Community Connection

By Vidur Dindayal
I would dearly love to see organised an annual music festival for our music – all and every kind: popular film songs, old and new, taan singing, chowtals, bhajans, Indian classicals, and chutney. It would be so nice to have such a festival here in London, and if none exists already, one in New York and one in Toronto.
Were I younger I would organise it all myself, but Alas, I cannot do so now. Gone are the days when in my late teens, in the 50s, we managed the Hindi Schools Sammelan held at various centres, including Skeldon, Rosehall, New Amsterdam and Georgetown. The most entertaining part of it was the singing, both solo and group, by students of Hindi Schools.
Long ago we seemed to have had more opportunities for singing and playing our Indo Caribbean music. Apart from regular weekly functions at our local temple, we attended functions in other villages and at New Amsterdam or Georgetown Town Hall. We would dress up and attend. There was a great sense of occasion. We even took part in programmes on Radio Demerara where we sang bhajans. Those events were enjoyable; they remain in my memory and give me pleasure reflecting on those heart-warming times.
Here in London in the UK I am a great fan of an annual concert known as "The Proms". "Prom" is short for promenade concert, a term which originally referred to outdoor concerts in London's pleasure gardens, where the audience was free to stroll around while the orchestra was playing. "The Proms" is an eight-week summer season - July to September - of daily orchestral classical music concerts. There are concerts in the Royal Albert Hall, chamber music concerts at Cadogan Hall, additional ‘Proms in the Park’ events across the UK on the Last Night of "The Proms", and associated educational and children's events. The season is a significant one in British culture. It brings people together. It is broadcast by the BBC.
The last night of "The Proms" is a popular fun night where the atmostphere is lively and light-hearted. That night is traditionally in a 'winding-down' vein, with the audience fully joining in to sing popular classic British patriotic pieces: "Land of Hope and Glory", "Jerusalem", the British national anthem, and "Auld Lang Syne" after the end.
Why can we not have an upbeat annual music occasion for us Indo Caribbeans. Like others the world over, we live our whole life with music, from cradle to grave, from sad times to happy jump-up times, from light-hearted occasions to sombre, serious moments.
Music is part of our life. What the great ones write about music is all true for us. Shakespeare: "If music be the food of love, play on." Plato: "Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." Thomas Carlyle: "Music is well said to be the speech of angels." Colbie Caillat: "A great song should lift your heart, warm the soul and make you feel good." Martin Luther: "Music is the art of the prophets and the gift of God."
The music of Indians of Guyana and the Caribbean is of great breath of styles and origins. It is multi dimensional, ranging from Indian film music, to taan, chowtal, bhajan, ghazal, geet, classical, chutney and others. These are all a vibrant part of our life over many generations.
Hindi film songs have been a staple for most Indo Caribbeans. Some of these songs are deeply embedded in our culture. Top of the list is "Suhaani Raat" from the film Dulari with Suresh and Madhubala. I have attended at least two funerals where this song was played as the cortege was ushered into the chapel. Hearing "Suhaani Raat" we imagine the star-boy with his mandolin, singing with his painful expression, anxiously waiting for the star-girl to join him.
Probably next in popularity is Dilip Kumar’s "Dil Mein Chupake" from the film Aan. He teases Princess Nadira with words of his song as she hides her admiration with a contemptuous look at the bold and handsome coach driver. The heart rending plea by Nimmi of "Tum na jaane kis jahaan me kho gaye" in the film "Sazaa" brings tears to the eyes, yet I can listen to it all day. "Ayega" from the film Mahal captivates. We are gripped with its mystery. One moment the star-girl is on the swing, singing; the next she vanishes and we see a black cat scamper away. A heart wrenching song from Neel Kamal. "Babul ki duaayein leti jaa" is when the father has to leave his daughter suffering in her in-law’s home.
We have kept up our Chowtal singing to this day, a sophisticated art form. Two groups face each other. The main singer from one group leads with a line that is echoed by his/her group, which the opposing group replies to, both groups working up to a crescendo, with vigorous clanking of the jhaal (cymbals). Our Taan singing has also been kept alive and like the Chowtal, indigenously Indo Caribbean in style.
Bhajan singing is yet another great facet of our music. We have produced many great singers whose works have been recorded. We are great exponents of household favourites, recorded by, among others, well known international singers: Lata Mangeshker, Anuradha Paudwal, Hari Om Sharan, Anup Jalota and Jagjit Singh.
Indo Caribbean music is all of the above. It is the music of my people, what I grew up listening to, and what I can identify as being Indian. Our Indo Caribbean music has its roots in India.
There would be numerous benefits from an Indo Caribbean Music Festival. For a start, it is great entertainment and a showcase for talent. The platform and stage would present one of many opportunities for our young and aspiring talents to express themselves. It would enrich their lives forever. It would be a source of great joy also for parents and families.
There is plenty of music and singing in the Indo Caribbean community to make organising an annual Indo Caribbean Music Festival worthwhile. It would be great entertainment, of great variety, multi faceted, suiting all tastes, an activity for the community to enthusiastically prepare for, and to look forward to participating in.