are also the darbar qawwals of Hazrat Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki in Delhi. They were the show-stoppers at the Jashn-e-Qawwali festival in Hyderabad in February and recently toured Dubai. Idris Qutbi says qawwali is the essence of sufiana kamal and their world record highlights that it was born and nurtured in India. “Many people think qawwali is limited to ‘Kun Faya’ and ‘Rashke Qamar’. We will enrapture them with the shayari and mausiqui of generations.”

Idris says Qawwali is the wealth collected by generations of Sufi saints, irrespective of their religion or beliefs. “We will sing Nizamuddin Auliya, Amir Khusrau and Bulleh Shah, as well as Meera Bai and Kabir Das,” says Idris, “This is what binds us children of a common heritage.”

The first instalment of “Under the Banyan Tree on a Full Moon Night” will be held on Sunday, April 29, 7 pm onwards at 1AQ, opposite Qutub Minar in New Delhi